By Eden Hynninen
Members of the Macedon Ranges ‘Support after Suicide’ Peer Group are inviting those affected by suicide to reach out and come along to their monthly meetings in Newham.
The next meeting on Monday, May 13 will be hosted by a guest speaker Colin Charles, a counsellor from Jesuit Social Services in Richmond and co-founder of their ‘men’s group’ that began nine years ago.
The Peer Support group – initiated by Macedon Ranges Suicide Prevention Action Group or ‘MR SPAG’ – was formed when peer support volunteers connected after losing a loved one to suicide.
Peer group support members Gerry Leahy and Marcus Ward both lost a son to suicide in the past decade in completely opposing circumstances.
“My 27-year-old son was a landscape gardener and a musician, he loved poetry, writing and art. He was popular and had great friends who loved him,” Mr Leahy said.
“He suffered with anxiety for a long time and showed a lot of signs relating to mental health issues. A number of times we helped him to find counselling with which he could connect but he did not maintain contact.
“In 2015, I read that men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.”
Mr Ward’s son Liam, however showed no signs of concern, was completing a university degree and planning an overseas trip to Europe.
“He was a happy 20-year-old on an upward life trajectory. We thought to ourselves: ‘How did we not know?’ A lot of people feel great guilt after someone they love takes their own life,” Mr Ward said.
“I did what a lot of men do – I threw myself into work and tried to block it out. It wasn’t until I did some training in Richmond and learnt a lot about how grief varies, that I could begin to understand.
“I also learnt that by talking about the word ‘suicide’, allows an opportunity for a conversation about the issue; that it does not plant a seed in someone’s head, as I had initially thought.”
Nationally, suicide continues to be the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 44, with an average eight people a day taking their own life.
Both men said the meetings see many women attend but they were hoping to open the conversation up for men.
“We understand that it can be daunting, but there is no pressure for people to even speak, they can listen for as long as they like,” Mr Ward said.
“Some group members choose to go out for coffee with one of our peer support members or have a walk – whatever makes them feel most comfortable.
“We’ve seen some members attend and only listen month after month, then eventually they feel comfortable speaking about their loss and their grief.”
The group emphasises their open policy for members of the community.
“The more we can talk about this issue the better,” Mr Ward said.
“Some people have lived for years silently battling the stigma of a suicide, we want to give everyone an opportunity to join those with lived experience, who understand.”
For more information on the meetings contact Gerry on 0407 317 491 or email peersupport@mrspag.com.au.
An open door for those struggling
Drug-driving on the rise
By Eden Hynninen
Drivers under the influence of drugs was the number one concern for the Mitchell and Whittlesea regions during Victoria Police’s Operation Nexus.
The state-wide road safety focus over the Easter weekend targeted speed, fatigue, distraction, seatbelt non-compliance and impaired driving.
Police detected 80 offences in the Mitchell Shire and 71 in Whittlesea.
During the five-day operation, three people died in collisions across Victoria, who took the state’s road toll to 104 – about 40 above the tally from the same time last year.Greensborough Highway Patrol Sergeant Allan Tickner said many speeding offences in City of Whittlesea were due to tourist traffic travelling up to places like Yea.
He believes there was a rise in drug driving due to driver’s false perception on testing.
“We did find that drug detections were proportionally greater than alcohol,” Sgt Tickner said.
“Obviously people think they can run the gauntlet with drug testing and their chances are much less than alcohol but that’s not the case.”
Macedon Ranges showed low levels across the board, recording 32 speeding offences across the shire and police detected nine unregistered vehicles.
Mitchell Local Area Commander Peter Koger said the number of drug offences were an ongoing concern in the Mitchell Shire.
“It’s about one in eight that test positive during drug tests across the Mitchell Shire,” Inspector Koger said.
“People know about drink driving. but they think they can take illicit substances and drive the next day – cannabis and methamphetamine can stay in your system for up 72 hours.
“We’ve got a greater allocation this year for drug testing than previous year’s as we’re sponsored by the TAC – quite a significant amount which is great.”
Despite the drug concerns, he said that overall he was quite happy with figures over the Easter break in the Mitchell Shire.
“There were no fatal collisions. We had a number of events in Tallarook and Nagambie that were both well attended,” he said.
