News – Cranbourne Star News – 12th February 2026

Late-night rollover

A car was left overturned following a late-night crash at the North Rd and Craig Rd roundabout in Devon Meadows.

The accident, which happened at around 9.30pm, prompted an emergency response from CFA crews.

No fatal or critical injury was confirmed.

Former two-time Casey mayor and VFL footballer Geoff Ablett has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), prompting his family to launch a fundraising campaign to help bring him home from the hospital.

The diagnosis came just before Christmas after more than a year of hospital stays and testing.

Mr Ablett said symptoms became apparent during rehabilitation following a hip replacement, when he failed to regain strength and began losing function in his left leg. He has since become wheelchair-bound and now requires round-the-clock care.

He also said the stress surrounding the Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC)’s Operation Sandon had taken a toll, maintaining he was wrongly accused.

While the IBAC report made adverse findings against him, Mr Ablett was not charged, unlike

former mayor Sam Aziz and developer John Woodman, who face criminal proceedings. Mr Ablett served on the Casey Council for about 12 years before the council was sacked in 2020 following the corruption probe.

Community input is invited

Casey Council is seeking community feedback on planned upgrades for two local activity centres at Pearcedale and Junction Village.

The planned upgrades to the Pearcedale Village Shopping Centre include upgraded pathways and crossings, landscaping, seating, and wayfinding to create a vibrant public space that reflects Pearcedale’s village character and supports local businesses.

The plans also address parking issues around the shopping centres.

At Arcade Village in Junction Village, plans include additional street trees, new seating, and general beautification to create a more welcoming environment.

Signage directing people to the activity centre will also be improved, and as part of that work, Council is seeking feedback on the centre’s name to ensure it reflects community values.

Local Ward Councillor Michelle Crowther encouraged the community to take this opportunity to have their say on both engagements and shape the future of their local centres.

“These spaces are in the heart of the local community, and we want to improve how they look, feel and function to ensure they are welcoming and accessible for local residents and visitors,” she said.

“Council has committed to investing in both the Pearcedale activity centres and Junction Arcade centres, and community feedback will help us understand the changes and improvements you would like to see.”

The two upgrades have been allocated funding of $365,000 (Pearcedale) and $85,000 (Junction Village).

For more information and to view the draft plan, visit Council’s Casey Conversations website at conversations.casey.vic. gov.au.

Consultation on both plans closes on Tuesday 10 March.

Community information drop-in sessions will also be held in each area in February: Pearcedale Drop-in Information session

· Thursday 19 February, 2 – 4.30pm

· Pearcedale Village Shopping Centre

Arcade Village Drop-in Information session

· Thursday 26 February, 10-11.30am

· Arcade Village Shopping Centre, Junction Village

No interest on rates

By Violet Li

Ratepayers facing hardship are expected not to be charged interest on deferred rates under new State rules.

Casey has confirmed that it already waives interest for residents approved for financial hardship deferrals in practice, but its publicly available hardship policy still predates the State rules, which include a wider range of hardship circumstances. This means an update is required. Council stated that an updated policy would be presentedtotheCouncilbymid-2026.

The change comes under Ministerial Guidelines releasedbytheStateGovernmentinDecember2025, which require that ratepayers experiencing hardship and financial hardship must be treated “fairly, compassionatelyandproportionately”.

One of the new requirements is that councils must stop charging interest when rate payments are formally deferred due to hardship. The guidelines use a much broader definition of hardship than simply being unable to pay. Hardship can include sudden job loss, illness, mental health issues, family violence or economic abuse, caring responsibilities, scams or fraud, incarceration, or natural disasters, evenifapersonisnotyetinseverefinancialdistress.

In these situations, councils can defer payments temporarily to give residents breathing space. Financial hardship is treated as a more serious category, where paying rates would leave someone unabletoaffordbasicnecessitiessuchasfood,housing, utilities or medical care. While quarterly instalments remain the standard billing system, councils are encouraged to allow smaller, more frequent payments,

suchasweekly,fortnightlyormonthlyoptions.

If a payment plan follows a hardship deferral, theninterestmustnotbecharged.

Councils are legally required to review and update their existing rates hardship policies under the direction of the new Guidelines. At the moment, Casey Council has a number of measures in place to support the community, such as offering flexible payment options and support for people experiencinghardship.

The flexible payment plan is available for all ratepayers. According to Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen, in September 2025, Council launched a new payment gateway through Payble, which allows residents to pay their rates with weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments.

“This puts residents in control of their payment schedules and lets people manage payment in the waythatworksforthem,”hesaid.

Council also confirmed it does not charge interest on the overdue amounts under payment plans, where residents continue making regular repayments, noting this has been standard practice for severalyears,despitetheexisting 2021 Rates Hardship Policy saying otherwise. As for the support for people experiencing hardship, the 2021 policy stipulates that ratepayers can apply for deferral of rates and charges, waiver of interest andlegalchargesinvoicedtodate,andwaiverofrates and charges. Council confirmed that if someone has been approved by Council for a financial hardship deferralforaperiod,thennointerestischarged.

This is usually revisited regularly to confirm no changeofcircumstances.

“Council is also in the process of updating related policies in accordance with the new Ministerial Guidelines; however, residents who are having difficulty paying their rates are encouraged to contact Council as soon as possible to discuss the options thatareavailabletothem,”MayorCrKoomensaid.

Council shared that the updated policy would be presentedtoCouncilforapprovalinmid-2026.Casey has experienced an increase in the rate of arrears in the last five years. This has been linked to the Covid periodaswellasthecostofliving.

Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association (CRRA) president Anthony Tassone said the reforms comeatacriticaltimeforlocalhouseholds.

“Peopleinourcommunityarehurtingfinancially. Rising living costs, insecure work, illness and unexpected life events are pushing many households to thebrink,”hesaid.

Mr Tassone said stopping interest on deferred payments and pausing enforcement while hardship applications are assessed would help prevent residentsfromfallingintocyclesofdebt.

“These changes help people stay engaged with the council instead of falling into a spiral of arrears and debt recovery,” he said. However, Mr Tassone said the success of the reforms nowdependsonhowquicklycouncilsact.

“At this stage, Casey’s publicly available hardship policypredatesthenewrequirements,”hesaid.

To apply for a rates payment plan, visit: casey.vic. gov.au/apply-rates-payment-plan To apply for assistance due to financial hardship, visit: casey.vic.gov. au/rates-financial-hardship

New threatened species facility opens

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park in Pearcedale officially unveiled its new purposebuilt Aquatic Fauna Conservation Facility on Tuesday 10 February.

Featuring precise environmental controls and fully adaptable tank systems, the new facility has been designed to support long-term husbandry, research, and conservation breeding programs.

The first residents, Eastern Dwarf Galaxias (Galaxiella pusilla), are a small endemic freshwater species found in parts of Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.

Once more widespread, its populations have become fragmented due to wetland drainage, hab-

itat loss, climate pressures, and competition from introduced species.

The species is currently listed as Endangered in Victoria.

Over time, the facility will expand to house additional threatened aquatic species.

Michael Johnson, owner and director of Moonlit Sanctuary, said: “When we opened Moonlit Sanctuary 25 years ago, our goal was always to create meaningful change for Australia’s wildlife.

“This new facility allows us to extend that commitment into the freshwater space, where species like the Eastern Dwarf Galaxias urgently need our help. It’s incredibly rewarding to see this work

come to life.”

The construction of this facility was funded by the State Government with a Nature Fund grant through the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Moonlit Sanctuary extended thanks to Chris Lamin (Middle Creek Farm) and Greg Martin (Aquariums by Design) for their expertise and hands-on collaboration throughout the project.

The two worked closely with Ectotherm coordinator Jamieson Brodie, and their guidance was crucial in designing the sophisticated systems that now support these delicate freshwater fish, according to the Sanctuary.

Geoff Ablett’s MND battle

By Violet Li

Ex two-time Casey Mayor and VFL footballer Geoff Ablett has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), prompting his family to launch a fundraising campaign to help bring him home from the hospital.

The diagnosis came just before Christmas after months of hospital stays and medical tests, during which doctors struggled to determine the cause of his rapid physical decline.

Mr Ablett said he had spent about 12 months in and out of the hospital over the past 15 months, after initially seeking treatment for hip and back issues.

Symptoms first became clear more than eight months ago while undergoing rehabilitation following a hip replacement, when he failed to regain strength and began losing function in his left leg, according to him.

“It took about 13 or 14 months to diagnose,” he said.

Mr Ablett explained that the condition initially mimicked arthritis and other common ailments before specialised nerve testing confirmed MND.

He also said that the stress surrounding his involvement in the IBAC Operation Sandon investigation had taken a toll.

“There are several possibilities (of the contributing factor). Chemicals, stress. The IBAC was a lot,” he said.

“I’m still innocent today…There was no evidence. I wanted to put that I was wrongly accused, and I’m very disappointed.”

Mr Ablett served as a City of Casey councillor for approximately 12 years, from 2008 until the then-council cohort was sacked by the State Government in early 2020 due to a anti-corruption investigation.

The investigation by the Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) later found that he allegedly received significant payments and other financial benefits from property developer John Woodman while promoting the developer’s interests at the council.

Though Mr Ablett received adverse findings in the IBAC report, he was not charged, while ex-mayor Sam Aziz and Woodman face criminal proceedings.

Mr Ablett is now wheelchair-bound and requires round-the-clock care, including assistance with breathing, mobility and daily tasks such as bathing and dressing.

“Receiving this diagnosis has been devastating for our family,” Janice Ablett, Mr Ablett’s sister, said in the fundraising statement.

“MND does not discriminate and progressively takes away the body’s ability to function. Impacting mobility, speech, and independence.

“Watching someone you love face this illness

is heartbreaking, especially a man, my brother, who has always been fit and active and proactive at taking on life.”

