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Flood of memories The tiny hamlet of Darrweit Guim has done it tough over the past year, as the community recovered from the devastating October 2022 floods. A year ago in Darrweit Guim houses were inundated, residents evacuated and the school closed. Elsewhere in the Macedon Ranges reserves, trails and footpaths were flooded, buildings damaged and 400 roads affected. A year on, the community is back on its feet thanks to the strength of individual and collective resilience, fortitude and support. This week Star Weekly catches up with those affected by the floods and we take a look back at what happened when the rain seemed like it would never stop. Full coverage pages 10-12

Darraweit Guim Primary School students Bianca and Mitchell (front), Brittani, Jameson, Charly, Aidan and Declan. (Damjan Janevski) 365273_01

Developer record ‘circus’ By Zoe Moffatt Hume council will investigate implementing a Developer Contact Register, following the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) Operation Sandon report into Casey council. Councillor Trevor Dance raised the notice of motion for a report on implementing a policy requiring councillors to list all contact with developers within the Hume region, in relation to any proposed, current or future planning applications. In a long council debate on October 9, Cr Jack Medcraft rejected the idea and questioned why it has been raised now and not at the start

of the term. “I’ll be very interested to see how it comes up with the strategy and policy,” said Cr Medcraft, who was the only councillor in the end to vote against the proposal. “What’s the cost to set this thing up? And are we that bad that we have to be monitored everyday? “I can understand where it’s coming from and why we want it but really, if we can’t be trusted to declare what we are doing everyday. “This is a circus if it’s going to go down that track. I really am concerned… it’s a minefield… [and is] going to cause so much grief.” Speaking to the motion, Cr Dance said the Operation Sandon report made

recommendations including a developer register. “Full transparency of any councillor contact with developers can really only be a good thing for all parties in the community, and even developers themselves,” he said. “Two other councils have already jumped on this in Victoria already, it’s best to follow what IBAC are doing and the recommendations. “Really I don’t see the issue with it. We have other registers out there that we fill in. It worries me that there’s a bit of a hesitation there.” Council officers are due to report back in early November. In response to questions from Star Weekly

about Operation Sandon in August, Hume council said it is committed to acting with integrity in all interactions and believes its existing conflict of interest provisions are sufficient. The Operation Sandon report handed down 34 recommendations that could impact the ways councils interact with developers building in their communities. It investigated whether any Casey councillors accepted payments, gifts or other benefits, including political donations, in exchange for voting on or influencing council decisions on planning matters that favoured the interests of developer and planning consultant John Woodman and his clients.

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Council can’t get no satisfaction By Zoe Moffatt Hume residents’ satisfaction with the condition of sealed roads has reached a four year low, new performance data reveals. According to a performance statement complied by Hume Council for the auditor general for the year ending June 30, 2023, satisfaction with the state of sealed roads was 54 per cent, a seven per cent decrease from last year. The statement said the wet weather, storm events and state government major road projects impacted overall satisfaction. “The condition of sealed local roads is

just one factor in this indicator result,” the statement said. “Community members who provided a poor satisfaction rating with sealed local roads identified concerns about holes, cracks and uneven road surfaces, narrow streets and the impacts of wavy traffic and large vehicles.” Satisfaction with council decisions was at an equal three year low at 55 per cent, which is a decrease from 57 per cent last year. The statement said the results indicate the community want more information about issues affecting their local areas and to see their input has influenced council decisions.

“This is consistent with feedback on satisfaction with community consultation and engagement,” it said. “Providing more information about key issues and how community feedback has informed decision-making may improve satisfaction.” Speaking at the council meeting on October 9, councillor Jarrod Bell said the important document also included improved results in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) participation with 78.64 per cent of Indigenous children enrolled in the MCH service. “We’re seeing for our fourth year in a row,

increased participation in Aboriginal children in our MCH services,” he said. “[This] is incredibly important in setting those young Hume residents up to having the best and strongest life moving forward.” This four year high, follows a steady participation increase, with last year recording 76.5 per cent, and 67.25 per cent in 2021. The statement said this improvement follows targeted work to support engagement, with Hume’s Aboriginal Engagement team continuing to provide a multi disciplinary approach to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Trash to treasure

Gisborne librarians Georgina Smith, Olivia Evans and Sara Shaw are getting ready for the teddy bear sleepover (Damjan Janevski) 365490_03

Calling all teddy bears for sleepover teddy bears in the morning. Ms Higgs said the teddy bears might do some dancing during the night, or even jump into the return bins for a quick picture. “We’d love to set it up as a Children’s Week tradition, at the end of the day we want to encourage children feeling comfortable in the library and show it is a fun place to go,” she said. “We know the benefits of early literacy and the life long benefits, we want to encourage that sense of adventure.” Details: https://www.ncgrl.vic.gov.au/ teddybearsleepover Zoe Moffatt

Authorised by Sam Rae, 100 McKenzie Street Melton VIC 3337

children that if their teddy bear can have fun at the library, they can too. “The teddy bears’ sleepover is our celebration of Children’s Week, for zero to 5-year-olds,” Ms Higgs said. “The library is a fun place, and it’s an extra way to engage with those children. It is our way of offering something special for those children, which will encourage their sense of adventure, confidence and bravery.” Before the teddy bears get dropped off for their sleepover, the children can enjoy a storytime with library staff, and they will receive a certificate when they pick up their

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Teddy bears around the Macedon Ranges are gathering their belongings and packing a sleepover bag. Children’s Week annual teddy bear sleepover is being held at Gisborne, Romsey and Kyneton libraries on October 27, and Woodend library on October 20. The teddy bears are expected to get up to some mischief on the night, and residents up to five years old are encouraged to drop off their companion for the sleepover. Goldfields libraries program and events coordinator Tammy Higgs said this is the second year of sleepovers, which shows

Communities in Melbourne’s north and west are set to benefit from forgetful travellers, with Melbourne Airport’s new Community Giving Fund subsidised by the sale of lost property. Each year thousands of items are left in the airport terminals and those that remain unclaimed are auctioned off. The funds will now be used to establish the Melbourne Airport Community Giving Fund, with an initial $50,000 to support local initiatives. The program formally launches on Monday, October 2, and provides grants of up to $2000 to successful applicants to help fund expenses, associated with community projects, such as uniforms, transport, community kitchens and libraries. Melbourne Airport chief of aviation Jim Parashos said the fund is designed to support the great work of smaller local organisations. “Every year millions of passengers pass through Melbourne Airport, and some leave behind items, that despite best efforts, will never be reunited with their owner,” he said. “We’re delighted to be able to give the proceeds we’ve raised from the sale of those items back to our local community. “Whether it’s an art class needing supplies, a sports club updating uniforms or a gardening club looking for seedlings, these grants aim to ease the financial burden on smaller organisations. “Melbourne Airport tries very hard to reunite every passenger with their belongings but sometimes that’s not possible, and we’re happy that items collecting dust at the airport will now support the quality community programs running in our area.”

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Hume council has introduced four electric vehicles (EVs) to its fleet, to significantly reduce its fuel consumption and carbon emissions. In an announcement on October 6, council said the new EVs will be used by staff, the library team, the signage team and IT department. Mayor Joseph Haweil said this transition shows council strongly supports the move towards more sustainable transport options. “At seven per cent, Hume has the second highest rate of private electric vehicle ownership in Melbourne,” Cr Haweil said. “We know that as people become more environmentally conscious this trend will continue to grow. “We will continue to work with the state and federal governments to ensure we have the funding to support the north’s transition to sustainable transport.”

The new fleet is being powered by zero greenhouse energy at the Coolaroo Depot and Broadmeadows Office. This move comes on the back of the October 5 launch of the Northern Council Alliance’s ‘Regional Transport Advocacy and Community Electric Vehicle Transition Plan’. The alliance is made up of six local councils working collaboratively to better prepare Melbourne’s north for an EV transition. The plan will help councils make decisions on moving towards cleaner vehicles. This announcement also follows council adoption of its Climate Action Plan 2023–2028, that includes a carbon neutral target for council operations by 2030. Council said the increase in its electric fleet meets the plan’s aims “to enhance and expand council’s response to the ongoing effects of climate change.”

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Briefs Listening post Macedon Ranges residents will be able to chat with councillors in person at an upcoming listening post. Councillors will be available at the Newham Mechanics Institute on Tuesday, October 17, from 6pm to 8pm. The event is open to anyone and is an opportunity to talk to councillors and ask questions about topics relevant to the community. Details: https:// shorturl.at/deqs5

Station Street extension Hume council is seeking to extend Station Street, Sunbury to the corner of Horne Street, following the removal of the Gap Road level crossing. In a meeting on October 9, council voted to commence community consultation, including direct consultation with the property owner of 2-10 Gap Road. If approved the proposal would result in the 2-10 Gap Road property being re-addressed to 11 Station Street Sunbury.

Community awards open Nominations are now open to recognise Macedon Ranges residents and groups, with the 2024 community awards to be held in January. Funding support is also available for those planning to hold free Australia Day community events hosted between January 19 and February 2, 2024. Applications close October 30. Details: https://shorturl.at/gHMV2 FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

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Hume council staff member Mark Robinson and mayor Joseph Haweil (supplied).

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‘‘

improve safety and ease congestion in the heart of - Josh Bull our community

‘‘

’’

Concept design for the new-look Gap Road level crossing. (Supplied)

Crossing design revealed By Jessica Micallef The first concept design for the new-look Gap Road level crossing in Sunbury has been released. Gap Road will be lowered under the rail line to preserve the character of the heritage-listed Sunbury station. Construction on the project was brought forward to begin this year, with the level crossing expected to be removed by late 2022, and the remaining works completed in 2023 – two years ahead of the initial 2025 completion date. About 19,000 vehicles pass through the Gap

Road level crossing each day, with the number expected to reach 27,000 in 2026, according to state government data. A three-week community consultation period was held in November last year for the public to provide feedback on the design, landscaping and public artworks for the new level crossing. Sunbury MP Josh Bull said more than 170 residents contributed to the preliminary design. “The level crossing will be gone for good by the end of 2022, with a road under rail design as promised,” he said. “This year we will see site investigations continuing as well as some early works, with

the majority of major construction towards the end of 2022.” The level crossing removal is being delivered in conjunction with the $2.1 billion Sunbury line upgrade, which includes platform extensions, train stabling modifications and rail track power upgrades at Sunbury station to enable bigger and more modern trains to run on the line. The line is expected to transport up to 113,000 passengers in peak hours every week when the Metro Tunnel is open. “We promised to remove this crossing by 2025, but this vital project has been fast tracked to synchronise works between the level

crossing removal and the $2.1 billion Sunbury line upgrade,” Mr Bull said. “It means we will only need to close the line for an extended period of time once, rather than twice, resulting in less disruption and a level crossing-free Sunbury three years ahead of schedule. “This is a critical project that will improve safety and ease congestion in the heart of our community and it is time to get it done.” The Gap Road level crossing will be the fourth crossing removed on the Sunbury line and is one of 75 “dangerous and congested” level crossings in Melbourne to be gone by 2025. 12476330-CG03-21

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NEWS

All aboard train exhibit

Rates blunder

By Zoe Moffatt

Macedon Ranges residents will receive a $23 credit to their next municipal charge, following incorrect charges levied in the 2023-24 budget.