Riddells Creek crossing upgrade
Travellers along the main arterial road in Riddells Creek will have a safer journey thanks to works underway for new pedestrian lights.
Following a petition led several years ago, Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas has given the green light to a $400,000 upgrade to make it easier for those heading to nearby shops, schools and the train station.
Crews will remove an existing zebra crossing and replace it with more visible pedestrian operated lights, following a petition several years ago.
“I want to thank George and Robyn Francescutti for all their hard work in keeping this important issue on the agenda – I’m proud that we’re delivering a safer crossing for Riddells Creek,” Ms Thomas said.
“I’m proud to deliver this project with Regional Roads Victoria and ensuring the safety of particularly the children and elderly in the community.”
Regional Roads Victoria Northern Operations Manager Matt Gard said the project would improve visibility for drivers.
“With the white picket fencing it’s very hard to see pedestrians as you approach the zebra crossing,” Mr Gard said.
“People said it’s an accident waiting to happen.”
Ms Thomas said the project should be completed in about four weeks.
Red Shield Appeal to begin new initiative
The Salvation Army in Broadford is gearing up for its annual Red Shield Appeal with a new initiative where 80 per cent of donations will be put back into the local community.
The appeal launch is set for May 12, but the core weekend for donations will commence on May 25.
Broadford The Salvation Army Captain Michael Knally said there would be several collections happening across the Mitchell Shire.
“We’ll have a collection happening in Wallan, Kilmore, Broadford and maybe some other areas as well. We will run intersection collecting on Watson Street in Wallan and on Union and Sydney Street in Kilmore,” Captain Knally said.
“We’ll also have static points with tables set up at shopping centres in Broadford, Wallan and Kilmore over a two week period.”
He said that the policy had this year changed, with 80 per cent of donations being returned to local communities.
“Before it was distributed across Australia. We’re hoping to raise over $20,000 in the area and work on ways to improve the rising levels of homelessness in the region,” he said.
“We do a lot of social services and community support – it includes welfare, food and bill assistance which can involve household expenses and utilities.
“The demand seems to be increasing every year. A lot of our clients are on government pensions and they don’t seem to be increasing along with everything else.”
Retired Corps Sergeant Major Shirley Kawalski – who has worked at the Broadford branch for more than 40 years – said she had seen a rise in people who need support in the area.
“I would say they’ve increased since I started here in 1971 – they’ve increased considerably over time,” Ms Kawalksi said.
Captain Knally said many residents were now faced with difficult financial decisions.
“Rental costs are going up which takes up most of the Newstart incomes – residents aren’t left with much else to pay for food and other things,” he said.
“Some people have to choose between food and a house over their heads – it’s a ridiculous decision that they have to make.
“There are a lot of people in Broadford couch surfing from place-to-place or camping in a caravan or mobile home – you don’t see them so much on the street.”
Both workers hope that additional funds from the appeal will help to provide permanent homes and a number of additional services to residents.
“We’re hoping to expand our services that will come through money raising, like community meals that were cut due to funding – we were serving around 30 meals at our fortnightly dinners,” Mr Knally said.
“We want to provide the temporary relief of being fed and for people coming who want company – it can be a lonely place out there for those who don’t have family, so it’s about building a sense of community for Broadford as well.
“We could also provide further support for getting job skills and helping people gain confidence to get back to work.”
For more information on the Red Shield Appeal phone Broadford Salvation Army 5784 1635.
Wallan basketballer brings home gold
By Jackson Russell
Wallan basketballer Maddy Ford captained the Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup representative team to victory in their tour of New Zealand over Easter.
The team, filled with 14 and 15-year-old players from the Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup played up an age group to win the Under 17s tournament at the Basketball Pacific Mel Young Easter Classic in Tauranga.
Ford’s team went through the tournament undefeated and sealed the tournament with a 77-58 win over Tauranga.Ford said it was a great experience to be able to head overseas to play basketball.
“It was pretty cool to be named captain. It was a really good experience, we went down to Rotorua as well and we had a good team, it was the best tournament I’ve been to by far,” she said.
While she usually plays as a forward for Sunbury in the VJBL and Seymour Blasters in the Country Championships, Ford played centre in New Zealand which she said will help her develop her game.