According to the fundraising page, the family’s priority is to return Mr Ablett to his own home, where he can be surrounded by loved ones, but urgent modifications are needed before that can happen.

The home is said to require accessibility upgrades, including ramps, bathroom alterations and specialised medical equipment, along with ongoing support from nurses and carers.

While Ablett has been assessed as eligible for aged-care funding, his family say delays in accessing government support have left them facing high out-of-pocket costs at a critical time.

His sister, Janice, said the family is hoping

community support will help bridge the gap and allow Ablett to leave the hospital sooner.

“Any donation, no matter how small, would be deeply appreciated. All proceeds will go directly towards supporting Geoff and our family through this incredibly challenging and constantly changing journey,” she said in the statement.

Motor Neurone Disease is a progressive and incurable neurological condition that gradually robs people of their ability to move, speak and breathe.

Mr Ablett was a prominent Australian rules footballer who played 229 games in the Victorian Football League during the 1970s and 1980s, predominantly on the wing for Hawthorn, where he was part of two premiership teams in 1976 and 1978.

He later had brief playing stints with Richmond and St Kilda before retiring from league football.

Mr Ablett was known for his pace and endurance, winning the AFL Grand Final Sprint multiple times during his playing career, and was part of the famous Ablett football family that includes Hall of Fame great Gary Ablett Sr. After his football career, Mr Ablett served as a councillor and mayor of the City of Casey and ran as a Liberal Party candidate in state elections. At the time of writing, the fundraising window remains open, with donations close to $14,000 raised.

To help, visit: gofundme.com/f/geoff-ablettdiagnosed-with-mnd-family-want-to-take-himhome

Roadworks cause havoc for Casey commuters

By Jensy Callimootoo

Roadworks on a major Clyde North intersection has caused gridlock during peak hours for many Casey commuters, some saying that their typical 10-minute commute has taken them close to an hour.

It comes after scheduled roadworks on Thompsons Road and Berwick-Cranbourne Road intersection began on Monday 12 January, in aim of easing congestion around the region and making commuters journeys “safer and more reliable”, according to the state’s Big Build developments.

Roadworks are taking place to remove the existing large roundabout on Thompsons Road and Berwick-Cranbourne Road, which will be later replaced with traffic lights, with plans to also add new through and turning lanes.

The current phase of construction will see the removal of the large roundabout between the intersection, installation of underground traffic signal infrastructure, the relocation of water and services as well the updating of the drainage system and asphalt on the southbound lanes on both sides of Thompsons Road.

It will also begin work on the shared walking and cycling paths on the south-east and southwest corners of the intersection.

Commuters were warned a month prior that they should expect delays up to 30 minutes through the area, but many have had to wait in traffic for over an hour.

While detours have been included through six roads, including Grices road, Bells Road, Hardys Road, Linsell Boulevard, Greaves Road and Narre

Warren-Cranbourne Road, locals have said it’s not sufficient in mitigating the traffic that would normally use Thompsons road.

One local, Amy, says it took her one hour during evening peak hour traffic to get from Splash Berwick to her destination, a commute that would typically take eight minutes according to Amy.

Similarly, a trip to St John of God Berwick Hospital, that would typically take Clyde’ local Jan, 15-20 minutes, took her just over an hour.

Jessica, who lives near the Bloom Estate in Clyde North and who is currently pregnant, says that she’s concerned of going into labour soon and having to be stuck in traffic.

“Every roadwork project that has taken place

has directly impacted our estate, and the level of congestion has become extremely frustrating,” she told Star News.

“No matter what plans you have, you need to allow at least an extra hour to leave because it is unpredictable how long it will take just to get out of the estate.

“I am currently pregnant, and it is genuinely concerning to think about the possibility of going into labour at home and facing delays reaching medical care.”

The mother-to-be said that the increase in dangerous drivers on the road coupled with roadworks has heightened her distress.

“When you combine dangerous driving with constant roadworks, the overall experience be-

comes so stressful that I often avoid leaving home unless absolutely necessary.”

“My family lives in Cranbourne and Lynbrook, and they have reduced visiting us because the travel time has become so long and inconvenient.”

Jessica says she received a pamphlet in the mailbox, warning of the intersection closure and possible delays, but that it didn’t outline the essential information relevant to the roadworks, including timeframe and phases of the construction.

According to the Victoria’s Big Build website, the intersection is scheduled to be reopened on Friday 5am 13 February.

And while the existing large roundabout will be removed, commuters should expect smaller, temporary roundabouts to “help keep traffic flowing while we continue to work behind barriers”.

A Big Build Roads spokesperson told Star News that the recent full intersection closure marked the most disruptive stage of the project, with future works retaining traffic flow with lane closures managed outside peak travel times wherever possible — they also said that the major reconstruction of the intersection is on track for completion in mid-2027.

“Keeping traffic moving is a major priority throughout construction and works will be managed to minimise disruption to both road users and the local community,” they said.

It is still unclear when the next phase of road constructions are scheduled following the February reopening of the intersection.

VCAT blocks billboard

By Violet Li

A proposed electronic billboard on Cameron Street in Cranbourne has been rejected by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, backing Casey Council’s refusal.

VCAT Member Katherine Paterson ruled on 6 February that the major promotional sky sign proposed by Maple Media Pty Ltd would have an “unreasonable impact” on nearby residential properties and would dominate the streetscape when viewed from surrounding homes.

The application sought approval for a two-sided electronic advertising sign with a combined display area of more than 50 square metres, mounted on a 7.7-metre pole at Unit 1/45 Cameron Street, within the Cranbourne Major Activity Centre.

Casey Council rejected the sign, claiming that it would not complement the character of the area due to its size and height; would create visual clutter; the illumination from the electronic sign would be a distraction for drivers on Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, and would adversely affect the amenity of residents within the residential area.

Council also submitted that major promotion signs are inconsistent with local planning policies, which seek to limit signs to business identification signs that are less than 7 metres in height and limit the number of pole signs on each property.

While the Tribunal accepted that the sign would generally be suitable when viewed from Narre Warren–Cranbourne Road and the industrial side hookup of the activity centre, and would not pose a traffic safety risk, it found the residential outlook told a different story.

“I find that the views from the residential area are sensitive, and the proposed sign will appear jarring in the streetscape, particularly due to its electronic form from this vantage point,” Member Paterson.

“Whilst the sign has been designed so that it is orientated towards Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, with only a narrow element visible from the residential properties directly in front of the sign,

it will be visible from Jagger Circuit and possibly from the dwellings that will be constructed to the south, as shown in the view line diagram provided with the application.

The Member also raised concerns about the impact on key gateway views into the precinct, particularly from the southern entrance, saying the sign would remain apparent, even if not fully legible, from those locations.

VCAT also found the proposal conflicted with Council’s local signage policy, which discourages major promotion signs and sky signs in favour of smaller business identification signage integrated

Media Pty Ltd sought approval for a twosided electronic advertising sign with a combined display area of more than 50 square metres, mounted on a 7.7-metre pole at Unit 1/45 Cameron Street.

into building design.

While acknowledging that some locations in Casey could potentially support large promotional signage, the Tribunal said such developments require “great care” in site selection.

VCAT affirmed Casey Council’s refusal, with no permit granted for the billboard.

Pair charged

A pair have been charged after a man was allegedly struck with a hammer in Cranbourne on Friday 6 February.

Casey CIU detectives say the man was involved in a physical altercation with two other men outside a property on Wallace Road about 10am.

The 51-year-old man was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Two men were arrested by police nearby.

They were both taken to hospital for observation, under police guard.

A 51-year-old Frankston man was charged with intentionally causing serious injury, assault with a weapon and committing an indictable offence whilst on bail.

He was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Saturday 7 February.

A 34-year-old Cranbourne man was charged with intentionally causing injury.

He was bailed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on 29 April.

The three men are known to each other, police say.

Charges, investigation ongoing

Detectives from the Armed Crime Squad have charged two men as part of an ongoing investigation into a non-fatal shooting in Doveton last year.

Emergency services were initially called about 2pm on 30 October following reports of a man with a gunshot wound inside a vehicle on Paperbark Avenue.

A 35-year-old Pakenham man was subsequently located injured sitting in the front passenger seat of a black Mazda sedan.

He was then taken to hospital with serious injuries to his lower body.

It’s believed there was one or two more people in the Mazda with the injured man, however they left before police arrived.

Police will allege the Mazda was seen just after 1.45pm that day on Harmer Road in Hallam, driving erratically with a black Holden.

Witnesses have told police that occupants of the vehicles were involved in an altercation, including threatening each other with firearms.

Detectives are yet to locate the Holden, including its occupants, and are still working to establish its movements before and after the shooting.

A 39-year-old Keysborough man was arrested and charged in Cheltenham on 31 October in relation to the incident.

As part of their investigation detectives executed a search warrant at a business in Pakenham on 22 January and seized a number of items including firearms, ammunition and stolen goods.

On Friday 6 February detectives from the Armed Crime Squad executed further search warrants at properties in Pakenham, Clyde and Knoxfield. They arrested a 48-year-old Pakenham man. He was charged with 37 offences including trafficking of firearms, possess firearms and possess ammunition.

He was presented to Melbourne Magistrates’ Court and bailed to appear on 24 April 2026. Police also arrested a 36-year-old Clyde man. He has been charged with weapons offences and possess stolen goods and bailed to appear before Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 7 May. Detectives continue to treat the Doveton incident as targeted and that the parties involved are known to each other.

The investigation into the shooting continues. Anyone with information about the incident and the movements of the vehicles is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic. com.au

EPA, Veolia at odds

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

The state’s pollution watchdog says it remains opposed to a new toxic-waste cell at a controversial hazardous-waste landfill at Taylors Road, Lyndhurst.

In July, Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) rejected tip operator Veolia’s application to build Cell 21, out of concerns that it would exceed overall licenced levels of toxic waste at the site.