Sunbury’s annual model train exhibition is chugging closer and closer to transport every railway enthusiast into heaven, for a weekend filled with displays and trade stands. The exhibition will be hosted by Sunbury Model Railway Club on Saturday, October 21, from 10am to 5pm and Sunday, October 22, from 10am to 4pm at St Anne’s Hall, 101 Riddell Rd, Sunbury. Exhibition organiser Michael Holian said the exhibition is appropriate for everyone who enjoys trains from 8 years old to 80 years old, and they are hoping to get more than 1000 train enthusiasts over the two days. “[The exhibition is] to show people what model trains are about and the skills you can learn from it,” he said. “You learn carpentry, wiring, artistic skills, there’s many facets of the hobby. It’s also a multi general hobby, one that parents can pass onto their kids.” Mr Holian said he got involved with model railways through his father and enjoys the sense of community it brings. “I started when I was a kid and my dad was a member of the club. Over 25 years I have come up through the club and am now the treasure and exhibition organiser. “The railway club is akin to a men’s shed. It’s the comradery and mental health benefits, everyone is happy to sit and listen if you’ve had a bad day at work.” Mr Holian said model railway clubs in the north-west have been closing over the years, but the hobby provides important hands-on skills, especially for children. “It’s a teaching and upskilling experience that you just don’t get in front of the screen… It’s hands-on experience and problem solving [skill building]. “Historically there used to be about 10 situated in the north-west… but we’re one of

Exhibition organiser Michael Holian with model trains for the upcoming exhibition. (Damjan Janevski) 364756_02

the few [clubs] that are still remaining in the northern suburbs [and have] about 50 financial members.” At the exhibition there will be large operating layouts, displays on model construction and trade stands for every railway enthusiast.

Adult tickets are $10, child tickets are $5 and family tickets are $25, and includes ample onsite parking and a well-stocked buffet car. The money raised will go back into the club as its main source of income. Details: https://rb.gy/cv9hw

The council approved the revised budget on September 27, which reduces the municipal charge from $212 to $189 per rateable property for the 2023-24 financial year. Speaking at the meeting, acting director corporate Travis Harling said officers identified the declared rates and charges levied as part of the council rates for 2023-24 were higher than required. “As a result an adjustment is required to this charge with a credit applied to the impacted rateable properties,” he said. “To allow adjustment to be made to the previously declared rates and charges, council is required to prepare a revised budget.” In the agenda, the council said once the issue was identified officers took steps to ensure that it could not recur in future budgets. The adjustment will reduce the previously forecast income from the council’s municipal charge by approximately $560,000. This will be managed through the council’s usual financial management processes, including the mid-year budget review. The council originally adopted its budget on June 28, with an average rate increase of 3.5 per cent. At the meeting discussing the draft budget in April 26, council said it was prepared in relation to cost of living increases, council’s cost of doing business and the complexity of extreme weather and unprecedented events.

Zoe Moffatt

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CFA prepares for a drier summer By Liam McNally The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is warning Sunbury and Macedon Ranges residents to get prepared for a warmer, drier summer season. The comments follow the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) declaring that El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are underway. El Niño events increase the risk of extreme temperature shifts, like heatwaves and hotter days in spring and summer, while a positive IOD contributes to greater fire risk over south

east Australia in spring. CFA District 14 acting assistant chief fire officer David Clancy said that the current fires in New South Wales demonstrate the weather events have already started to have an impact. District 14 covers Bulla, Melton, Sunbury, Werribee and Whittlesea. Mr Clancy said this means crews have the potential to be more active than they have been in previous years. “Given that we’ve had a wetter than normal season, we’ve had more growth in the

grasslands, so going along with that we have an increased fire risk. “The grassland is dry already… we’re starting to see an increase in grass fires occur in the last couple of weeks.” Mr Clancy said it’s important for residents to have and know their fire plan for both rural and suburban properties, and to be aware of CFA’s “two streets back” advice for grass fires. If you live next to grassland and a grassfire starts, walk at least two streets back from the fire. Along with advice for an increased bushfire

and grass fire season, Mr Clancy also reminded residents to not forget the basics of house fire prevention, and ensuring houses have working smoke alarms. CFA deputy chief officer Gavin Thompson agreed and said while the Macedon Ranges may not be a hotspot today, there will be potential increase in fire activity “We’ve had a couple of quiet years in the fire sense, but with changes in weather we will see a change in activity,” he said. The last time Australia encountered both El Niño and a positive IOD was in 2015.

Upgrade goes green The Sunbury Road Upgrade is installing industry-leading, environmentally friendly recycled pipes to set an example for sustainability across major transport infrastructure projects. As part of the upgrade, crews installed 550 pipes and 3.3 kilometres of recycled pipes to improve stormwater drainage on the northern side of the new Jacksons Creek bridge and along the project. The colourful, speckled pipes are 100 per cent recycled high-density polyethylene, made up of a wide array of household plastic materials, including milk bottles, shampoo bottles and kitchen and laundry product packaging. Major Road Projects Victoria program director Dipal Sorathia said they are proud to deliver on Victoria’s Recycled First policy. “We are proud to deliver… employ more sustainable construction practices on the Sunbury Road Upgrade, because it provides the best environmental outcomes,” he said.

Up to 5000 milk bottles are recycled to produce one 630mm RPM pipe, which is equivalent to more than 1.3 kilometres of waste milk bottles laid end to end. More than 2.75 million recycled plastic bottles were used in addition to other recyclable materials to create the pipes along this project. Approximately 80.5 tonnes of recycled plastic was used to build the pipes, which were manufactured locally in Kyabram by RPM. The innovative piping will deliver benefits for both the environment and local community, and they are lighter than traditional concrete pipes, making them safer and quicker to install.

Crews installed 550 pipes and 3.3 kilometres of recycled pipes to improve stormwater drainage (supplied).

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8 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 17 October, 2023

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BEHIND THE NEWS

Help when every minute counts As October continues to creep by, Zoe Moffatt talks to a cardiac arrest survivor and paramedics to learn how an app is saving lives and changing the way people respond.

n an overcast day in the Macedon Ranges, nine people gather outside the Gisborne Ambulance Branch. They were all brought together through an unlikely meeting involving a health scare, chance and an app called GoodSAM. The first time the cohort met was on a gloomy winter’s night on June 21. Damian Fewster had just suffered a cardiac arrest and nearby resident Helen Barker was the first to respond. “I was in my pajamas, I had just got into bed and [was] scrolling [on my phone] before going to bed,” Helen explains. “Then this noise went off. I hadn’t heard it before, it’s like a real loud siren.” Helen’s app GoodSAM had just gone off, alerting her that someone nearby had suffered a cardiac arrest and was in need of help. “It’s probably just 17 years of intensive care unit experience, I was just like ‘I have to go’. “In my pajamas, I grabbed my coat, grabbed my keys and I saw it was only around the corner. I guess it’s like an instinct to go and help.”

‘‘

I always feel that if you can make a difference in someone’s life [you should], maybe it’s the nurse in me or the innate [desire] to help - Helen Barker

’’

When Helen arrived she saw Damian with his two young kids. “When I got there and it was just two young boys and Damian, it took me back a bit, especially because they were frightened. I knew by looking at him and years of nursing that I just needed to start CPR. “I know that every minute counts. When looking at the kids, it sounds silly, but I was like ‘he can’t die on me’.” While Helen has had the app for years, the experience was one laced with chance and timing. “This is the first time [the app has] gone off. It won’t send you notifications if you haven’t updated it with your registration – I literally had only done it a couple of weeks before,” Helen said. This feeling of chance and opportunity was one shared by Damian, who was only staying in Gisborne for six months while the family home in Bullengarook was being renovated. “I was very lucky for Helen to be there. If that had happened at any other time, there would have been no one around,” Damian said. “My son Liam, 10, called my wife, Donna, and then she called the ambulance. It was only my two younger sons at home when it happened.” Damian is back at work now and said he is feeling good, but doesn’t remember the details of the night very well. “I went to the gym that afternoon and then I had chest pains when I got home, and then I basically just rolled over and that was it, I was out. “All these other guys sort of know what happened more than I do, I’m just being relayed stories. “It’s good to meet everyone, since it’s happened I haven’t tried to wipe it from my memory but I’ve just moved on with life. “I have young kids so there’s no time to really standstill and assess what’s happened.” Damian’s story is one synonymous to many people around the state, with about 20 Victorians suffering a cardiac arrest each day. However, only one in 10 survive. Last year there were more cardiac arrests

Damian Fewster and GoodSAM responder Helen Barker. (Pictures: Star Weekly)

Damian and his family meet paramedics Emily Wilson and Jack Sullivan, and GoodSAM responder Helen Barker.

than ever before in Victoria and paramedics responded to 7361 patients, which is a six per cent increase. GoodSAM has saved more than 55 lives, thanks to more than 12,000 GoodSAM responders across the state. For Damian, the GoodSAM app and Helen’s quick response made a big difference to his recovery and life. Paramedic Emily Wilson attended to Damian and said the app probably saved his life. “Having somebody there doing good CPR five or seven minutes before we got there meant that he had circulation happening in his body and he had oxygen going to his brain,” she said. “That’s really important.” Fellow paramedic Jack Sullivan agreed and said it makes an enormous difference to the survival chance.

“Increased survival from GoodSAM is huge,” he said. “Being first on the scene and able to establish CPR from the get go prior to our arrival is amazing.” For Helen downloading the app was a no-brainer and one way for her to make a difference. “I always feel that if you can make a difference in someone’s life [you should], maybe it’s the nurse in me or the innate [desire] to help,” she said. “I just know that a few minutes can make the difference between Damian now and having severe brain injury or death.” Anyone over 18 years old, who knows hands-only CPR can become a GoodSAM responder, and accepting an alert is voluntary. Details: www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/ shocktober

The life-saving app GoodSAM app.