“I got to learn new skills so I can go back to my club and play the five as well so I probably know how to play all the positions properly now,” she said.
Ford will have a tough decision on her hands soon as she has been excelling on the hardwood and also on the football field for Wallan and the Calder Cannons.
After playing her first season of football last winter, Ford won the NFNL Under 14 Girls Red best and fairest and Wallan’s best and fairest.
She was also named Most Valuable Player in her VJBL grand final with Sunbury.
It’s easy to see why Ford looks up to Monique Conti, another dual-sport athlete, who plays point guard for the WNBL’s Melbourne Boomers and recently signed to Richmond’s new AFLW side.
“I like how she plays, she’s a point guard. She knows how to read the plays and I like how she does that,” Ford said.
While not ready to pick a sport, Ford said if everything went well with basketball, she would like to one day play college basketball in the United States.
‘Bill bus’ back to school
By Evelyn Leckie
LAURIMAR Primary school students were surprised to see Labor’s ‘Big Red Fair Go Express’ bus roll into the school parking lot last week.
Senator for NSW the Hon Kristina Keneally met with Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell, principal Jason McBean, assistant principal Deb Purser, parents and students to talk about Labor’s commitment to schools by delivering extra funding.
“Laurimar Primary will receive an extra $1.17 million [if elected] – that will help with extra classes, aids in schools to support kids and speech therapy. It really opens up the opportunity for kids to have a better education,” Mr Mitchell said.
Mr McBean gave the Labor politicians a private tour of the school including the school’s war memorial and covered play areas.
“What a beautiful school this is, there’s a great physical infrastructure, the sporting grounds, the covered outdoor areas, the class room facilities are top notch, but more importantly there’s a group of dedicated and caring staff who are creating an amazing educational experience for the 1000 children who attend here,” Ms Keneally said.
“It goes to show that education has to be supported by professional, well-resourced teachers who are supported to do their job.
“It’s clear to see the joy on these teachers’ faces being back at work today – but their jobs should be made easier by proper funding and support from government.”
After the school visit Ms Keneally and Mr Mitchell visited cafes and a newsagency along Hazel Glen Drive to pledge their support for small businesses.
“We’ve had a great reception in the ‘Big Red Fair Go’ bus – it’s terrific to be here in McEwen, Rob Mitchell is a wonderful Federal Member,” Ms Keneally said.
“Victorians have endorsed and embraced this notion of a fair go for Australians – I look forward to spreading that message right up until May 18.”
Protect feathered friends
Romsey residents are asking drivers to slow down on rural roads after a goose was run over and killed earlier this month.
Similar to the infamous Riddells Creek geese, a gaggle of feathered animals have nested close to Moffats Lane and Knox Road in Romsey, delighting residents.
Nearby where the goose died is two dead kangaroos that suffered a similar fate.
Moffats Lane resident Patrick Francis – who runs a holistic livestock farm – said he had worked hard to attract animals to the area and was part of the Land for Wildlife program.
“A lot of us have done a lot of work to introduce wildlife back into the region. Our family has owned this farm since 1953 and the first kangaroo I saw was in 2000 after the tree and shrub corridors were planted.” Mr Francis said.
“In 1986 we started planting about 10,000 trees and many neighbours have devoted themselves to conservation and wildlife since then.
“People don’t see the blue tongue lizards that are also squashed on the road along with the native birds.”
Mr Francis and another neighbour Alex – who did not want his surname published – said speed limits should be reduced along the road.
“Knox Road is 80km/h. I sent a note to council (last week) to reduce it to 60km/h for the wildlife living in the area,” Alex said.
“When the goose died, my friends kids made a cross and buried the goose – people really need to be more careful.
Mr Francis said he was trying to raise awareness about speed on narrow roads through rural areas.
“We haven’t really adopted road speeds to suit the change in farming practices that have promoted wildlife populations over the last 30 years,” he said.
“We need drivers to take a responsible attitude who perhaps didn’t realise that speed is an issue.
“They can make a difference by slowing down and talking to their friends and family about it. These animals are part of our environment.”
Macedon Ranges Shire Council said it did not want to comment as it was a VicRoads’ responsibility.