“We are concerned construction of the cell would cause Veolia to breach its operating licence, which states that reportable priority waste must not make up more than 35 per cent of all waste deposited at the facility,” an EPA spokesperson said.

“Discussions with the company about licensing issues are ongoing.

“EPA will not consider further applications for cell construction until these are resolved.”

Opponents, including Greater Dandenong Council, have called for the landfill’s closure due to public health concerns for nearby residents and workers.

These calls intensified after a series of EPA orders and a fine over breaches at Lyndhurst in 2023 and 2024, including issues with leachate (wastewater), dust and landfill gas.

Cell 21 would extend the lifetime of Victoria’s only landfill that is licenced for Category B hazardous waste, according to opponents.

In a statement to Star Journal, Veolia stated it would take about six years to fill Cell 21, but this depended on market demand.

“Taylors Road Resource Recovery Precinct is a vital part of Victoria’s waste management system,” a Veolia spokesperson said.

“It provides the only disposal option for reportable priority waste, such as contaminated

The cell’s double composite-liner design exceeds the EPA best practice environmental management standard, Veolia stated.

At a community reference group meeting last year, Veolia stated it does not have a “sunset clause” for Lyndhurst landfill.

Cell 21, because the state needs it for the reportable priority waste,” the minutes recorded.

A previous Labor State Government had vowed to close the landfill by 2020, but it now leaves the timeline to Veolia and the EPA.

“The Victorian Recycling Infrastructure Plan sets out the direction for our state’s residual waste infrastructure including constraints for processing higher risk hazardous waste,” a government spokesperson said.

“The plan also highlights the importance of

existing facilities operating in accordance with their strict permissions and licenses to protect the community.”

Greater Dandenong city futures executive director Sanjay Manivasagasivam said the council was committed to seeing the landfill closed “as soon as possible”.

He said if a new application for Cell 21 was made to the EPA, the council would review it and “potentially provide a response at that time”.

When: Wednesday 18 March Time: 9:15am – 12:30pm

Bandicoot corridor rezoned

By Violet Li

A proposed conservation zone for private land in Cranbourne was removed on legal advice from the State Government and replaced with a conservation overlay, with the Casey Council claiming that both approaches would achieve the same protection outcome.

But the future rezoning could be possible when the land is transferred to the Council.

The change, noted by the City of Casey Transparency Advocate, occurred during the Planning Scheme Amendment C300case, where Casey Council is proposing to rezone 40-46 Cyril Beechey Lane in Cranbourne for residential use.

Council initially endorsed split zoning of the site at its March 2024 meeting, after landowner Browns Property Group proposed retaining a 30-metre-wide vegetated biodiversity corridor along the eastern boundary to extend the adjoining Grandeur Court Reserve and provide habitat and a north–south dispersal corridor for the Southern Brown Bandicoot.

The corridor part was proposed to be a public conservation zone.

Environmental reports commissioned by the landowner confirm the Southern Brown Bandicoot has been detected on the site, a species listed as endangered under Federal environmental law, with the proposed development at one point referred to the Commonwealth Environment Minister due to the likelihood of significant environmental impact.

However, City of Casey Manager of Growth and Investment Michael Ford said in July 2025, the Department of Transport and Planning authorised the exhibition of the amendment, subject to the whole of the 40-46 Cyril Beechey Lane property being rezoned to the General Residential Zone.

“Council was not provided with an explanation for this required change,” he said.

Now, a Development Plan Overlay (DPO) has been proposed for the retention of the 30-metre-wide habitat corridor.

“The proposed overlay will achieve the same conservation outcome as the previous proposed

zone,” Mr Ford said.

A Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) informed that the Ministerial Direction - The Form and Content of Planning Schemes specifies that land may only be included in a public land zone if the land is Crown land or is owned, vested in or controlled by a Minister, government department, public authority or a municipal council.

This is to ensure the integrity of the zoning system and that permit requirements are appropriate to the land. In the future, if part of the land is no longer in private ownership, it could be considered for in-

clusion in a public land zone.

A DTP spokesperson said that the State Government is working together with the City of Casey to unlock land for more housing.

“Any future proposal would be considered on its merits and subject to a planning process,” they said.

A Browns Property Group spokesperson said it fully supports future rezoning of the corridor to Public Conservation and Resource Zone once the land is transferred into Council ownership.

“Notably, the DPO requires Brown Property Group to vest the biodiversity corridor in Council’s ownership following the rezoning of the site,” they said.

Colourful weekend picnic

It was a colourful weekend for more than 100 community members who attended the council’s annual rainbow picnic.

Held at Berwick’s Old Cheese Factory on Saturday 7 February, over 120 people joined Casey’s Mayor and his family to dance, laugh and celebrate the yearly event in the summer gardens.

“The City of Casey is proud to host events like the Casey Rainbow Picnic, which celebrate the pride, connection and community spirit that make our city so special,” said Mayor Stefan Koomen.

“My family and I were thrilled to be able to join

in the celebrations among so many wonderful community members.”

Councillor Kim Ross of the Casuarina ward

also attended and joined in the day’s festivities. Locals who attended the events were also ecstatic of the outcome and meaning behind the festivities.

One local, Danni, championed the inclusivity behind the event.

“A safe and inclusive event where everyone’s true colours could shine,” said Danni.

Katherine echoed this sentiment and is looking forward to next year’s celebration.

“It was a lovely day, so wonderful to see families coming together to celebrate. Can’t wait to do it again next year,” they said.

“Once the land is transferred, Council can instigate the rezoning of the corridor to the Public Conservation and Resource Zone.

“This will be a procedural amendment, which Brown Property Group fully supports.” Planning Scheme Amendment C300case is still in process. At the moment, Council is reviewing public submissions on the draft Amendment. A final decision on whether to adopt the Amendment will be made by Council at its April 2026 meeting.

To know more about the Amendment, visit: conversations.casey.vic.gov.au/c300case

New mobile signal mapping tool

The City of Casey has debuted a new interactive mobile signal mapping tool which endeavours to give residents detailed insights surrounding mobile connectivity around their region.

The new public facing tool works as an interactive 4G and 5G mobile signal map for the City of Casey, giving residents a look at where reception may be strong, patchy or weak.

Stefan Koomen, Mayor of Casey, said that the recent developments and rollout of the interactive tool follows council’s endeavours to ensure information is more accessible for Casey locals.

“These enhancements are part of our ongoing efforts to make information accessible and easy to understand,” he said.

“By providing practical, visual insights, we are empowering residents to explore, learn, and make informed decisions.”

For years, many locals have raised their concerns regarding low signal voids in some regions around Casey and the impact of lack of connectivity.

Specifically in the region’s growth fringes such as Clyde and Clyde North — a region that is rapidly increasing in dwellings and population.

According to the Casey mapping tool, poor signal areas in the growing region still remain, indicating the mobile reception is somewhat irregular across the region.

Coverage quality from major carriers such as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone are also exhibited as inconsistent, with pockets such as Clyde and Clyde North, where 4G and 5G coverage is reduced and where speeds and service quality can vary significantly.

Those who would like to explore the new signal map can go to, data.casey.vic. gov.au/page/cellular-mapping/

Pursuit ends in jail

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

A Frankston serial car thief has been jailed for up to 26 months after a perilous, two-hour police pursuit across the South East.

Corey Johnston, 22 at the time, fled in a stolen Commodore with false plates from police road units and Air Wing across Frankston, Carrum Downs, Keysborough, Dandenong, Beaconsfield and Fountain Gate late on 5 February 2025.

The protracted pursuit “reads like a movie script”, with “appalling” driving that put police officers and other road users at risk, Victorian County Court judge Kevin Doyle stated.

Though he kept largely within the speed limit, Johnston ran two red lights in Keysborough, at another stage veering on the wrong side of the road to avoid roadworks.

When he went through one of the red lights at high speed, he would have had “no idea” of oncoming traffic – with potentially fatal consequences, Judge Doyle noted.

His only motivation for ignoring police was to avoid apprehension and responsibility for his imitation gun and stolen car, the judge found.

It was “hard to think of any innocent purpose” for holding such a weapon, Judge Doyle noted.

Johnston called his girlfriend, who was with police at the time. He told her that the “Air Wing is on me”, “the jacks are behind me”, and described police spotlighting him.

He could outrun the police but he only had half-a-tank of petrol, he told her.

He’d decided to throw his gun out under a bridge, he said. That imitation gun was later found by police near an overpass at Lathams Road and Eastlink in Carrum Downs.

“I don’t know what to do,” he said.

On a second call, Johnston said he was trying to think of an underground carpark where he could escape in another vehicle – and came up with Frankston Hospital and Karringal shopping centre.

Eventually he was arrested about 1am in Fountain Gate shopping centre, hiding in the back seat of another car.

At the time he was suspended from driving, and subject to a firearm prohibition order.

Johnston pled guilty to charges including dangerous driving while pursued by police, car theft and possessing an imitation gun as a prohibited person.

He also pled to offences relating to two other Holdens stolen from Sandhurst Golf Club and from Patterson Lakes.

In sentencing on 5 February, Judge Doyle

noted the now-23-year-old’s lengthy priors including car thefts, a police pursuit, weapons, disqualified driving and multiple community correction order breaches.

After many court orders to help his rehabilitation, this time he was assessed by Corrections Victoria as unsuitable for another CCO.

There was little evidence of remorse, despite Johnston’s guilty pleas.

He was diagnosed with complex PTSD, ADHD, borderline personality and stimulant use disorders. The long-time user had been taking a gram of meth a day, plus GHB.

A psychologist recommended multidisciplinary intervention. She found Johnston was at risk of a cycle of recidivism and institutionalisation.

Judge Doyle noted Johnston’s youthfulness. But given Johnston’s history, jail including a non-parole period was the only option, the judge said.

Johnston was jailed for up to 26 months, with a 15-month non-parole period.

His term includes 364 days of pre-sentence detention, meaning he will be eligible for parole in three months.