Tuesday, 17 October, 2023 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 9

2022 FLOODS ONE YEAR ON STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

‘We’re in this together’: Principal By Zoe Moffatt Standing in a circle, students at Darraweit Guim Primary School walk around and fist bump each other. This is one change the school has implemented in the last year, following the 2022 floods which saw the school “basically destroyed”. Principal Carol Booker said they introduced these check-ins, and check-outs every day as a way to greet everyone and reflect on the day. “It’s short and sharp, but it’s basically just to say, we’re in this together,” Ms Booker said. “It’s an individual morning greeting, saying hello and, at the end of the day, it’s a reflection of the day, and what went well. “We’ve gone through quite a major event together. Recovery was all about doing it together.” When the water came through the school last year it rose above everyone’s expectation. Despite sandbagging the low doors and rooms, the administration bluestone building and kitchen were filled almost to the roof. Following the flood as the damage was repaired, the school’s 46 students joined approximately 600 students at Wallan Primary Schools for six weeks. “The staff and students were absolutely amazing and just straight away gave us a space to work in,” Ms Booker said. “They supported us wherever we needed it, they were terrific. “Although it was really challenging… for our kids going from a small country school… to a big school where it’s busy. Our kids have been really resilient and flexible. “There were definitely some positives. They absolutely loved the canteen, so we now have a canteen at our school.” Reflecting on the renovations and recovery efforts, Ms Booker said while the school is

Darraweit Guim Primary School students Mitchell and Bianca (front), Brittani, Jameson, Charly, Aidan and Declan. (Damjan Janevski) 365273_03

Darraweit Guim Primary School was closed for some time while the clean up took place. (Damjan Janevski) 303948_15

still waiting on a few things to be fixed, the generosity of the community was a big help. “One beautiful thing is that the whole school has been renovated. “Nearly a year on and we are back in our original buildings and we have restored our

gardens for our kitchen garden program. “We still have portable toilets [and] workers around but we are almost back to normal. We could keep our programs running because of the generous donations of the community. “They came from everywhere… we had

community groups, adults and children packing up their library books from their own house and bringing them over. “We had money donations from friends, families and businesses that donated generously.”

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10 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 17 October, 2023

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

2022 FLOODS ONE YEAR ON

One year on, memories flood back Almost exactly one year ago residents of the Macedon Ranges looked on as heavy rainfall hit their towns. Houses were inundated, residents evacuated, reserves, trails, footpaths, buildings and 400 roads were affected. Hundreds of kilometres of fencing damaged, hundreds of livestock missing and facilities engulfed by water. While the township of Darraweit Guim was the most affected, shire-wide impacts spread to Lancefield, Romsey, Kyneton and Woodend. Looking back on the disaster, Macedon Ranges mayor Annette Death said the

challenging time paints a picture of resilience and community spirit. “The Macedon Ranges community, and Darraweit Guim in particular, showed amazing resilience following the flood event last October,” she said. “Everyone banded together and worked closely alongside council during the recovery process, showing true community spirit and just what positive collaboration can achieve. “I’d like to thank our teams at council and the community members who have worked tirelessly at ground level on the flood recovery over the past year. “There is still more to do in this space and

council will continue to work hard to ensure the recovery continues to progress.” Following the floods, council said it began the process of inspecting and repairing roads and infrastructure, assisted property owners with temporary rehousing of animals, conducted impact assessments and assisted the community to access supports. While works are still continuing on the Darraweit Guim Tennis Club courts, the members will soon be able to use its club rooms. The Woodend Bowling Club damaged turf has also been re-laid. Darraweit Guim has established a community resilience group in preparation

for the season ahead, and a number of impacted communities are also undertaking community-led emergency resilience planning. There have been several flood recovery and resilience community activities for mental health and wellbeing, including; clinical psychologist and rural mental health presentations, and community and Melbourne Water community drop-in sessions. Psychological first aid was also on hand at community events through the Red Cross and Victorian Council of Churches Emergencies Ministry.

Residents still fixing their homes following floods By Zoe Moffatt As flood waters rushed through the Macedon Ranges last year, Darraweit Guim was the town hit hardest. One year on, Darraweit Guim fire brigade captain Mark Spedding said news of flooding throughout the state and the upcoming bushfire season is increasing nerves in the community. “It still gives you a bit of a ‘oo ah,’ every time it rains,” he said. “The news last week of flooding up north and east has got the locals a bit nervous. “There’s three people still working like mad on [fixing] their homes, pulling 14 hour days restoring what happened. “There’s two houses which, other than the immediate work of stripping out plaster, they’re still sitting there, they haven’t been touched.” When talking about the 2023-24 summer, Mr Spedding said being at the centre of a disaster can be overwhelming and relentless. “If you’re at the centre of a big big fire, it’s more than one person can deal with,” he said. “It’s just knowing that things are going to happen, and it might get really busy. If you’re the focus of attention, it’s going to be overwhelming, there’s no other word for it. “If it’s a local big fire with lots of follow up fires… it’s a fairly relentless schedule you can be working on it for weeks.” With parts of the town, such as the school, inundated Mr Spedding said he felt the flood brought the community together. “[There is] a new community group [called CommUnity], instigated and assisted by council, which is planning for community resilience and helping with the recovery when bad shit happens. “[The school] was back on school grounds in temporary buildings before the end of last year, and that meant a lot to the community. “For an institution like the school to go away, it left a big hole in the town and seeing them thriving down there with all the new buildings [is great]. “Just crossing fingers it doesn’t get soggy again.”

Darraweit Guim fire brigade captain Mark Spedding. 363678_04 (Damjan Janevski)

Early warning key to avoiding more catastrophies By Jennifer Pittorino An investigation into the October 2022 Victorian floods has found Melbourne Water must improve its flood forecasting and early warning systems to avoid a repeat of the damage inflicted on homes and businesses. The review instigated by Melbourne Water and led by former Federal and Victorian Supreme Court judge Tony Pagone, investigated the causes and contributors to the floods. Amongst the findings, the report recommended Melbourne Water should undertake more regular reviews of flood models, considering the best estimates of climate change. It also recommended

investigating long-term sustainable flood mitigation options for the Maribyrnong River. Another recommendation was that a hydraulic model be developed to confirm the impact of the Flemington Flood Wall and the efficacy of the associated downstream compensatory works. This is expected in April 2024. Melbourne Water was advised to implement flood forecasting at intervals of less than two hours and consult with the Bureau of Meteorology to develop rainfall forecasts more frequently than every 6 hours. Melbourne Water managing director Nerina Di Lorenzo said the water authority would work to implement all the recommendations.

“We have been working closely with the community in Maribyrnong and other affected locations over the past 12 months,” she said. Ms Di Lorenzo said this included community sessions across the impacted areas where the authority had received more than 60 submissions and heard from more than 100 residents during the community consultation. As well as the community consultation, Ms Di Lorenzo said since last October’s flood, Melbourne Water had begun providing new flood modelling for every river catchment in Melbourne by the end of 2026. “That includes climate change impacts projected to the year 2100.”

Maribyrnong Community Recovery Committee (CRC) chair Madeleine MF Serle said the report held no surprises. “All of the recommendations and recommendations could have been written before the panel began its work,” she said. “As Chair of the CRC, I have not changed my view that the Review was set up with flawed process and Terms of Reference. “And now the flood affected community’s own understanding has been confirmed unreservedly, Melbourne Water did not do its job. “Clearly, Melbourne Water now must work very hard to build expertise and systems to perform its role and discharge is statutory obligations.”

Tuesday, 17 October, 2023 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 11

2022 FLOODS ONE YEAR ON STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Community continues to shine By Zoe Moffatt Last year Marc Serafino pointed out over his apple orchard in Darraweit Guim and described how the water came up over the hill, leaving “tsunami-like” damage. One year on, Marc sits down and reflects how this life-altering disaster impacted his business- Darraweit Valley Cider- personal life, and how he is feeling heading into this year’s season. “Recovery has been great but intense,” Marc said. “We were dealing with a double whammy. We both live here and work here, so we had our house and our business devastated. “I had never gone through anything quite like that. We had everything destroyed… [from] personal possessions [and] photos. “We had all of that to deal with as well as putting back together a business, and trying to survive financially. “So it was a massive upheaval of the house, of life and then of course, a huge smash to the business.” While the Darraweit Valley Cider recovery has gone well, Marc said the business is in need of a good summer. Heading into a summer tipped to be full of heatwaves and bushfires, and with blazes and

Darraweit Valley Cider owner Marc Serafino said recovery has been great but intense (Damjan Janevski). 363683_07

Darraweit Valley Cider owner Marc Serafino with his daughter Lilly last year in their saved apple orchard. (Star Weekly/Elsie Lange)

Darraweit Valley Cider owner Marc Serafino said recovery has been great but intense (Damjan Janevski). 363683_07

flooding already tearing through the state’s east, Marc said this reality and its impact scares him. “We’ve now got to have a very good summer to repay and get back on top, and that’s the only thing that scares me. “If there’s bushfires in the area, it might have a real impact on our numbers. If we had a bad season this season, I don’t think we’ll survive.

“But it’s looking good, don’t get me wrong. I’m a positive person, and numbers have been great.” Despite these struggles, Marc said the community connection was an absolute positive from the floods, and for him, it was the moment Darraweit Valley Cider arrived in the community. “We perhaps were just a business that existed in the community before [the floods],

but we just became part of the community [afterwards],” he said. “The people that came to help us have become… regular customers now. We’re employing their kids. “It wasn’t all negative to come from the flood. When we rebuilt the business, I think we rebuilt a better one that we had, because we made all these changes.”

Looking back on the aftermath of 2022 floods Following last year’s destructive flooding which saw towns like Darraweit Guim gutted, Star Weekly looks back on some of the damage and the heartbreaking photographs captured in the aftermath.