We know that moving into care can be a challenging time. At Summerset Cranbourne North, we aim to make sure you have the right home for your needs and situation, that you have the right level of care available now and in case you need it in the future, and that the village you choose is one where you can make the most of the Summerset life.

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Rail reliability questions

By Violet Li

Performance data shows the Cranbourne Line has broadly tracked close to Melbourne’s network-wide averages for reliability in recent years, but commuters say delays, cancellations and peak-hour disruptions are making the service increasingly hard to trust.

Reliability on the Cranbourne Line has been a recurring topic in the community for years, reflected in the long-running Facebook group “Cranbourne line delays, cancellations and frustrations”, but the discussion was reignited after Tuesday 3 February’s afternoon-peak power fault, which left thousands of Cranbourne and East Pakenham passengers stranded on stalled trains for up to two and a half hours without air conditioning in 30-degree heat.

Long-term Cranbourne resident and Cranbourne Line commuter David Nakhla said he quit his job last November after years of frustration with taking the line.

“Just before Covid, I got PTSD trying to catch a train now on the Cranbourne Line because you just don’t know how long it’s ever going to take you now,” he said.

“My workplace was in Preston. With all these bus replacements and stuff like that, my journey time, especially when it was a trespasser, would end up being, say, an hour and a half when it runs smoothly.

“Could go up to two to two and a half hours. The longest has been nearly three and a half hours. Just one way.

“It would turn my journey from an eight-hour day to a minimum of 12 hours with transport. So, then I started trying to use Uber, but it was costing too much.”

Vision-impaired and reliant on public transport, Mr Nakhla had to give up his career because he couldn’t deal with at least four to five hours of travel a day.

“I will guarantee you, when I was working, it (the delay) would at least be three times a week. You’ll be stuck on the train for about 20 minutes,” he said.

“Once a week. Fair enough. But when it happens more than once a week, that’s an issue.”

He shared that the most frequent disruption was trespassing, followed by planned upgrades. He said there should be more Protective Service Officers at trespassing hotspots.

Cranbourne resident and a Greens member Payal Tiwari, who spoke from a commuter point of view, said she recently travelled from Cranbourne to the city on a weekend, and her journey took almost two hours because the connecting trains were not aligned properly.

She missed an hour of her work.

“I was just frustrated, to be honest. Two hours is too much in terms of if you want to get to the city. We’re not far away. I could have easily gone and taken a car and driven in. On the weekend, it takes a maximum of forty-five minutes from my house, 45 minutes,” Ms Tiwari said.

“I have a car, and I’m privileged that way. I can go and park in the city. But why should living in Cranbourne be a privilege if you have a car to

BUSINESS PROFILE

come to the city?”

Speaking of the Cranbourne line reliability, she said a lot of the time, it had been delayed.

“It is just a common thing,” she said.

Ms Tiwari said she now avoids trains where possible.

However, not all commuters shared the same experience.

Local Steven Agius, who was caught in the 3 February disruption and took more than four hours to get home to Merinda Park, said it was the first major delay he had experienced in several years. He works from home three days a week.

“I’ve never had anything like this before,” Mr Agius said.

“I used to catch the train on the Lilydale Belgrave Line, and I’ve had more incidents on there than I’ve had on the Cranbourne Line.”

State performance figures show that in the past four years (2022 to 2025), the Cranbourne train has broadly tracked close to Melbourne’s metropolitan averages, with about 98.5 per cent of scheduled services delivered and 94.4 per cent arriving on time. That places Cranbourne roughly in the middle of the pack across Melbourne’s metro network, performing better than some lines, such as Craigieburn and Frankston, on punctuality, but behind higher-performing corridors like Glen Waverley and Sandringham.

Over the same period, around 1.2 per cent of Cranbourne services were cancelled, alongside smaller proportions of short-running, bypassed or skipped services.

While these figures do not rank Cranbourne among Melbourne’s poorest-performing lines

statistically, they still translate into more than 2,200 cancelled services and over 1,500 short-run services during the period.

Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) spokesperson Daniel Bowen said for passengers in the outer suburbs, major disruptions often have a bigger impact.

“Options to use other lines and connecting buses are fewer and take longer,” he said.

Mr Bowen said power issues such as 3 February’s can be particularly tricky - the live cables that came down had to be made safe before passengers could be evacuated.

“The ‘High Capacity Metro Trains’ were accompanied by power and signalling upgrades, but clearly last week’s disruption shows more needs to be done to improve reliability,” he said.

“Ultimately, the State Government and Metro need to identify what went wrong last week and work to prevent similar incidents from happening again…

“Fundamentally, authorities need to ensure that the rail network is more reliable, so passengers have the confidence that they’re not going to get stuck on a train when they’re just trying to get home.”

Public transport researcher and policy advisor Professor Graham Currie said the Cranbourne/ East Pakenham lines are not particularly more vulnerable than other lines. “The biggest delays occur in inner Melbourne; they occur more frequently, affect more passengers and cause longer disruption delays,” he said.

He said the Cranbourne and Pakenham services now form part of the Sunbury–Cranbourne–Pakenham corridor, Melbourne’s longest rail line,

making it more exposed to delays and passengerrelated disruptions.

However, he noted the corridor also operates on the city’s newest and most advanced rail infrastructure, with modern signalling and highcapacity trains, and should ultimately be among Melbourne’s most reliable lines.

“The residents of Cranbourne-Pakenham have every right and reason to complain about disruptions like this (3 February’s),” he said.

“However, they have been provided with Australia’s most advanced, newest and yes, the most reliable rail infrastructure Melbourne has yet seen.

“The rest of Melbourne has a long way to go before it can catch up with the quality rail services provided to Cranbourne and Pakenham Line residents.”

Speaking of 3 February’s disruption, Professor Currie said large timetable changes often brought short-term instability as drivers, signalling systems and operating patterns adjusted.

“No one yet knows the full details of the cause of the overhead wire/train pantograph entanglement in this case. My guess is it’s a symptom of running an entirely new system and network for the first time,” he said.

“We had the summer ‘Soft Start’ to try and isolate these kinds of failure, and I am aware that many were found and addressed.

“However, nothing can simulate the enormous effect of the ‘Big Switch’ when multiple lines are run at high frequency for the first time. Clearly, someone went wrong.”

The State Government was contacted for comment.

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Calls for more foster carers

By Jensy Callimootoo

Lynn, a Casey local, stumbled on a television commercial about foster care at 65 years old.

Piquing her interest, the Tongan-born mother of five, decided to do some more online research.

Six years on, she has since taken care of five children through the foster care system.

Like Lynn, in 2025, more than 500 foster carer households provided shelter to some of Victoria’s most vulnerable, from long-term stays to short-term care arrangements.

But with nearly 1300 children and young people in foster care every night, organisations from Melbourne’s south-east like Anglicare, are calling for more foster carers to help with an already inundated and strained system.

In Victoria, the number of children and young people needing out-of-home care is rising rapidly due to factors such as family violence, trauma, and abuse, but as the demand increases, sufficient access to foster carers are not being met.

Anglicare Victoria’s deputy CEO, Sue Sealey, stated that children and young people “urgently need safe, nurturing homes.”

“Whether you’re a passionate teacher who’s an expert in working with children, a healthcare professional who knows how to help kids in times of stress, or a parent or guardian who’s raised a family, attending a foster care information session could be the start of a wonderful journey,” said Sue.

While there is growing awareness and increasing support for foster care by many Victorians, the number of new foster carers continues to decline with many people uncertain in taking up the role due to perceived challenges.

In supporting foster carers however, Anglicare Victoria aims to provide specialist training to those who sign up and who are just beginning their journey into foster care.

Casey foster carer Lynn, now 71, often recalls the unfamiliarity and challenges that many children in the foster care system feel when welcomed into a new home.

“When they come to me, I don’t know them, I don’t know their background,” said Lynn.

“It is a challenge, I have to find out as I go.

“They were so shy when they first came to me, that’s how they start.

“Then I’ll start talking to them, I go in the room and I say something funny and they end up laughing. I feel happier because I know

be honest, we do love them and want them to be part of our family,” she said. Anglicare will be facilitating a free online

event on 19 February, those who are interested or curious about foster care can go to, www. anglicarevic.org.au

Expanded emergency facilities for Casey Hospital

With the official plans for the expansion of Casey’s emergency department debuted, the state government is progressing on its $280 million project, with Icon set to lead and deliver the expansions.

The project will allow the already busy emergency department to treat an extra 52,000 emergency patients annually, promising a boost in patient capacity of the ED as well as improving patient flow and reducing wait times.

In line with the new developments, it aims to meet the needs of the growing population of Melbourne’s South-East bringing key medical facilities to locals.

As part of the expansion, several facilities will be added including immediate care cubicles, short stay beds, resuscitation bays, ambulatory care spaces, procedure rooms, consult and interviews rooms, an appointed mental health zone and satellite imaging area.

The massive extension is also being completed at Werribee emergency department, and is expected to create more than 1000 jobs when construction is completed.

A new emergency facility for children is also in the works, with an additional designated zone to be added which will offer a “private, calm and compassionate environment” for paediatric immediate care.

Casey Hospital is one of five Victorian public hospitals set to provide a specially designed children’s emergency department zone.

Melissa Horne, Minister for Health Infrastructure, said that the plans will deliver critical facilities for those living in Melbourne’s south-east.

“The expanded emergency department will deliver faster access to care, more treatment spaces and a purpose-built children’s emergency zone, ensuring families in Melbourne’s south-east get the emergency care they need, now and into the future,” Ms Horne said.

South-Eastern Metro MP, Michael Galea, also echoed Ms Horne’s comment on the expansion.

“This is a massive expansion of emergency capacity at Casey Hospital – it will reduce wait times, meaning more local families can access the care they need, in modern facilities, faster.”

With a new multi-storey carpark, which opened in September 2025, available to patients and staff, the new expansions will be delivered on the site’s existing public carpark.

Site establishment works are set to begin in the coming months, according to the official website and construction is expected to finish in 2027.

For over 75 years, Scope has been a trusted supporter of people with disability, empowering them to grow in confidence and live the life they choose. With a strong focus on putting people first, Scope champions rights and creates opportunities for people with disability to thrive through a wide range of personalised services.

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Crushing for 60 years

Queensland’s Granite Belt comes alive this month for the long-running Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harvest Festival - a celebration of food, wine and community.

The event, starting on Friday 27 February and running through to Sunday 8 March, marks its 60th anniversary this year, making it one of Queensland’s longest-running and most successful festivals.

For 60 years, the festival has celebrated what makes Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt so special – cool-climate wines, apples at their peak, passionate growers and producers, and a community that knows how to welcome visitors and put on a proper celebration.

The biennial event is a celebration of the Granite Belt region’s produce and booming wine industry, which attracts an average of 70,000 people, making it arguably Australia’s leading harvest festival.

The Diamond Jubilee honours that history while inviting people to experience it firsthand.

The main festival weekend brings the energy to the streets of Stanthorpe, with the town buzzing from morning to night.

The Queensland Country Bank three-day Food and Wine Fiesta fills the park with Granite Belt flavours, 18 local wineries, breweries and meaderies, local producers and live music, while the streets host the much-loved Grand Parade, a vibrant street carnival, bustling markets, and the challenge of the Ergon Energy Mt Marlay Run.

As the sun sets, the weekend is capped off with crowd-favourite fireworks, lighting up the Stanthorpe sky.

Across the full 10 days, festival-goers can also enjoy live music, Open Gardens brought to by Braeside Homestead, cooking demonstrations, creative experiences like Bubbles and Brushes, orchard and farm tours, and hands-on harvest moments.

The festival has something for everyone, including things you might not expect – like the

Australian National Busking Championships.

Buskers will be dotted along the street on Saturday 28 Feburary with “Busking Tokens” available to drop in a favourite performers bucket and judges wandering the main street.

This all culminates in the Winners Concert at the Stanthorpe Civic Centre for announcement of the Grand Open Champion and all the other winners and a chance to enjoy more fabulous entertainment.

Then there’s the iconic Balancing Heart

Grape Crush. This event is already nearly sold out, with only limited places remaining for those keen to take part in one of the festival’s most memorable experiences.

The foot stomping, grape crushing fun is an iconic highlight of the Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Festival with the community grape crush on Friday 6 March and Celebrity Crush just after the main parade in the main street near the Stanthorpe Post Office on Saturday 7 March just after the big Grand Parade.

Sponsors are Balancing Heart Vineyard –votedBestSmallCellarDoorbyGourmetTraveller Wine – just one of the many Vineyards worth a visit while in the area for the festival.

The 60th anniversary is a significant milestone for both the festival and the region, according to the event’s president, Russell Wantling.

“This festival has been shaped by generations of volunteers, growers and community members, and reaching 60 years is something we’re incredibly proud of,” he said.

“The Diamond Jubilee is about celebrating our history, our harvest and the people who continue to make this festival what it is.”

With accommodation filling quickly and ticketed events close to capacity, visitors are encouraged to plan now.

Many experiences have limited availability and will sell out. Tickets, program details and the full festival calendar are available at www.appleandgrape.org.

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Choice

New childcare hub open

Cranbourne North’s growing families now have a new education option, with Kool Kidz Childcare officially opening its doors this week as a purpose-built education hub aiming to lift standards across the childcare sector.

The new centre, located at Cnr Thompsons Rd & Rapallo Way, was formally opened on Monday 2 February.

The centre is led by director May Yang, an award-winning educator with more than 15 years’ experience as a head teacher and acting deputy principal at one of New South Wales’ leading public schools.

Her leadership has been recognised at the highest level, including guiding her school to achieve an “Excelling” rating across all 14 elements of the NSW School Excellence Framework in 2024, alongside a Secretary’s Award for outstanding literacy improvement and innovative bilingual and arts-based programs.

WHAT’S ON

CaseyGirlsCan Tennis at Hampton Park Free, coached beginner tennis sessions for Casey women, no prior skills or knowledge of tennis required. Follows the Cardio Tennis format. Part of City of Casey’s Summer of Tennis.

• Thursday 12 February, 6pm-7pm at Hampton Park Tennis Club, 101 Somerville Road (Robert Booth Reserve); free event. Bookings: trybooking. com/DHXWA

Coastal Villages dads group: Footy Day

For all dads, grandfathers, father figures and their children. Bring your children and have a kick with them, learning footy skills with a coach. The Coastal Villages Dads’ Group is led by local fathers for local fathers.

• Saturday 14 February 9am-11am at Warneet Recreation Reserve; free event.

Berwick Farmers Market

General Notices

Ms Yang’s approach focuses on strong educational foundations, emotional wellbeing and consistency, elements she says are critical to long-term learning outcomes.

Beyond education, Kool Kidz Childcare Cranbourne North has been designed as a community hub.

The single-storey centre has been designed to create calm, welcoming learning environments, with light-filled indoor spaces opening out to a wrap-aroundoutdooryardshadedbymaturetrees.

The playground encourages exploration and hands-on learning, featuring elements such as a large sandpit, cubby house, pretend-play shopfront, music wall, sensory path, bike track, slides and a vegetable garden where children can learn through experience.

Positioned directly opposite Springhill Shopping Centre, the service offers convenience for families, with supermarkets, cafes and essential

Farm fresh fruit and veggies, open range ethical eggs, honey, baked goods, artisan breads, vegetable seedlings, ethically raised meats, jams and preserves, dairy, wine, nuts, ready to eat goods. Produce only, no crafts.

• 2nd Saturday of month (next 14 February) 8am12pm at Old Cheese Factory, 34 Homestead Road, Berwick.

Valentines Day in the Park

Grab your picnic rug and join us for an evening filled with live music from Berwick and District Folk Club (BadFolk), sausage sizzle, dessert truck or BYO picnic.

• Saturday 14 February 5pm-9 pm at Lakeside Lawn, Wilson Botanic Park, Berwick; free event

Horror classic

High-octane ukulele ensemble The Uke Death Squad with a special outdoor screening of cult classic 1955

Southern Rural Water (SRW) wishes to advise of an application to permanently transfer 50.0 megalitres of surface water for irrigation purposes on land described as 260-280 Manks Road, Clyde. All surfacewater proposed to be extracted will be sourced from the Western Contour Drain.

Southern Rural Water is committed to an appropriate consultation process to ensure the proper consideration of relevant matters as prescribed by the Water Act 1989

We invite comments from any individuals or parties who believe they may be affected by this application. Written submissions will be accepted until 4pm on 12 March 2026 and will be considered in the assessment of these applications.

Please direct enquiries and submissions to srw@srw.com.au

Alisha Clark

Manager Water Licencing

Quoting reference: CZ 1843206

services only a short walk away, making daily drop-offs and pick-ups easier for busy parents.

According to Ms Yang and co-director Harris Liao, the centre also aims to tackle one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: staff burnout and high turnover.

“By creating a workplace that teachers genuinely enjoy returning to, we believe high standards will naturally attract high-quality educators,” Ms Yang said.

The purpose-built facility also features a comprehensive solar panel system capable of supporting daily operational energy needs, modelling environmental responsibility for children from an early age.

Already active in the community, the team has been invited by two major local shopping centres to run free play stations for families.

To know more, visit: koolkidzchildcare.com. au/cranbourne-north/

sci-fi horror film Tarantula! Part of the six-week outdoor event series Open Space at Bunjil Place.

• Saturday 14 February 6pm-9pm at Bunjil Place plaza, Narre Warren; free event. Details: bunjilplace.com.au/events/open-space-tarantula

CaseyGirlsCan Tennis at Doveton Free, coached beginner tennis sessions for Casey women, no prior skills or knowledge of tennis required. Follows the Cardio Tennis format. Part of City of Casey’s Summer of Tennis. ll equipment included but if you have your own racquet, please bring it with you.

• Mondays 16 and 23 February 10am-11am at Doveton Tennis Club, Oak Avenue (Robinson Reserve). Bookings: trybooking.com/DIFFV

Patsy & Dave Trailblazing country music from Melbourne duo Patsy

• Friday 20 February, doors open 6.30pm at Old Cheese Factory, Homestead Road, Berwick; $15 (cash at the door).

Gardening Together

For kids, dads and granddads. A morning of digging, planting, playing and getting dirty. Grow vegetables to eat, learn about insects, and have fun in the kids’ play garden. BYO hats, sunscreen and water bottles. Gardening tools and resources provided.

• Saturday 21 February 10am-11.30am at Old Cheese Factory, 34 Homestead Road, Berwick; free activity. Bookings: trybooking.com/events/ landing/1525942

Tormey’s classic Turf 1 ton

By Blair Burns

It was a huge weekend of action in the DDCA, with two-day matches played across Saturday and Sunday, with several matches producing outright results and big individual performances.

Dandenong Park Oval hosted the Turf 1 clash between the formidable Buckley Ridges and Narre South, with a staggering 726 runs scored across the match.

The win means that the Bucks remain on top of the ladder and head into two huge regular season matches against Springvale South and Hallam Kalora Park with great form.

Buckley Ridges captain Jayson Hobbs applauded the performances from his batters, helping the side to a huge score.

“It was a good result for us, that is what we try and pride ourselves on, big partnerships and keep opposition teams guessing,” he said.

“We want to build towards the end and accelerate.

“We know we’ve got good firepower throughout the whole lineup and if we are able to get those big partnerships, it allows us to strike at the end, which we did again.”

The Bucks dominated from the outset, posting 427 on day one thanks to centuries from Dale Tormey (157) and Ben Wright (106).

Tormey, who had already recorded scores of 91 and 89 earlier in the season, finally broke through for triple figures in emphatic fashion, blasting 24 fours and three sixes.