A vehicle was rescued by Gisborne SES at Bullengarook. (Supplied: Gisborne SES)

Romsey children’s park was inundated. (Supplied:

Lawson Road, Macedon was flooded last year

Five Mile Creek broke its banks last year. (Supplied: Daron Jacks)

Michelle Downes)

(Sharon Joy Photography)

Some of the aftermath of flooding in Darraweit Guim. (Damjan Janevski) 303948_01

Darraweit Primary principal Carol Booker said it was like a cyclone had passed through. (Damjan

A tank carried by flood waters and wedged between trees. (Damjan Janevski) 303948_03

Debris was carried into play equipment by the flooding. (Damjan Janevski) 303948_07

Janevski) 303948_06 12 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 17 October, 2023

Belongings ruined by flooding in Darraweit Guim last week. (Damjan Janevski) 303948_05

Floods tore down fences at Darraweit Guim Tennis Club. (Damjan Janevski) 303948_11

Darraweit Guim was hardest hit by flooding in the Macedon Ranges last week. (Damjan Janevski) 303948_08

FEATURING ... CARERS WEEK

Advertising feature

Even a brave Sea Wolf needs regular breaks! Caring and taking a break from caring, looks different to everyone. And time out for Verley MacGregor is running into the waves at a Mount Martha beach early each morning with a group of women friends all howling like wolves! Verley, who cares for her husband Bob, is a member of Sea Wolves – a group of up to 80 fun-loving women who do just that. “It’s exhilarating!” she says. During National Carers Week (October 15-21), Uniting AgeWell is highlighting the range of supports it offers carers, like Verley, in what can be a difficult and exhausting journey. Knowing there is support every step of the way can bring carers a sense of relief and peace of mind. “Our families are scattered across the world,

so when it comes to looking after Bob, I’m it!” she laughs. “But of course I couldn’t do it without Uniting AgeWell in my corner. They’re great!” Bob, 83, has Alzheimer’s disease and receives services through his home care package with Uniting AgeWell. While he’s receiving personal care in the morning, Verley nips out for her swim, and when he attends the social connections program at Uniting AgeWell Andrew Kerr Care Day Centre in Mornington twice a week, Verley has time to sort things out at home. When Verley was recovering from surgery, Bob was able to access longer stay respite at the Andrew Kerr Care residential care facility. No matter where you live in Melbourne, there is help at hand. See www.unitingagewell. org or call 1300 783 435.

Bob MacGregor (right) with Rex Roberts enjoying activities at Uniting AgeWell Andrew Kerr Care Day Centre in Mornington.

A monthly catchup for carers Third Wednesday of the month 12.00pm 12-28 Macedon Street, Sunbury M | 0491 174 550

E | rebecca.lees@scchc.org.au

Verley and Bob MacGregor in their Mount Martha retirement unit.

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Support for those who care for someone in the community Caring for a loved one can be challenging. Uniting AgeWell’s carer respite services give carers time to themselves, while supporting the person being cared for in a stimulating and caring setting. We provide a range of carer supports including:  In-home respite  Centre-based respite, including day outings  Residential respite, when a longer break is needed To ﬁnd out how we can support you and the person you care for, call the Uniting AgeWell team on 1300 783 435. www.unitingagewell.org/our-services/ respite-and-carer-support

Need a break from your caring role? We can help. 12641426-AI42-23

Tuesday, 17 October, 2023 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 13

NEWS STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

The Sunbury Show turnout even included camels. 363956_02

Karen Marshall at the 2023 Sunbury Show 363956_08

Shane and Hayleey enjoyed their camel ride. 363956_03

Sunbury Show success Sunbury residents gathered at Clarke Oval on Saturday October 14, for another successful year of the Sunbury Show. Between 10,000 and 12,000 people attended the one day annual event, which included local traders and pet displays, arts and crafts, cooking, horticultural, emergency displays and vehicles, carnival rides and more. Show secretary Narelle Reino said it was a great day and it was the first year the show featured a battle of the school choirs. “It was amazing, we had seven schools involved. To see it lift off the ground is amazing [and]... we can keep running it for a very long time,” she said. “Five dance groups from around the Sunbury area also came to entertain us… and four singers from Sunbury College performed who were amazing, it was great to have [them involved].” Ms Reino said the show had lots of events that were included in the ticket price thanks to the generosity of sponsors. “We had 500 trail bags and they all went, which were free. It’s nice to be able to offer a day that’s affordable for families.” Star Weekly photographer Ljubica Vrankovic was at Clarke Oval to capture all the action.

The camel rides were popular at this year’s show 363956_07

The trampolines were a crowd favourite on the day. 363956_29

It was showbag galore with Brenda. R and Reece. G at the show this year. 363956_18

The animals at the show enjoyed the extra attention

The petting zoo was popular all day.

Rebecca Mclennan and her horse Glyndower Brea Symphony won Champion ridden.

14 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 17 October, 2023

363956_13

There were plenty of food options available this year 363956_45

Little Sunbury residents enjoyed the carousel 363956_33

There were a range of ride options for the whole family. 363956_43

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

NEWS

Beware ’pies

BoilOver artists prepare for their Melbourne Fringe Festival performance (supplied).

Let’s fly with the birds Sunbury based inclusive theatre company, BoilOver headed to Melbourne on the weekend to perform at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. The artists presented the premiere of an original piece of work called The Birds which blended dance, physical performance, circus arts and AI technology to create a compelling audio-visual work. The performance featured the striking sound of birdcalls, with artist’s unique movements triggering different birdcalls of their choosing.

Speaking to the Star Weekly in the lead up to the performance, creative producer Carmen Maddison said it is the first time the group has done street performance. “We are doing a roaming performance at the Abbotsford Convent,” Ms Maddison said. “This work is a new challenge for us because we have never done street performance before. “We’ve been working with Monash University with their accessible sound devices which are called AirSticks… [and] we are using interactive sound technology [in the performance].

“We will have [it] attached to our bodies and… when you move your body it will trigger sound, so we will be triggering bird calls. “It will bring a new dimension to the performance.” During the free outdoor 60-minute performance, the audience roamed the Abbotsford Convent grounds as the performers appeared and reappeared, guiding people into the convent courtyard for a performance finale. The performance was then followed by a Q&A with the artists who also led a creative practice workshop.

It is swooping season and Wildlife Victoria wants residents to be prepared for potential attacks. Native birds such as Magpies tend to swoop at this time of the year to defend their young for the six – eight weeks between when they hatch and when they leave the nest. Wildlife Victoria said all Victorian native wildlife is protected by law, and it is illegal to harass or harm native birds and other wildlife without authorisation. According to Wildlife Victoria, swooping birds can be a frightening experience but not all birds swoop to protect their eggs and young during the breeding season. Locals should not be concerned simply because there are magpies or other common swooping birds in the area, which Wildlife Victoria said does not mean an attack. According to Wildlife Victoria the top ten tips to protect yourself against swooping birds is to know your local swooping hotspots, avoid the area, move quickly, cover your head draw eyes at the back of your head, do not harass wildlife, do not destroy nests, don’t feed swooping birds, travel in a group, notify others, swooping birds. Some got spots for the Sunbury and Macedon Rages area listed on the Wildlife Victoria’s online Victorian Swooping Bird Map, include along Carlsruhe Central Road, near the Riddells Creek Recreation Reserve, along Reservoir Road and near the Lawson Street Reserve. Details: https://www.wildlife.vic.gov. au/managing-wildlife/swooping-birds

Order now on aussietoysonline.com.au 12642447-JC42-23

Tuesday, 17 October, 2023 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 15

NEWS STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Motorcyclist safety to the fore Hume motorcycle fatalities in 2023 remain at zero, as the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Department of Transport and Planning and Victoria Police launch motorcyclist awareness month. Data released on October 3, 2023, reveals the no motorcyclists have died on Hume roads so far this year, compared to four in 2022. Macedon Ranges has recorded one motorcyclist fatality so far this year, which equals last year’s fatal count.

TAC head of road safety Samantha Cockfield said 60 per cent of motorcyclist fatalities involve other vehicles, making it crucial for drivers to do their part in ensuring the roads are shared safely. “Everyone needs to be aware of who they’re sharing the road with,” she said. “Motorcyclists are encouraged to wear appropriate protective gear, and drivers should double check for riders at intersections and when changing lanes.

“As the weather warms up and days get longer we tend to see an increase in the number of motorcyclists on our roads, however we can’t accept that more people will die as a result.” So far this year, 35 motorcyclists have died on Victorian roads and more than a quarter of these fatalities have occurred since the beginning of spring. TAC said motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable of road users – accounting for 17

per cent of deaths and serious injuries, despite only making up four per cent of registered vehicles. The month-long awareness campaign, led by the Motorcycling Community Engagement Panel, will encourage both motorists and motorcyclists to share the road safely. So far this year Hume and Macedon Ranges have each recorded three lives lost on its roads for all road users.

Local volunteers to the rescue in Gippsland Sunbury volunteers came to the rescue in Gippsland earlier this month, saving two people from the roof of their vehicle in floodwater. At 5.30am on October 6, a VICSES boat crew stationed at Lakes Entrance received a call from Victoria Police to attend a water rescue incident in Bairnsdale. VICSES Sunbury coxswains Alan Kuras and Jacinta Hall, and Hobsons Bay unit member Jaymes Oldani were deployed to assist flood-affected communities as a boat rescue crew. The crew of three approached the car downriver to where it was floating, near a submerged bridge. As the occupants had taken refuge on the roof of their vehicle, the crew grabbed at them with outstretched arms to safely pull them into the craft. Mr Kuras said in comparison to other flood events, the first day of activity is often spent rescuing people from homes. “After that, you can spend a lot of your time

rescuing people from submerged cars,” he said. “I expected that this time as well, however VICSES had put a lot of work into warnings and door knocking before the weather event, so the local community were well-informed.” The crew then travelled to different parts of the flood-affected area to monitor water gauges to upload information to the Snap Send Solve app, for use in real-time planning. Having already been through floods and fires, the local unit members farewelled the visiting crew before continuing their work assisting flood-affected communities. VICSES Bairnsdale unit volunteers were also in attendance to provide rescue support to the vehicle rescue.

VICSES Sunbury unit volunteers Alan Kuras and Jacinta Hall, and VICSES Hobsons Bay unit volunteer Jaymes Oldani who deployed to Gippsland last week (VICSES).

Film tells transgender story The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone

Film screening and panel discussion

Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health’s WayOut program will be hosting a free screening of the short documentary, The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone on Thursday, October 26. The film looks back at the actor and writer’s life, her historic fight for transgender rights, and will be followed by a panel discussion. The panel will be made up of parents and carers of trans, gender diverse and non-binary (TGDNB) young people, speakers with lived experience and professionals working with TGDNB youth. WayOut senior worker Mez Lanigan said TGDNB young people need agency over their own bodies, narratives and lives. “We know the benefits to health and wellbeing when young people are supported to safely explore their gender identity and

expression in an affirming environment,” Mez said. “It is up to us all as families, community members and services to respect and advocate for the voices of gender diverse young people. “While we know that each individual’s journey is unique, we hope that having the opportunity to listen to and speak with our panel members, will help people in their own journeys.” The event will be held from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, and is aimed at parents, carers and guardians, youth workers, school staff, other relevant professionals and young people. It will include light refreshments prior to the screening, and is free thanks to funding from a VicHealth Big Connect grant. Details: www.sunburycobaw.org.au/georgiestone

Thursday 26 October 2023 6.30pm - 8.30pm Sunbury

FREE event Registrations essential

Scan QR code or go to www.sunburycobaw.org.au/georgie-stone

Australian actress, writer and transgender rights advocate Georgie Stone. 12642012-SN42-23

16 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 17 October, 2023

(AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY CALENDAR WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED? Community Calendar is made available free of charge to not-for-profit organisations to keep the public informed of special events and activities. Send item details to Star Weekly Community Calendar, Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042, or email to westeditorial@starweekly.com.au by 9am Wednesday the week prior to publication.