“Dale has been threatening to do something like that, and the thing is, I think he still has more in him,” Hobbs said.

“He has building towards that hundred, and a big hundred.

“He gave one chance early, but other than that, he played shots all over the ground and looked in control.”

The left handed opening batter now has 612 runs across the Turf 1 matches, and a mammoth 905 runs across all matches, at a strike rate of 167.59.

Tormey’s innings included three consecutive fours off Tom Arnold to move from 92 to 104 in just three deliveries and raise the bat.

He put on key partnerships of 159 with Ayush Patel (68) and 136 with Wright, while Ishan Jayarathna added a composed 69 not out off only 56 balls.

Deeshan Umagiliyage battled hard for Narre South, taking three wickets but was unfortunately the third ton of the day, conceding 106 runs from his 21 overs.

Narre South’s reply began disastrously when opener Kyle Hardy edged the third ball of the innings to the keeper, leaving the Lions 1/4.

“We got one early and we had one go down

early, we could’ve had them 2/0 and then we just had to fight hard,” Hobbs said.

“We were always in control of the game, but it would’ve been nice to finish them off probably 50-80 runs before we did.”

Jawed Hussaini (63) and captain Jeevan Mendis (91) showed great resilience to steady the innings, but Harry Snowden removed both as wickets continued to fall.

Despite gritty efforts from Umagiliyage (32) and Liam Sheehan (32 not out), Narre South was bowled out for 299.

Hussain Ali (3/32) and Snowden (3/52) led the way as Buckley Ridges moved to 10–1 for the season.

Ashen Hettinayaka was unable to play due to

commitments with Frankston in Victorian Premier Cricket Under-18s; therefore Adharsh Kannan made his debut and took his first wicket at the level.

Hallam Kalora Park locked in fourth spot with an outright win over Parkmore, driven by a ninewicket match from fast bowler Will Whyte.

Parkmore collapsed for 102, with Whyte (3/31), Leigh Booth (2/1), Lee Brown (2/18) and Jawid Khan (2/29) sharing the wickets.

Half centuries from Benjamin Hillard (55), Damith Perera (68) and Austin Fardell (51) lifted the Hawks to 4/185 before a declaration at 6/242 on day two.

Parkmore threatened briefly through Ankit Saxena (31) and Harmanpreet Singh (57), but Whyte returned to rip through the tail with 6/43

as the Pirates were bowled out for 121.

There was plenty happening at Beaconsfield Recreation Reserve, where 26 wickets fell across the weekend in a dramatic match between Beaconsfield and Berwick.

The Tigers were skittled for just 49 after winning the toss and batting first, with James Trodd (4/12), Jarrod Goodes (3/9) and Toby Wills (2/5) proving unplayable.

Berwick responded strongly to reach 4/162 on day one before declaring at 8/180, setting up an outright chance.

Beaconsfield again struggled, slumping to 8/97, before Mitch Tielen (8 not out off 78 balls) and Mitchell Kidd (5 not out off 68 balls) showed great resolve to deny the outright, with Berwick winning on first innings.

Wonderful Wyatt century leads Bloodbath win over Bulls

By Blair Burns

Springvale South completed an outright win over Dandenong West in the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) Turf 1 competition over the weekend; set up by disciplined bowling and a spectacular century from Jordan Wyatt.

The Bloods are very comfortable in second position on the ladder with a brilliant 10-2 season record and are ready for finals.

Last year’s preliminary final exit won’t be on their mind much, but you can guarantee that it is part of the motivation and drive for the side to go a couple better this season.

Captain Cam Forsyth was pleased with yet another team performance, with a plethora of contributors with bat and ball, now shifting his focus to the blockbuster this weekend against Buckley Ridges.

“I’m definitely very pleased, it was great to get the points and the boys played really well –hopefully it sets us up well heading into March,” he said.

“The Bucks are top of the tree for a reason and it’s always a great contest against them.

“It will be good to test ourselves out and I’m sure it’ll be a cracking game.”

Springy possesses the best opening duo with Mitch Forsyth and Ryan Quirk, who have combined for 820 runs this season.

If you are lucky enough to get them cheaply, then you will face the reliable skipper, or Wyatt will start putting cars in danger.

Get them both, and then one of the allrounders Dasun Opanayaka (ave 75.4), Chathuranga De Silva (ave 33.13) or Blade Baxter (ave 35.8) will deliver – even the bowlers can hold the stick well.

The Bloods won the toss and decided to bowl and captain Cam Forsyth would’ve been delighted when Josh Dowling got the key wicket of in-form batter Shaun Weir (4) in the first over of the game.

Despite this, Mohit Mandora batted beautifully for a gritty half century at the top of the order, with support from Jackson Collard at number 10, who scored 45 not out off 31 balls to get

the Bulls to 174.

Opanayaka continued his brilliant season for Springy, taking 5/64 off 19 overs, while Jarryd Straker added a couple to his tally.

The Bloods went into bat and also lost an early wicket, as Ryan Quirk was trapped in front by Jayden Camilleri and gone for 1.

Mitch Forsyth (38) spent some time at the crease alongside Wyatt, who began to take the bowlers to all parts of the ground.

Wyatt was 43 not out by the end of Saturday and the Bloods were in a good spot at 3/98, but he was just getting started.

His scoring rate continued to soar, and he continued to clear the rope, belting 131 off just 97 rocks for one of the most entertaining centuries in the 2025/26 DDCA season.

“He’s the most destructive player in the competition in my view,” Forsyth said.

“He can take a game away from the opposition in 30 minutes … it’s been building for him, he’s been performing well without a big score so I’m very pleased for him.”

Thanks to other contributions from Opanayaka (39) and Chathuranga De Silva (41), Springvale South declared at 7/324.

Mandora played a lone hand once again for Dandenong West, scoring 65 at the top of the order before watching his side get bowled out for 130 and an outright loss by 20 runs.

Swans in promising pose

By Justin Schwarze

Some Harry Hoekstra magic lifted Casey South Melbourne to another positive position after day one on Saturday in round 16 of Victorian Premier Cricket.

Casey South Melbourne travelled to Jubilee Park to face 10th-placed Ringwood with both teams looking to qualify for finals and needing a win.

With the high stakes, the Swans won the toss and sent the hosts in to bat.

Hoekstra hit the mark early, dismissing David King (5) in the eighth over, bringing Ringwood to 1/7.

He then found the next two breakthroughs, picking up the wickets of Archie Flynn (8) and Rheedyi Adam Amin (14) to apply further pressure and leave the Rams 3/30.

Wickets continued to fall for the hosts as Matthew Mountain (3), Oliver Horlock (14) and Benjamin Gibson (7) were the next three men to the sheds.

Finlay Gordon was responsible for two of those and Casey South Melbourne was well on top with the hosts in trouble at 6/69.

A handy knock from Ian Holland (35) wrestled back some momentum for Ringwood, but the Swans quickly shut that down by taking 2/0 as Holland was caught off the bowling of Akshay Ramkumar followed by Yash Pednekar running out Dylan Walker (0).

Casey South Melbourne was on the brink of a dominant performance with the ball as the Rams sat at 8/115 until Ringwood’s last line of defence

stood tall.

A critical partnership between Jackson Freeman and Luke Tully brought on massive frustrations for the visitors as the pair dug in for 69 runs with Freeman (76) the chief culprit, passing the half century milestone.

But Hoekstra came through in the big moments, first rattling the stumps of Freeman before bagging the scalp of Tully to hold the hosts to 199.

Hoekstra notched his maiden five-wicket haul for the Swans, finishing with impressive figures of 5/32 from 20.1 overs.

Casey South Melbourne was left with 17 overs to bat, which started poorly as Gordon (17) was caught in the fourth over of the innings.

Number three Jackson Isakka (12) then became the second bat to fall as he was castled by Walker.

Skipper Ash Chandrasinghe (15 not out) braved out the day with night watchman Nathan Lambden (0 not out) to settle at 2/48 at stumps.

The Swans require 152 runs on day two to secure victory.

Emerging star quick Harry Hoekstra picked up his maiden five-fa for Casey South Melbourne on Saturday. (Gary Sissons: 530051)

Dandenong in the hunt against Melbourne at Shepley

By Justin Schwarze

Momentum swings and shifting tides defined Dandenong’s day one matchup with Melbourne in round 16 of Victorian Premier Cricket.

At Shepley Oval, the Panthers won the toss and opted to bat.

Openers Brett Forsyth and Venuk Hemachandra provided what seemed to be a promising foundation, putting 47 runs on the board before Forsyth (21) was trapped in front by Jack Sullivan.

This was followed by Hemachandra (24) also departing in the next over with a brilliant catch at gully dismissing him.

Two wickets then became three when Dhanusha Gamage (0) snicked off Sullivan, marking three straight overs Dandenong had lost a wicket.

Suddenly, the hosts lost 3/0 and went from 0/47 to 3/47.

The situation didn’t improve following the dismissals of Shobit Singh (3) and Josh Slater (8) shortly after, leaving the Panthers reeling at 5/88.

However, a middle-order resistance formed as Matthew Wilson and James Nanopoulos relieved some pressure and salvaged the innings.

The pair piled on nearly 100 runs while both

Matthew Wilson saved the day for Dandenong with a crucial knock of 70 to get the Panthers back in the game against Melbourne. (Gary Sissons: 533003)

raised the bat in the process, ending when Wilson (70) was finally dismissed.

Nanopoulos (54) wasn’t far behind him, but the scoreboard now read a much more respectable 7/188 at that stage.

The tail added a further 15 runs for the final

three wickets and Dandenong posted 203 after 73.3 overs.

Sullivan’s early demolition job paved the way for a five-wicket haul, finishing with 5/42 from 17 overs while Christian Howe was impenetrable with 3/14 off 6.3 overs.

Melbourne was then required to bat 19 overs to round out the day, providing the Panthers with an opportunity to add a twist to the contest.

And the opportunity arose, with Noah Hurley knocking over Blake Thomson (6) to have the visitors 1/10 in their second over.

Hurley wasn’t done there, causing further mayhem by trapping Chris Kellaway (0) in front

before finding the edge of Jonathan Merlo (0) in the same over.

And the onslaught became infectious as Howe (0) edged one to Wilson at first slip attempting to cover drive off the bowling of Nanopoulos.

It was a third consecutive duck for the visitors and they were pushed to 4/25.

But remaining in-form opener Farzan Chowna (43 not out) was still in the middle and guided the rest of the day alongside debutant Nikki du Toit (15 not out); building a 51-run partnership in retaliation and seeing Melbourne to 4/76 at stumps.

The visitors will need 128 runs for victory on day two.

VIC PREMIER SUMMARY

Results R16 (Two day, day 1): Dandenong (203) v Melbourne (4/76), Ringwood (199) v Casey South Melbourne (2/48), Frankston Peninsula (340) v Geelong, Richmond v St Kilda (8/264), Greenvale (0/39) v Melbourne University (9/409d), Carlton (9/350) v Camberwell, Essendon (172) v Footscray (0/7), Kingston Hawthorn (2/80) v Fitzroy Doncaster (186), Prahran v Northcote (317).

Frustration as Noble effort for outright points falls short

By David Nagel

Noble Park (5/220d) is still beautifully poised for a high finish in the VSDCA East/West competition despite its push for outright points falling short against Donvale (98 and 5/137) on Saturday. Noble was dominant on the opening day; rolling the Lions cheaply and taking a 10-run lead into day two with Sahan Perera and Janaka Liyanabadalge at the crease on 20 and 2 not out respectively.

The pair batted for an additional 27 overs on the weekend, the partnership extending to an unbroken 118-runs with both Perera (75 not out) and Liyanabadalge (58 not out) making stylish half centuries.

Liyanabadalge then declared, giving his bowlers 50 overs to claim 10 wickets and haul in maximum points.

Noblewasontrackearlybeforefightingknocks from Ben Wright (51), Rajapakse Rajapaske (27) and Keshav Sankar (21) denied a fairytale finish. First-innings points were still a huge boost for

Noble, who jumps from sixth to fourth on the ladder.

A high-finish is still very much in its own hands, with games against Croydon (8th), Melton (10th) and near-neighbours Endeavour Hills (14th) to round out its season.

The winning-streak of Endeavour Hills (226) has finished at one after the Falcons were chased down by a methodical Mt Waverley (3/228) batting line up at Mt Waverley.

The Falcons were never in this one, with early partnerships of 40 and 73 setting the trend for the day.

Savya Narasimha (63) and Hareen Silva (38) did the initial hard work for the winners, before Aingharan Athiiththan (56 not out) and Ben Hocking finished off the job with an unbeaten partnership of 107.

The Falcons, currently fourteenth, next play Box Hill (15th) and Bayswater (8th) before the final round home-game against Noble.

In the stand out performances on day two of round 12, Callum Hands (5/28) bowled Altona (160) to victory against Melton, while a 167-run partnership between Darcy Harmer (102) and Dean Russ (73) saw Werribee (4/209) jump from fifth to third with a six-wicket win over Hoppers Crossing (205).

VSDCA SUMMARY

Results R12 (Day 2): Noble Park 5/220 def Donvale 98 and 5/137, Mt Waverley 3/228 def Endeavour Hills 226, Bayswater 7/235 def Box Hill 9/234, Croydon 161 def by Balwyn 206, Melton 140 def by Altona 160, Spotswood 220 def by Yarraville 7/221, Taylors Lakes 151 def by Williamstown 228, Werribee 4/209 def Hoppers Crossing 205. Ladder R11: Balwyn 57, Altona 52, Werribee 51, Noble Park 51, Hoppers Crossing 48, Spotswood 48, Taylors Lakes 42, Bayswater 39, Croydon 33, Williamstown 33, Melton 30, Yarraville 30, Mt Waverley 30, Endeavour Hills 21, Box Hill 15, Donvale 0.

Fixture R13 (Two Day): Noble Park (4) v Croydon (9), Endeavour Hills (14) v Box Hill (15), Balwyn (1) v Bayswater

Cobras strike a Shaw thing

By Blair Burns

The Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) Turf 2 competition is heating up with the top three tightly contested and Parkfield holding onto top position.

Only half a win separates first from third, with Narre Warren hoping to hold onto fourth spot and play finals in 2025/26.

HSD knocked off Lyndale by five wickets thanks to half centuries from opener Riley Shaw and Anuda Akmeemana.

The Cobras started well and had both openers back in the sheds inside the first six overs to leave Lyndale in early trouble at 2/11.

Usman Ali (38) stabilised at number three, but he lost partners before Manroop Singh (60) joined in on the action.

Faraz Rahman (72 not out) came in and produced a devastating knock, hitting seven sixes and three fours to help the side to a competitive score of 255 - O’Connor and Sakuntha Liyanage both took three wickets for HSD.

An opening 70-run partnership from Shaw (60) and Brent Patterson (46) set the Cobras up nicely in the run chase, despite the pair chewing up plenty of balls.

The run rate needed a big lift at the halfway mark of the HSD innings at 1/81 but, importantly, the side had plenty of wickets in hand.

It was Akmeemana (69 not out) who led the side home to victory late in the day with support from Hans Bell (36) and Luke Grady (18 not out off 8 balls).

North Dandenong defeated Silverton by 111 runs on first innings result in a game which had it all.

The Maroons posted 197 in the first dig, as Imran Laghmani (66) led the way for his side, with Rohit Sandhu taking 4/33 for the Bakers.

In reply, Silverton was bowled out for only 86 runs, with three players making ducks – Sandhu (24) was the top scorer for his side as the Bakers were sent back in.

They performed much better in their second innings and thanks to Robert North (44), Hemal Ratnayake (58) and Anmol Zakhmi, who scored his first ton of the year, finishing with 131, Silverton was all of a sudden a chance for a reverse outright with a 162-run lead.

But North Dandenong was never going to let that happen, with Laghmani (50) notching up a second half century for the match, before Muhammad Dawa Khan blasted a rapid 88 to chase the runs and get his side the nine points.

The Maroons finished 1/164 off just 12.5 overs to win outright, scoring at 12.78 runs per over.

Coomoora held off Cranbourne to win by three wickets, chasing the Eagles’ total of 127, but not without some trouble.

Roos bowler Malan Madusanka put the side on his back in the first innings, taking an incredible 7/41 off 14.2 overs in one of the greatest individual performances this season.

Coomoora looked in control with Nick Suppree (46), Jarrod Munday (29) and Krishan Alang (37) all scoring with ease.

The Roos were 2/116 at one point with 12 runs required for victory, but they almost produced an all-time choke, losing 5/1 to leave the score 7/117 and put some pressure on Dean Krelle (11 not out) to see the team home.

Parkfield dealt Narre Warren a blow, defeating the Magpies convincingly at Sweeney Reserve.

Narre Warren won the toss and chose to bat first but despite seven batters scoring between 10-25, nobody managed to turn their start into a match-winning score which proved costly as the

side was bowled out for 112.

In reply, the Bandits cruised to victory, passing the score with relative ease before being bowled out with 195 on the board and a first innings victory.

With an 83-run lead, it was now time for the Magpies to defend and save the game from being an outright loss.

They batted slowly and wickets continued to fall, but Narre Warren hung in there to end the game with two wickets in hand, 8/112.

North Dandenong and Narre Warren will meet this Saturday in a much-anticipated battle, with fourth spot potentially on the line for both sides.

Titans cause dramatic upset...but it’s still not enough

By Blair Burns

Berwick Springs needed an outright victory against Keysborough to keep its season alive and the Titans almost got the job done.

They won the match and snapped the Knights’ nine-game winning streak, and attempted the outright, but Keysborough only lost six wickets in the second innings.

While Berwick Springs plays bottom-placed Fountain Gate this weekend and looks to secure an outright victory, a win from fourth-placed Lynbrook dashed its finals hopes.

Keysborough remains on top, while the race for a top-two spot remains with Buckley Ridges, Springvale South and Lynbrook all one win behind.

The Knights won the toss on Saturday and chose to bat, but it didn’t go well, as the Titans restricted them to their second-lowest score of the season.

It was a consistent bowling performance from Berwick Springs, with Ethan Marinic (3/32), Riyanzi Fernando (3/41), Stephen Law (2/19) and Thomas Brennan (2/34) doing the damage.

Abhinay Motupalli (38) produced the best score at the top of the order for Keysborough as his side was bowled out for 129.

In reply, Berwick Springs’ opening pair worked together beautifully to kick off the innings with a 137-run partnership.

It was Keysborough bowler Sartaj Shinwari who eventually broke the partnership, removing both Jackson Marie (69) and Riley Hillman (72).

Wickets tumbled and the Titans, knowing that an outright was their only hope, declared with 221 on the board and a lead of just 92.

Brennan and Lachlan Marie took two wickets apiece to worry the Knights, but Jonathan Mohamed (31 not out off 114 balls) dug in to get

Keysborough to 6/102 at the end of play.

In other games, Narre North caused one of the biggest upsets of the season, defeating Springvale South by 121 runs as the Bloods dropped to third on the ladder.

Half centuries from Narre North pair Kiruba Sathiyaseelan (52 off 135 balls) and Daniel Snell (64 off 67 balls) complemented each other perfectly.

Cameos from Danial Kamil (37), Danidu Perera (27) and Aydin Akin (20) helped the side to 258, before declaring late on day one.

Thanigaivasan Ratnalingam was on song for Narre North on day two, ripping through the Bloods’ top order to finish with impressive figures of 4/36 off 12 overs.

Ranel Seneviratne (30) was the best performer for Springy as Henry Snell, Akin and Sikhie Samarasekera all took two wickets each for Narre North.