Neighbourhood Garden Group Learn how to grow edible plants in this social gardening group which is developing the productive front garden at Sunbury Neighbourhood House. All skill sets welcome. Next working bee October 21, from 10am to 12.30pm, 531 Elizabeth Drive Sunbury. ■ www.sunburyhouse.com.au

Repair Cafe Sunbury Join us for a cuppa and a skill share repairing broken household items; preventing landfill and promoting kindness. ■ Saturday 21 October 10am - 12:30pm.

Woodend Art Group Woodend Art Group’s members are holding their judged exhibition over the Melbourne Cup weekend. Paintings both framed and unframed, felt work, silk scarves, sculpture, pottery, photography and much more will be available to be viewed and purchased. The exhibition will be open on Friday evening, and judging will be done by Maxine McKee. Door prizes offered daily.

The Gisborne Singers The Gisborne Singers are presenting Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes, a collection of love songs in Ländler style for voices and accompanied by one piano, four hands. It will be held on Sunday, October 29, 2pm, at Church of the Resurrection, Macedon. ■ http://gisborne.harmonysite.com

Amateur Radio Club The Macedon Ranges Amateur Radio Club meets on the third Saturday of the month at the Woodend RSL Hall, 32 Anslow Street, Woodend at 10am. If you are interested in amateur radio or already have a call sign we’d love to meet you. ■ http://www.mrarc.org.au

This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of performers at the Bluestone Church Arts Space, with Angela Cooper at the front. (Damjan Janevski) 365578_01

men’s group open to visitors and new members, with a number of great events held each month. ■ Greg, 0417593035

Sunbury Bowling Club at 10am. Enjoy outings, meetings and trips away. ■ Doug, 5428 3317, or Teresa, 0417373006

Tuesday at the Ball Court Hotel, 60 Macedon Street, Sunbury from 7pm. ■ sunburyrotary@gmail.com

Craft and conversation

Ladies probus

Head down to the Sunbury Library on Mondays at noon for the craft and conversation group. The program is free and open to people aged 15 years and older. ■ https://bit.ly/39BIu2O

The Woodlands Ladies Probus Club of Sunbury meets on the fourth Monday of each month at the Sunbury Bowling Club at 9.45 am. ■ Leonie, 0401 764 182

Chill Out Sunbury

Sunbury Ladies Probus Club

Chill Out Sunbury is a free event for 12 and 18 years old to participate in activities such as trivia, games, and more. Happening every Wednesday, 3.30-5.30pm at the Sunbury Youth Centre, 51-53 Evans Street. ■ https://bit.ly/3lmVgVhv

The Sunbury Ladies Probus Club meets at 9.30am on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Sunbury Football Social Club rooms. ■ Pat, 0433 789 754, or Sylvia, 0417 170 142

Sunbury Ladies Badminton Club

Sunbury Combined Probus Club

Come along and be part of Sunbury Ladies Badminton Club and enjoy the benefits of physical activity. Social games are on Mondays, 9.30am to noon, and team competitions are on Thursdays, 9.30am-12.30pm at Eric Boardman Stadium, Wilsons Lane. ■ sunburylbc@gmail.com

The Sunbury Combined Probus Club meets every fourth Thursday of the month at the Sunbury Football Social Club at 10am. ■ Carmel , 0416 477 271

Take off weight naturally Struggling to lose weight? Struggling to get motivated? Want to try and do it in a friendly and less stressful atmosphere? Come and join TOWN (Take Off Weight Naturally) every Thursday at 9am at the Sunbury Neighbourhood House, 531 Elizabeth Drive, Sunbury. ■ Rhonda, 0409 740 924

Kyneton Badminton Club Kyneton Badminton Club is a welcoming, fun and social group that plays on Mondays, at 7pm at the Kyneton Toyota Sports and Aquatic Centre in Victoria Street. Players of all skill levels welcome. ■ kynetonbc@gmail.com

Sunbury Macedon Ranges Lodge Meets monthly on the second Wednesday of the month at 7pm, 73 Main Street, Romsey. New members welcome. ■ Wayne, 0404 034 737, or Ian, 0438 240 402

Sunbury Art Society The Sunbury Art Society meets each Friday and Saturday from 10am-3pm at the Boilerhouse, Jacksons Hill, to paint or draw over a cuppa with other like minded people. ■ Ken, 0407 062 568, or Robyn, 0438 383 639

Come have a chat Delve into deeper topics and enjoy intriguing conversations by joining the Table 8 Discussion Group. Chats every Tuesday from 10.30 to 11.30am at Macedon Lounge, 40 Victoria Street, Macedon. ■ Carol, 0431 186 575

Crafternoon Get crafty over a cuppa at a social group for adults. Some supplies and equipment are available or bring your own projects and craft items. Every Tuesday at 1pm-3pm during school terms, all welcome. Sunbury Neighbourhood House, 531 Elizabeth Drive, Sunbury. ■ www.sunburyhouse.com.au

Sunbury Family History and Heritage Society If you’ve got a hankering to learn more about Sunbury and your own family history, come along to meetings at 1.30pm on the third Thursday of each month at the Sunbury Senior Citizens Centre, 8 O’Shanassy Street, Sunbury. ■ https://bit.ly/3jvM6oJ

Jacksons Creek Combined Probus Visit or join the club which gathers on the second Monday of each month at the

Rotary club The Sunbury Rotary Club meets every

Toastmasters Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Toastmasters helps its members develop their public speaking, communication and leadership skills. The group meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month, from 7.20-9.30pm, at the Sunbury Senior Citizens Hall. ■ vpm-4185@toastmastersclubs.org

Sunbury Seniors Sunbury Seniors (55 or older) meet on Mondays and Fridays at 8 O’Shanassy Street, Sunbury, from 10am-3pm. A variety of activities are offered – indoor bowls, cards, snooker, guest speakers, day excursions, subsidised lunches or just a cup of coffee and a chat. ■ 0434 400 754

Probus Club Of Sunbury Join the Probus Club of Sunbury on the first Wednesday of the month at the Sunbury Bowling club at 9.30am. It’s a friendly

CWA Woodend Eves The CWA Woodend Eves Branch is part of the Central Highlands group and meets every third Tuesday at 7pm at the Woodend Neighbourhood house. All women are welcome. ■ cwawoodendeves@gmail.com

Hume Men’s Shed The Hume Men’s Shed (Sunbury) is a non for profit organisation, meeting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 158 Evans Street Sunbury. The group caters for men be it carpentry, welding, metal work, gardening or just to chat. ■ sunburymensshed.com or 0438677425

Drop-in guitar Bring your guitar and your favourite sheet music and join an informal guitar session for adults. Share songs and learn new ones, all skill sets welcome. Tuesdays, 9am-noon, at Sunbury Neighbourhood House, 531 Elizabeth Drive Sunbury. ■ www.sunburyhouse.com.au

Sunbury Badminton Club The Sunbury Badminton Club plays social games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays nights from 7.30pm to 9.30 pm, and on Wednesdays 10am to 12pm. Monday night is a Round Robin competition from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. All welcome to attend at Clarks Oval Stadium 49 Riddle Road. ■ sunburybc@gmail.com

One Voice Sunbury One Voice Sunbury community choir rehearses each Tuesday from 6.30pm at Goonawarra Neighbourhood House. Fun and welcoming choir, new members welcome, no prior singing experience required. Just join in the fun. ■ sunbury@withonevoice.org.au

Tuesday, 17 October, 2023 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 17

PUZZLES To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

easy

8 1 6 7 4 1 3 5 1 4 6 7 2 6 4 1

2 9 5 7 7

8 1 5

4 8 5 6 9 3

medium

8 4

6 8 2 3 2 5 2 9 9 1

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS

DOWN

Scanty (6) Large quantities or numbers of people (6) In the midst of (5) Urban dwelling (9) Assertion (9) Fat (5) Wired (6) Conjectural (4) Ridge of rock, sand or coral just above the surface of the sea (4) Dairy product (6) Collector’s book (5) Invigorating drug (9) Place in new arrangement (9) Live (5) 14-line poem (6) Grain (6)

1 3 9 11 12 13 14 15 19

20 24 25 27 28 29 30

No. 155

Photograph (8) Cute (8) Male name (7) Natives of Stockholm (6) Long seat (6) Labyrinth (4) Breed of dog (7) Inexperienced (coll) (5) Poor labourer of low social status (7) Calming (8) Abstaining from liquor (8) Regret (7) Place of residence (5) Seal’s tusked cousin (6) Get (6) Wild mountain goat (4)

1 2 4 5 6 7 8 10 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 26

DECODER

No. 155

5 3 2

4 6 8 4 3 8

6 hard

3 8

10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

S 17

ALOUD AORTA ASKED ATONE BORES BRATS BRAVO CARGO CARPS CARTS CODED CRUDE EDGED EDICT ESSAY FREER FURRY GEESE GONNA IDEAL MEETS

8 1 6 5 9 7 4 3 2 7 4 5 2 1 3 8 6 9 9 3 2 6 4 8 1 5 7 5 2 1 4 6 9 3 7 8 3 8 4 7 5 2 9 1 6 6 7 9 3 8 1 5 2 4 2 6 8 9 3 5 7 4 1 4 9 3 1 7 6 2 8 5 1 5 7 8 2 4 6 9 3

7 1 9 2 5 4 3 6 8 3 6 5 8 7 9 2 1 4 4 8 2 3 6 1 5 7 9 6 7 4 1 8 2 9 5 3 8 5 3 6 9 7 4 2 1 2 9 1 4 3 5 6 8 7 5 3 7 9 1 6 8 4 2 9 2 6 7 4 8 1 3 5 1 4 8 5 2 3 7 9 6

5 4 7 9 3 8 2 1 6 3 6 2 1 5 4 7 9 8 1 9 8 2 6 7 5 4 3 7 2 5 8 9 6 1 3 4 4 8 3 7 1 2 9 6 5 6 1 9 3 4 5 8 2 7 9 7 1 4 8 3 6 5 2 2 3 6 5 7 9 4 8 1 8 5 4 6 2 1 3 7 9

9-LETTER WORD Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

Today’s Aim: 11 words: Good 16 words: Very good

C A

4 LETTERS DABS DEAD DIPS DISH DOGS DUES LYRE ODDS RODS SEEM SLED SWAM TOSS TSAR

SNAGS SPEED STEAM STYLE VENUE WASN’T WHENS

7 LETTERS DRAWERS ERECTED HALTERS SENSORY TRESTLE WHISPER

6 LETTERS CIRCLE CLIENT HEATED SCREEN

8 LETTERS CURTAINS SERVANTS SHRAPNEL TRINKETS

20-10-23

What term is more commonly used to refer to a socket wrench?

Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – five reading across the grid and five reading down.

Sophie Okonedo (pictured) played Tatiana Rusesabagina in which film?

NOTE: more than one solution may be possible

Is Lake Argyle a natural or artificial lake?

Who has appeared the greatest number of times in Time magazine’s annual list of most influential people in the world?

No. 155

N T

R O A S T A C U T E M E D I A

18 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 17 October, 2023

N O T

QUICK QUIZ

MESSY NEEDS OBOES OCTAL ODOUR OFFER OILED OTHER OZONE PAGAN REUSE ROUGE ROUND ROUTE RUING SAUNA SAVER SCENT SCRAM SIEVE SLEPT

calm, camp, cilia, cilium, claim, clam, clamp, clan, clap, clip, clump, cumin, iliac, laic, manic, mica, MUNICIPAL, panic, pica, uncap, uncial, unclip

D O

T T

No. 155

6 ( 1 6 2 5 <

5 LETTERS ALONE

A C

Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

22 words: Excellent

hard

5x5

medium

3 LETTERS ACT ADO AND ARE CAB CUE DOT EBB ERR EVE EWE GUN HOE IDS ILL INN IOU SAC SAP TNT TOT URN USE ZAC

VUHN B E K Y OX R L Z

easy

T J WM G P D I A F Q S C

7 5 4 9 1 8 3 7 2 9 6 9 4 7 1 6 9 8 6 2 9

WORDFIT

Who wrote the 1971 novel The Day of the Jackal?

Yerevan is the capital of which country?

Ashkenazi Jews are those descended from medieval Jewish communities in which country?

What are the four stages of a butterfly’s life cycle?

Which is the richer source of vitamin A: a) egg, b) mango or c) broccoli leaf?

10 What derogatory term is used to refer to the alien population in the film District 9? ANSWERS: 1. Ratchet 2. Hotel Rwanda 3. Artificial 4. Oprah Winfrey 5. Frederick Forsyth 6. Armenia 7. Germany 8. Egg, larva, pupa, adult 9. c) broccoli leaf 10. Prawns

No. 155

& $ 5 7 6 2 & 7 $ / 6 , ( 9 ( ) 8 5 5 < & 2 ' ( ' $ / 2 1 ( 5 2 8 7 ( ) 5 ( ( 5 5 8 , 1 * * 8 1 0 ( ( 7 6 ( : ( & 8 ( % 5 $ 7 6 + ( $ 7 ( ' 2 ' ' 6 & $ % , / / , 1 1 2 % 2 ( 6 1 ( ( ' 6 ' $ % 6 7 5 , 1 . ( 7 6 ' , 3 6 7 2 7 6 ( 1 6 2 5 < + $ / 7 ( 5 6 ( 9 ( ' ( $ ' 6 + 5 $ 3 1 ( / 5 2 ' 6 & 5 8 ' ( * ( ( 6 ( $ & 7 ( 5 5 8 6 ( & , 5 & / ( 6 $ 9 ( 5 ' 2 * 6 $ ' 2 , ' 6 : $ 6 1 7 ' 2 7 5 ( 8 6 ( : + ( 1 6 2 = 2 1 ( $ 2 5 7 $ 6 $ 8 1 $ 3 $ * $ 1 0 ( 6 6 < 6 & 5 $ 0 6 / ( 3 7

SUDOKU

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Tuesday, 17 October, 2023 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 19

SECTION STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

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V Car/Truck Rentals

ADVERTISERS PLEASE NOTE Anyone advertising a puppy, dog, kitten or cat in Victoria for sale or re-homing will need a source number from the Pet Exchange Register and a microchip identiﬁcation number. It is now an offence to advertise unless the source number and microchip identiﬁcation number is included in the advertisement or notice. For further information, call 136 186 or visit animalwelfare.vic.gov.au

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29 .00

• All advertisements must be pre-paid. For $29.00 you get a 4 line, ONE ITEM ONLY advertisement, restricted to “For Sale” or “Motoring” items only for private advertisers, run initially for 13 weeks or until sold. Additional lines will be charged at $3 per line per publication. • After your advertisement has run for 13 weeks you must call us each fortnight to renew it for a further 2 week period AND reduce the price of your item by a minimum 5% for items in the “For Sale” section or 3% for items in the “Motoring” section. This process may continue until you have sold your item. If we do not hear from you we will assume you have sold your item and your advertisement will not appear. • The sale price must be included in the advertisement and the only alterations you may make are to the PRICE of your item. • Business advertisements, rental hire, pets & livestock and real estate are not included in the offer. • The publisher reserves the right to decline any booking for the purpose of ongoing gain.

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20 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 17 October, 2023

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NEWS

MP defends real estate portfolio The Victorian opposition’s new cost of living spokesman has defended stepping into the role while having interests in 17 properties, including one in Sunbury. Caulfield MP David Southwick took on the role as part of a shadow cabinet shake-up earlier this month, sparked by the departure of upper house Matthew Bach who accepted a teaching job in the UK. Mr Southwick’s register of interests disclosure to parliament shows he had interests in 17 properties, personally or as part of a trust, as of February this year. This includes interest in 14 properties held as part of trusts located in Altona Meadows,

Seabrook, Elwood, St Kilda, Sunbury and the Melbourne CBD as well as three in Werribee and three in Laverton. When asked about his lived experience of dealing with cost of living pressures, Mr Southwick said he was focused on people who worked hard. “I don’t turn away from the fact that, you know, I had a life before politics,“ Mr Southwick told reporters at parliament. “My focus is ensuring that every single Victorian is represented and I will fight for every single Victorian like I always have.“ He said he intended to address energy costs, property taxes and government debt.

Mr Southwick’s primary and secondary residences are listed as Caulfield North and Kallista in the Yarra Ranges, while he also has land in St Kilda East. His interstate interests are in Mulwala in NSW and Surfers Paradise in Queensland. Mr Southwick gained the cost of living portfolio in addition to other responsibilities including major projects and transport infrastructure. Former opposition leader Matthew Guy is back on the opposition front bench, taking the public transport portfolio from Richard Riordan. Mr Guy said he would stay on as member

for Bulleen until at least the next election in 2026 and ruled out challenging John Pesutto for the leadership after already losing two elections. Ann-Marie Hermans lost the emergency services, Work Cover and Transport Accident Commission portfolios as part of the reshuffle while David Hodgett lost planning, energy and resources. Mr Pesutto said his new team offered a fresh vision for the state. “I’ve always believed that it’s important to have a blend of new talent with experience and w isdom that comes with it,“ he said. AAP

Beloved Baarack, rescued woolly wonder, dies speaks of this.” The sanctuary’s tribute post tells of Baarack’s soft and gentle nature, along with the fact he never held fear of humans despite his many years of never being in contact with them. Ms Ahern said through this nature, Baarack inspired others to be soft and gentle towards his kind. “Whilst our hearts are indeed heavy today from the passing of our much-loved woolly friend, Baarack’s legacy will long stay with us, reminding us all of just how amazing and forgiving sheep are. “And too the incredible power of kindness, for had the kind heart who saved Baarack that day, all those years ago, looked the other way, Baarack would never have been seen.” Baarack’s transformational rescue story reached over 12 million people around the globe (supplied).

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Baarack, the much loved once woolly mammoth of a sheep, has passed away aged around 10 years of age, succumbing to cancer. Originally found wandering the Cobaw State Forrest in 2021, Baarack looked more like a moving cloud than a sheep. Burdened down with about 35kgs of wool, Baarack was delivered to Lancefield not-for-profit farm, Edgar’s Mission. Sanctuary founder Pam Ahern said Baarack’s transformational rescue story quickly went viral reaching over 12 million people around the globe. “I doubt he would have survived much longer [when he was found,] as he could hardly see and barely stand,” Ms Ahern said. “Since posting news of his passing, people from all around the world are reaching out with their sympathy. “He really was one truly amazing sheep. That he could touch the hearts of so many without them even meeting him

Tuesday, 17 October, 2023 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 21

MOTORING STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Alfa Romeo Tonale Ti road test By Chris Riley, Marque Motoring Right now, this is your cheapest ticket into the glamorous, alluring world of the Italian marque Alfa Romeo. The Tonale is a small SUV that is available at the moment only as a fuel-saving hybrid, which could be a real bonus depending on your perspective. Some drivers may hunger for something a bit spicier, say the larger more powerful 2.0-litre turbo from Stelvio. Named after a mountain pass in Northern Italy, Tonale sits on the same platform as the Jeep Compass and is a little brother to the mid-sized Stelvio, but still seats five like Stelvio. It’s also available as a more expensive plug-in hybrid, while a re-badged, re-styled version is sold as the Dodge Hornet in the United States. Styling Tonale is available in three grades: Ti, Veloce and Plug-In Hybrid Q4. Prices start from $49,900 for Ti, $56,400 for Veloce and $77,500 for Plug-In Hybrid Q4 - all prices before on-road costs. Metallic paint is $1600 and our test vehicle, the entry Ti, was fitted with the $4500 Lusso options pack includes perforated leather trim, a heated steering wheel, heated and cooled front seats, power adjust driver and passenger front seats with driver memory and 14-speaker Harman Kardon audio. Standard kit includes 18-inch alloys, keyless entry and go, anodised brake calipers, auto high beam, electric park brake, auto dimming mirror, auto lights and wipers and front and rear park sensors. You also get a body-coloured rear spoiler and door handles, gloss black painted body kit with satin chrome inserts, black painted power-fold heated exterior mirrors with Italian flag, and automatic full LED matrix headlights with adaptive driving beam and dynamic turn indicator. Inside there’s dual zone climate air with rear air vents, carbon cloth and leatherette seats with ‘Electro’ welded Alfa logo and Biscotto stitching, manual adjust front seats with power lumbar for driver, leather steering wheel with start button, soft-touch dashboard finisher with beige stitching and 3D insert, 60:40 split rear seats with ski-pass, black headliner, front and rear floor mats and aluminium pedals. Colours available in Alfa White, Alfa Red, Alfa Black, Vesuvio Grey Metallic, Misano Blue Metallic and Montreal Green Tri-Coat (Veloce only). Tonale is covered by a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, with five-year roadside assistance. Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km. Infotainment An all-new infotainment system, with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and 10.25-inch touchscreen navigation system, with AM/FM/ DAB+ digital radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and six-speaker audio. There’s also wireless phone charging and front and rear USB A/C ports and 12-volt outlets in the front and cargo area. With the My Alfa Connect app users can remotely access their vehicle using their mobile phone using services such as vehicle finder and remote operations. Engines/transmissions A 1.5-litre four-cylinder, petrol engine coupled with a 15kW electric motor produces 118kW of power at 5750 rpm and 240Nm of torque at 1500 rpm. Power is transmitted to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. Safety Five-star safety includes six airbags, a rear-view camera and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with vulnerable road users. There’s also adaptive cruise control with stop and go, forward collision warning, lane support system (lane departure warning + lane keep assist), driver drowsy detection, traffic sign recognition with intelligent speed