Buckley Ridges did it easy against St Mary’s, winning by seven wickets to push into second spot on the Turf 3 ladder.

Bucks’ opening bowler Shawali Mosavi start-

ed well, taking two quick wickets with the new ball.

Chameera Fernando strolled in at number five and was left to pick up the pieces with 47 off 116 balls, combining with Ashan Anthony (32) to post 207.

Josh Holden was the first wicket to fall for the Bucks, leaving Cooper Gray and Robert Stewart to wear down the St Mary’s bowlers.

Gray made 72 off 179 balls (nine fours) and Stewart made 74 off 171 balls (nine fours).

Suren Ekanayake came in and blasted 43 not out off 30 deliveries, including seven fours and a maximum as the Bucks chased down the runs in the 69th over.

Lynbrook was always going to have the wood over Fountain Gate, but the Gators fought off an outright win, which is a little win given their struggles this season.

The Lakers won the toss and elected to bat, but a rocky start followed, with the home side on the back foot at 2/33, before Adithya Naron (74), and Jay Walia (59) posted big scores to get Lynbrook out of trouble.

Some strong contributions from the middlelower order meant that the Lakers had well and truly enough runs on the board, declaring at 8/270 off just 60 overs – Hussain Shafahi and Rodni Kumara taking three wickets each.

Fountain Gate wasn’t worried about chasing the runs, and instead, the Gators batted for as long as they could.

Dawood Miakhel scored 36 off 173 balls, with just one boundary for his troubles, while other players also dug in and spent time at the crease.

The Gators managed to bat for 73.1 overs and while they only scored 143, they had taken enough time out of the game that they only lost 2/61 the following innings before the end of the day – Miakhel (23 not out) and Kumara (19 not out).

Cranny repelling relegation

CRANBOURNE BOWLS

On a beautiful Saturday, what could be better than a game of lawn bowls.

This Saturday was an apex day for the club and though we have our ups and downs, we can be tenacious fighters and we give it our all.

The day started early for the Cranbourne 4 Div 5 team; who travelled to Carrum for a 10:30 am start to help out the Carrum Club due to a large function they were hosting on Saturday.

Unfortunately, being the Carrum 1 team, Cranbourne was up against some very strong bowlers and they showed our lads and gals how to play on the beachside and how they play their green and conditions so well.

Best Cranbourne rink for the day belonged to Skip David McMaster, third Peter Margiannis, second Liz Hughes and Lead Jeanne who took it up to their opponents and only went down 1618; great effort guys.

Next best was the rink of Skip Harry Van Soest, third Claudio Miotto, second Helen Winter and Lead Olive Stanley who tried hard but their opponents were better on the day, going down 12-28.

The two struggling rinks were skipped by John Anstiss, whose team lost by 20 shots, 10-30, and the rink skipped by Neil Fotheringham also found the green and conditions difficult, going down by 21 shots, 8-29.

· Cranbourne 4 Div 5 (46) def by Carrum 1 (105) -59 shots/0 points.

Cranbourne 1 Div 1 travelled to Pakenham to take on their top side under the covered roof.

With the main aim to avoid relegation and then endeavour to try and climb the ladder as high as possible, the teams went into battle.

Our best rink was skipped by Chris Hunt, third Lyn Quigg, second Kirsty Tootell and Lead Steve Bentley who played some sparkling bowls and defeated their opponents by 17 shots; 28-11.

Next best was Skip Jay Tootell, third Gerry Schryver, second Matt Stevens and Lead Dale Henry who were right behind Hunty’s rink winning 30-17.

Skip Shane Jakins, third Gavin Wright, second Chadd Tootell and Lead Joe Byrne won their rink by two shots, 18-16, and the only rink to fall was skipped by Scott Guymer, third Stephen Arms, second Peter Elgar, and Lead Barry McKay who just went down 14-17.

Great effort team, did yourselves proud.

· Cranbourne 1 (90) def Pakenham 1 (61) +29 shots/16 points.

Cranbourne 2 Div 2, playing at home on the front grass green, took on Burden Park 1 and it was a game of one team getting on top and then the other fighting back.

Cranbourne’s best rink was skipped by our wonder-man Hans Worsteling, third John Stanley, second Ian Barrenger and Lead Barry Graham who won 24-13.

Skip Tony Collins, third Phil Nielsen, second Bill Sherriff and Lead Vic Butera won 2019, alongside the rink of Skip Neil Drummond, third Roberto Bernardo, second Billy Gilchrist and Lead Frank Verco who went down by one shot…16-17.

The rink of Skip Nick Arnold, third Wayne Stevens, second Karen Hickson and Lead Dennis Tomlin went down 14-22.

· Cranbourne 2 Div 2 (74) def Burden Park 1 (71) +3 shots/14 points.

Last, but certainly not least, Cranbourne 3 Div 4 took on Narre Warren 4 on the front synthetic.

This is another team that needed a win to help avoid relegation.

The team has some very hard bowlers who work their hearts out each week and never give up.

The very best of two rinks made names for themselves today and played some brilliant bowls.

The best rink was skipped by Dermot McConville, supported brilliantly by third Marijan Bobetic, second John Kent and Lead Bob Bellamy who at the break lead 14-9.

For the last 10 ends, while only allowing their opponents two shots, this team went to town scoring another 34 shots.

They played brilliant bowls and defeated their opposition by 37 shots; 48-11.

We tip our lids and congratulate the

whole team.

Next was the rink of Skip Ron Lyfield, third Bill Bradbury, second Roger Roscoe and Lead Louis Magri. At the break they held a nine-shot lead - 19-10 - and held it together winning their rink 29-15.

The rink skipped by Derek Maguire, third Yvonne Van Der Wees, second Cheryl Wright and Lead Chris Sharpe had a tight game all the way through.

The Narre Warren skip played a couple of drives on the final couple of ends with Cranbourne holding a one-shot lead going to the last end.

The opposing Skip then took the jack out with three Cranbourne bowls holding shot, to pick up three and win by two shots.

The final rink, skipped by Brian Turton, third Jo Alsop, second Jacqui Warner and Lead Allison Devine gave away a couple of fours in the last five ends to put the rink in Narre Warren’s favour.

· Cranbourne 3 Div 4 (106) def Narre Warren 4 (68) +38 shots/14 points.

Ladder positions at the conclusion of round 13 are as follows: Cranbourne 1 (6th), Cranbourne 2 (6th), Cranbourne 3 (6th) and Cranbourne 4. (8th).

MIDWEEK PENNANT

On a beautiful day for bowls, Cranbourne 1 travelled to take on Clayton 1 Div 1.

It’s been a very difficult season for Cranbourne; we just haven’t had the players with the skill and quality to take on the big teams, but the Midweek selectors are extremely proud and grateful for their commitment.

The effort and commitment have now paid off after claiming their first win for the season.

Leading the charge was the team of Skip Nick Arnold, third David McMaster, second Chris Sharpe and Lead Vic Butera who played some inspired bowls to defeat their opponents by 22 shots.

Then up pops the team of Skip Steve Bentley, third Peter Elgar, second Yvonne Van Der Wees and Lead John Anstiss who had a tight game with their opposition, but came home with the spoils winning their game by two shots.

Those two efforts took a little pressure of our team of Skip Chris Stevenson, third Roger Roscoe, second Karen Hickson and Lead Scott De Piazza, who had a struggle, but kept within reach to play a vital role in the victory.

The win will give this team a tremendous boost and a great win for their moral.

Congratulations to you all…a very well-deserved triumph!

· Cranbourne 1 Div 1 (57) def Clayton 1 (54) +3

shots/14 points.

Cranbourne 2 Div 3 hosted near neighbours Narre Warren 4 on the front synthetic.

Best rink was skipped by Phil Nielsen, third John Stanley, second Cheryl Wright and Lead Dennis Tomlin who defeated their opponents by six shots; 22-16.

The rink skipped by Derek Maguire, third Bill Sherriff, second Jacqui Warner and Lead Brian Turton started off slowly and found it difficult to judge weight and line.

Narre Warren took advantage to the point after 11 ends the Cranbourne team were down by 14 shots; 5-19.

Following the break, we just reinforced each other to keep at it and who knows what may happen. We did start to peg them back and actually held our opponents to three shots in the last 10 ends while scoring 12 shots ourselves.

What killed us early was the two multiples we gave away on ends 6 and 7…giving away a four and a six on the way to a 17-22 defeat.

Skip Harry Van Soest, third Dermot McConville, second Loui Magri and Lead Frank Verco struggled in a close game early and at the break we’re down 4-13.

Try as hard as they could, they just couldn’t bridge the gap and went down 10-19 in the end.

It’s the team’s first loss after a fantastic last

five weeks and the margin wasn’t great; only going down by eight shots.

The next two weeks - rounds 13 and 14 - sees Cranbourne 2 travel to take on top of the ladder Mulgrave CC4, followed by the last round where we play Dandenong Club 3 at home.

· Cranbourne 2 Div 3 (50) def by Narre Warren (58) -8 shots/2 points.

Cranbourne 3 Div 5, playing at home and also sharing the synthetic green, fronted up to take on top of the ladder, Cheltenham 3.

The best rink for Cranbourne 3 was skipped by Bob Bellamy, third Steve Bakker, second Claudio Miotto and Lead Rob Gye who had a close game all day, but held on to win 19-18.

The rink skipped by Lois Brock, third Denise Meulman, second Olive Stanley and Lead Theresa Von Oppeln we’re level at 19-all with two ends to play, but were unlucky in giving up two lots of three; losing 16-22.

The final rink, skipped by John Kent, third Liz Hughes, second Suzanne Buchan and Lead Allison Devine came up against a strong Cheltenham rink and just couldn’t match them every end, going down 13-30.

· Cranbourne 3 Div 5 (48) def by Cheltenham 3 (70) -22 shots/2 points.

Derek Maguire