Tonale - you can’t beat that million-dollar style.

assist and tyre pressure monitoring. Driving Tonale sits 4528mm long and weighs 1491kg, with a braked towing capacity of 1500kg. The dash from 0-100km/h takes 8.8 seconds and it has a top speed of 212km/h. With a 55-litre tank, it takes premium 95 unleaded with fuel consumption a claimed 5.6L/100km. Energy is recovered during periods of decelerating and braking, which is stored in the 0.8kWh battery for later use. It can operate on electric power alone at speeds of up to 15km/h, which means silent starts and happy neighbours. The fully independent suspension features McPherson struts and ‘unique’ sway bars at either end, while the 18-inch wheels are shod with chunky Continental 235/50 series rubber. Koni supplies frequency selective dampers that adjust the level of hydraulic damping based on the road surface, improving handling but retaining a comfortable ride. A space saver spare is provided. Matrix LED headlights are able to shut down individual LEDs, keeping high beam active but preventing on-coming traffic from being dazzled, in a kind of halo effect. Unique brake-by-wire technology delivers strong, aggressive braking. The 48-volt mild hybrid delivers respectable performance and fuel economy, but we expected a little more excitement. It is after all an Alfa and that’s why people buy them the last time we checked. The hybrid is happy to comply, with a rasp

22 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 17 October, 2023

when you punch the throttle, but ultimately lacks torque when it comes to firing out of corners. And then there’s an all too familiar ‘jerky’ twin clutch tranny and surprising lack of gear change paddles, which is not exactly encouraging. It smacks of cost cutting and together with the price, suggests the premium brand is looking to pick up a bit of mainstream action. The more expensive Veloce gets paddles, while the plug-in scores a conventional six-speed auto. Switching to dynamic mode is transformative and the engine tries hard with a little help from its electric friend, but it really needs some more get up and go. On a more positive note, ride and handling are excellent, especially the ride quality which sets a new benchmark for the brand. The car corners flat with plenty of grip from the Continentals, on well-formed bitumen at least. Dirt is another story. The brake-by-wire stoppers are similarly impressive, biting hard and fast. But the steering is odd. It’s sharp and responsive and provides good feedback, but is very light and doesn’t seem to weight-up even in Dynamic mode. Of note our test vehicle had a rattle from the instrument cluster which is sure to drive someone crazy trying to figure out where it is coming from. Sometime later the dash began flashing a warning.

Lane Assist was not available - clean windscreen! Is that all it takes? The instrument cluster itself is fully digitised, but offers just the one theme that is designed around analogue-style gauges, with a central information area that can be scrolled, but working out how to do this is a challenge. Physical buttons are provided for the aircon and a roller-style volume control for audio in the centre console. While Android Auto is conveniently wireless, actually connecting to it with our phone was also problematic. The phone told us to follow prompts from the car touchscreen, but there were none and it took a couple of minutes to find Android Auto buried in the menu system. When it did finally hook up, it worked fine. We were getting 6.8L/100km after 360km of mixed driving. Summing Up The Alfa Tonale Ti is a likeable car offered at an attractive price. While there’s no mistaking it for an Alfa, close your eyes and it doesn’t feel like an Alfa. The drive experience is not engaging and we wonder how many corners Alfa cut to get the car down to the price. More power, paddle shifts and the Lusso pack should all be part of the deal – or you could spend $6500 more for the Veloce. Effectively, however, adding the Lusso pack is the only way to get power-adjust seats with either grade.

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Bombers closing in on top-four Essendon are continuing to march towards the AFLW top four with a win against Richmond on Saturday night. The Bombers got off to a great start at Ikon Park for the annual Dreamtime match, taking a 13 point lead into quarter time. The sides went goal for goal in the second term before the Tigers began to mount a comeback in the third quarter. However, the Bombers were able to regain control of the game in the last to give them a 8.5 (53)-5.6 (36) win. “I thought that win and the game by both teams was really good,” Bombers’ coach Natalie Wood said. “I thought both teams had some really good passages. “Richmond were looking really good in the third, they were covering the ground really well, they were running it out of congestion in waves. “[I was] happy that we were able to find a way… really happy with that.” Star Bomber Maddy Prespakis was given plenty of attention throughout the night from the Tigers but was strong enough to have the most possessions from her team and hit the scoreboard too. “Mads still did a fantastic job.. she worked her way through that attention really well,” Wood said. “Mad’s maturity to wear that and allow us to get a free player in other areas just shows great team growth and understanding from the team,that if the team’s working the ball out that’s great it doesn’t necessarily matter who. “Having our leaders being able to play team roles… when your leaders are willing to put the team first, to get some assedency, it’s a really easy message to sell with the rest

of the group. “It was a focus for us coming in, to be a well rounded team performance.” Wood said playing a team game was something that her side has been working on and has led to back to back great wins. “We’re really trying to focus on the things we can control,” she said. “What we didn’t control two weeks ago very well was how we turned up against Collingwood, and that’s what we were most disappointed about, that we didn’t give ourselves the best opportunity to show our game and so that’s what we’ve been trying to focus on. “So we’ve been pretty impressed by how we’ve been able to work through games, to get the last two wins has been fantastic. “It’s due to the players really developing a strong sense of who they are as individuals, who they are as footballers and really building that connection. “They’re getting a real sense of maturity in how they’re handling themselves as athletes.” Essendon will host West Coast at Windy Hill on Sunday afternoon.

Amber Clarke (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

SPORTS QUIZ 1. F1 athlete Carlos Sainz is known for singing which song post-race, for which fans have also declared his nickname? 2. How old was Jess Fox when she won her first medal at the Olympics? 3. The Geelong Cats play at which stadium, commonly known as ‘the cattery’?

4. In which city was the first Winter Olympics held? 5. For the first time in history, which two Italian cities will host the 2026 Winter Olympics? 6. Which tennis star called her coach’s departure ‘immoral’ following his decision to train Naomi Osaka mid-contract? 7. For the first time, what day will next year’s Australian Open start on? 8. Who won 2022 AFLW best and fairest? 9. Which Aussie tennis player was disqualified at the Shanghai Masters tournament for hitting an umpire with the ball? 10. Who is the only AFL coach to have never played a game of AFL/VFL? 11. Who did Australia lose to in their opening match of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup?

David Beckham

Simone Biles

14. Taylor Adams and Brodie Grundy have joined which AFL side for the 2024 season? 15. How long was the doping suspension served by Australian swimmer Shayna Jack? 16. How many games did the Wallabies win at the 2023 Rugby World Cup? 17. And who will host the 2027 edition of the Rugby World Cup? 18. Who won Collingwood’s Best and Fairest Award for the 2023 season? 19. Who won Penrith’s Player of the Year Award for the 2023 season? 20. Which NBL team plays some home games at the State Basketball Centre? 21. Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum broke the marathon world record competing in which US city? 22. How many balls did it take Jake Fraser-McGurk to make the fastest ever one-day century in a 50-over cricket match?

23. Damian Lillard plays for which NBA team? 24. How many club best and fairest has Clayton Oliver won for the Melbourne Football Club? 25. Husband and wife Adam Elliott and Millie Boyle both play for which NRL club?

28. How many times has American artistic gymnast Simone Biles been crowned all-around world champion? 29. David Beckham played five games during his senior EPL career on loan to which soccer club? 30. Dick Butkus played for which NFL team?

26. Lacrosse, squash, baseball, softball, flag football and which other sport have been proposed for inclusion at the 2028 Olympics? 27. Australian professional baseballer Curtis Mead plays for which MLB team?

1. Smooth Operator 2. 18 years old (London 2012) 3. GMHBA Stadium 4. Chamonix, France (1924) 5. Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo 6. Zheng Qinwen 7. Sunday 8. Emily Bates 9. Marc Polmans 10. Chris Fagan (Brisbane Lions) 11. India 12. Shane van Gisbergen 13. West Indies 14. Sydney 15. 24 months 16. Two 17. Australia 18. Josh Daicos 19. Isaah Yeo 20. South East Melbourne Phoenix 21. Chicago 22. 29 23. Milwaukee Bucks 24. Four 25. Sydney Roosters 26. Cricket 27. Tampa Bay Rays 28. Six 29. Preston North End 30. Chicago Bears

2010

12. Richie Stanaway and which other driver won the 2023 Bathurst 1000?

13. Hayley Matthews is a star batter for which cricket team?

Tuesday, 17 October, 2023 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 23

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Draft-likely Kavanagh wins best and fairest Calder Cannons’ Kayley Kavanagh’s super season was recognised with the midfielder taking out the Meg McArthur medal, for the Talent League girl’s team’s best and fairest player. Kavanagh had an outstanding year averaging 25.3 disposals, 4 marks and 8.3 tackles from her 11 matches. While the 18-year-old was fantastic in every game she played for the Cannons, she said winning the best and fairest took her by surprise. “I didn’t think I played enough games to poll the most votes,” she said. “I was definitely surprised, but also really happy that in the games I did play, I was able to show that ability that I have to be the best that I can be.” After only being introduced to the Cannon’s program at the start of last season, it has been a sharp rise in her on field abilities. “Definitely with a bit of confidence, that helps,” she said. “Then getting to know my team and the ability to read the ball a bit better definitely

helped me.” When Kavanagh wasn’t dominating for the Cannons, or Strathmore at a local level, she was applying her craft for Vic Metro where she took out the most valuable player award following the state carnival, which was again recognised with All Australian honours. Cannons’ talent lead Sebastian Spagnuolo said there is not much more an under 18’s footballer can achieve. “Kayley was a standout all year and there wasn’t much that she didn’t achieve,” he said. “She played outstanding football for the Cannons which led to her Meg McArthur Medal winning result and she was also a Coates Talent League team of the year selection. “With the AFLW draft coming up in December, Kayley’s definitely a player that will come into draft calculations for many AFLW clubs.” That is definitely the dream for Kavanagh, however there are still some parts of her game she is wanting to fine tune before draft day comes.

“Keeping up fitness is obviously a massive one,” she said. “As well as my outside game and having that ability to just add an extra level of being in places that I’m not normally in. “Because I know my contested ball is normally pretty high in comparison to my uncontested. “Being able to get inside the contest and clear the ball out, I really like it… as well as being able to get the ball to my teammates.” Kavanagh’s inside strengths were on full display throughout the season, including in her 16 tackle, 27 disposal game against the Oakleigh Chargers in round six. The AFLW draft will be held in December with an exact date still unknown. Harper Sercombe

Kayley Kavanagh (Ljubica Vrankovic) 338826_13_25

win Taha, Nguyen shared win Exciting at Kyneton By Harper Sercombe

Two Calder Cannons’ young talents have shared the club’s Robert Hyde medal for the boy’s team’s best and fairest. Calder Cannons’ draft hopeful Mahmoud Taha has done his AFL chances no harm, sharing the award with underager Jayden Nguyen. Taha and Nguyen are close mates around the club and are both Essendon next generation academy members, both said they were proud to share the award with one another. “It felt like a sigh of relief that I’d won it and it was a pretty proud moment to see Jayden win it,” Taha said. “I’m pretty stoked about it but I definitely wasn’t expecting the award… I look up to [Taha] as a leader… he’s taught me a lot of tricks and helped me a lot,” Nguyen said. Cannons’ talent lead Sebastian Spagnuolo congratulated both boys on the award. “As a hard working inside midfielder, Taha led the Cannons in many statistical categories in 2023,” Spagnuolo said. “Although he missed some Cannons games due to his Vic Metro selection, his form was strong enough to be a joint winner of the Robert Hyde medal. “As a bottom ager Jayden should feel extremely proud to be a joint winner of the Robert Hyde medal. “Jayden is a very versatile player having played on the wing, in the midfield and also as a running defender with a great burst of speed.” Taha flourished this season with a move into the midfield suiting his game and his ambitions nicely. The 18-year-old averaged 27 disposals for the season, an increase of 15 from last season. “I was pretty pleased with myself this year,” he said. “Getting that time on the inside which is my predominant position, I’m pretty proud of and also to showcase my strengths on the field, my inside contested work to feed it out to the outside runners, I was happy to be able to showcase that.” For Nguyen, he is hoping his move to the midfield will happen next season with the 17-year-old spending most of his time on the outside this year. “Just to get my hands on the ball more and show my traits to recruiters and what I can do,” he said. “It was an honour to be recognised, I feel like it’s put me in good stead and hopefully, it’s given me the confidence heading into next year as well to attack my drive to be my best.” For Taha, it’s a busy time with the state

An exciting day of racing at Kyneton was kicked off by a great run from an unexpected winner. Anthony and Sam Freedman trained horse Dismount was a highlight of the day running in race one’s 1210 metre Protest Promise Maiden Plate. The three-year-old Bay Gelding was asked to go early by jockey Ben Allen and looked to be the first one off the bit. It then really laid out hard and ran on a diagonal from the 300 metre mark. It seemed like he might have got to the front too early and spent his tickets as Carat Time began to make its move. Dismount however, found something late and hit the line hard, winning by a length on Carat Time, followed by Our Emmbar. Overall, it got the gun ride from Allen getting the job done and is set to improve off its maiden race, benefiting from the experience. Dismount part owner and syndicate manager Jamie Daou said he was pleased with the start to its racing career. Daou is also a part of a syndicate affiliated with Blue Diamond winner Artorious. “We were confident that it was going to go well but we didn’t expect it to be such a great start to his career,” Daou said. “We’ve been waiting for him to be race ready for a while, and weren’t expecting such a strong start. “We’re really excited and we’re expecting some great things over the next year. “After struggling to find his feet in early training work, the penny looks to have dropped for Dismount. Keep an eye for him in the spring.”

combine last weekend, the AFL draft on November 20 all while completing year 12. “I was pretty nervous going into the state combine because there’s a lot of eyes watching and a lot of expectations,” he said. “But it was an unreal experience just to be there, I’m very grateful for it.

24 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 17 October, 2023

“I’m obviously pretty nervous for the draft, anything can happen between now and November 20. “With exams and stuff like that, I’m just trying to get through the year. “So just taking my mind off footy but still training and just whatever happens, happens.”

Dismount (Racing Photos)

‘Skip’ Bray replaces Belleville at the Bombers Riddell has found its replacement for Justin Belleville. Belleville was the Bombers coach for the previous five seasons, before stepping down at the conclusion of the clubs finals series. Belleville had been at the club for almost two decades, where he had played in two premierships and coached them to a flag in 2022. The Riddell District Football League club announced Arron ‘Skip’ Bray to take it forward. Bray has a large coaching resume, leading Broadford in the RDFL from 2013 to 2016 and again in 2018, where he was also a two time interleague winning coach. Most recently he coached Rupertswood from 2021 to 2023 in division 1 of the Essendon District Football League. Bray also holds a diverse background

Arron Bray coaching for Rupertswood (Joe Mastroianni). 280868_07

including captaining the Australian Defence force soccer Team in 1986-87, as well as being a professional soccer player from 1992 to 2000. Following his professional career he was the South Australian soccer captain from 2000

to 2003, winning national championships in 2001 and 2002. In his football playing days he was a part of Broadford’s 2004 grand final team, as well as Bonnie Doon’s premiership team in 2008. With all of this experience behind him, Bray said he is ready to get stuck back into the RDFL. “I’m looking forward to a new challenge,” he said. “We’ll have a few weeks off and then we’ll start the plan for next year. “There’s always some friendly faces that I’ve met over the years and it will be good to go and catch up with a few of those people, so I’m looking forward to it.” Last season the Bombers finished in fourth place, bowing out in a crushing five point elimination final loss to Romsey. With a finals ready side at Bray’s disposal,

he said he is excited to see what the group can achieve. “They’ve got a pretty strong history, Riddell,” he said. “Having coached against them before, they’re always around the mark. “So depending on who stays and who goes, I’m pretty confident that we could put ourselves in a half decent spot come this time next year.” Bray has been able to bring some of his Rupertswood players across to the Bombers including Brent Swallow and Jacob Chahine. Swallow has won Rupertwood’s best and fairest 4 times and was also captain of the club for seven years. Chahine is a utility player who can apply his craft at both ends of the ground, which was shown when he kicked 38 goals for Rupertswood in 2022.

New coaches in the RDNL

Brad Fox (Jacob Pattison)351745_07

Fox returns to Rupo By Harper Sercombe Rupertswood has announced Brad Fox as its coach for the next three Essendon District Football League seasons. This announcement follows the resignation of former coach Arron Bray. Fox coached at Bendigo Football League side Gisborne last season. He was previously at Rupertswood as a coach and assistant coach for 12 years starting back in 2008 with the club’s Auskick program right through to coaching its under 15’s side in 2019. His appointment reunites him with a number of those junior premiership players that have since debuted in our senior team over the last two years. “I did remind them that they know me as a junior coach, they don’t know me yet as a senior coach, it’s not exactly the same,” he said. “You have to bring an additional skill set into senior coaching… but having said that any level of sport is how to get better. “So the teaching element and the bringing exposure to them to the next level of thinking and execution in footy will be exciting to do.” Fox’s football experience includes 21 senior

AFL games with Essendon and Richmond, and also an involvement with the Brisbane Lions in their Premiership 3-peat 2001-2003 as opposition scout and analyst for senior coach Leigh Matthews. At local level he has coached or assistant coached football for a total of 26 seasons including premierships at Gisborne, Keilor and Rupertswood. Fox has also played in 6 Premierships including a hat-trick at Gisborne, and one with Keilor in the EDFL. While Rupertswood was a competitive side in division 1 this season, reaching a preliminary final, through Fox’s experience he has learnt every year is a fresh start. “Because you never know how your opposition has changed in terms of their list,” he said. “We’re going through the process now of looking at our list and who we have and who me might bring in. “I really rate loyalty, and I’m not looking to disrupt loyalty for players with clubs they are at. “But there are players that can’t quite get the opportunity that they deserve at the clubs they’re at, and they’re the ones I want to talk to.

“We’ll be a fairly young list which will come with enthusiasm, but we’ll have a balance of 25, 26 year olds with a bit more experience to help lead them.” While you never know what the competition will present, Fox is taking an optimistic approach to the 2024 season. “You have to start every season looking to win enough games to qualify for finals,” he said. “If you do that early enough in the year, then you look to win enough games to earn the double chance and finish in the top three. “So, that’s the ambition to go in with. “But ambitions and goals become irrelevant if you don’t do the work to achieve them, so as much as we can be optimistic and want certain things, it’s wanting to do that work that gets the result, that’s what we need to focus on. “We’ll want to win games and we want to make finals and we want to have an opportunity of being really successful, but it all starts with the work. “That’s the focus in the early days, is let’s do the work, let’s be better, individually be better, collectively be better.”

Two Riddell District Netball League teams have announced coaching changes ahead of the 2024 season. Ty Coppinger has been announced as the coach of Woodend- Hesket for both A and B grade. Coppinger has been with the club for two years now and captained the A grade premiership team this year. Not only did she captain the side, she was also awarded the Ryan medal for the league’s best and fairest. She was one of three who took out the award, sharing it with Riddell’s Ellen Close and Wallan’s Gemma Grimmond. Via social media the club said it is excited to have Coppinger at the helm. “She is an extremely talented player who brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from years of playing and coaching,” it said. “Ty played an integral part in supporting Meg [Grbac] this season and the whole netball squad is delighted that Ty will be taking over and continuing to build on the success of the netball program. “The club would also like to sincerely thank Meg Grbac for her outstanding contribution at the club over three years. Meg leaves as our first premiership coach and we hope to see her back at the Hawks in the years to come.” Macedon also announced a coaching change, after coming seventh following a five win season. Katie Clarke will take over the role at the Cats. Clarke started coaching over two decades ago. Via social media the club said her experience and dynamic personality aligns perfectly with the direction it is heading in 2024. The three year deal sees Clarke commit to the Cats until 2026.

Tayissa Coppinger (Jacob Pattison) 348759_01 Tuesday, 17 October, 2023 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 25

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