Read Mr Francis’ Letter To The Editor on the next page…
Traffic time battle
EPPING resident Priyam Shah spends 15 hours a week sitting in traffic congestion.He is one of many City of Whittlesea residents losing out on family time, social activities and the chance to exercise due to long commutes to and from work – and City of Whittlesea are petitioning for this to change.
City of Whittlesea Mayor Lawrie Cox is calling for support from the Federal Government to help make the Wollert train line a reality.
Mayor Lawrie Cox said the population was expected to increase in these growing communities by approximately 60,000 by 2041, therefore a train line extension to Wollert within the next 10 years was vital.
“The Federal Government needs to contribute funds towards acquiring the final 14 per cent of land required for the rail and fund a feasibility study into how Wollert Rail fits with other planned rail projects,” Cr Cox said.
Mr Shah lives 23 kilometres from the city, but it takes him 90 minutes one way to arrive at work.
The Epping resident said he had to leave his home by 7.30am to spend 25 minutes in traffic to drive to Epping Station, the train then took 45 minutes, followed by a 10-minute walk to work.
“The biggest issue is you have to leave home so early and by the time you return home at 7pm or 7.30pm, it cuts into all your personal time – you can’t go to the gym, focus on your health, and I don’t get enough time with the family,” Mr Shah said.
“I’ve seen a lot of families leave the area because it’s too inconvenient to get to work – they move to the south-eastern suburbs or to the west where the government is spending more money on the roads.
“There are employment issues in our area because it’s so difficult to get to the city – then there are social issues as well due to spending less time with families.”
Mr Shah committed a morning last month to demonstrate his frustration by joining the National Nightmare Commute Day social media campaign.
The campaign involved Mr Shah hopping on a bus to commute to the city with Cr Cox, Member for Thomastown Bronwyn Halfpenny and journalists to share on social media the frustration that many other residents feel from sitting in heavy traffic.
“The commute day was an ideal day to show how bad traffic congestions is. It coincided with trains not running because of the work that’s going on,” he said.
“It took two hours and 20mins to get to the city.
“The politicians all accepted the fact that change has to happen.”
Mr Shah said it would be ideal if an express train line could be implemented, which would cut time on the train from 45 minutes to 20 minutes.
“A short-term goal should be to implement an express line, a medium-term plan would be for the arterial roads in Epping to be improved and the long-term goal should be to build a train station in Wollert,” Mr Shah said.
“We need the Federal Government to make the Wollert Rail a priority so that it can be delivered before the population boom, not play catch up,” Cr Cox said.
Budget in focus
A $2.1 million for Wallan East Relocatable Early Learning Centre, plus major works to roads, footpaths, recreational spaces and waste management facilities highlight Mitchell Shire Council’s 2019-20 draft budget.
The council also plan to allocate $2.8 for Seymour Flood Levee, $944,000 to build a new agricultural pavilion in Seymour, $950,000 to activate Ryan’s Creek Reserve in Kilmore, and $560,000 for Wallan Youth Service Hub.
The 2019-20 draft budget has been released for public input after it was endorsed by council at its April 15 meeting, despite opposition from the three south ward councillors who believe money being spent in the shire’s south is disproportionate to rates.
The capital works program includes $3.42 million towards waste management, $6.74 million for road renewals and upgrades, $2.73 million for recreation, leisure and community facilities, $1.37 million for footpaths and cycling tracks, $4.45 million for buildings and $1.39 million for parks, open spaces and streetscapes.
The draft budget includes by a 2.5 per cent increase in rates in line with the state government’s rate cap, continued operational grants and one-off grants, and population growth.
Total revenue from rates and charges is expected to be $46.42 million, an increase of $2.48 million or 6.09 per cent from the 2018-19 forecast.The council proposed to increase residents’ garbage charges by 18.42 per cent to $405 annually. The increase is due to increased costs and changes to contract rates for recycling.
The council has listed the following road projects as priorities: Kilmore East and O’Gradys Road intersection upgrade $1.243 million; Patterson Street Beveridge $1.9 million; White Street Kilmore carriageway upgrade $872,000; and Oak Street Seymour $535,000.
Council’s roads funding also include $972,000 for a footpath missing links program and $700,000 for a Kilmore Creek pedestrian bridge.
Recreation projects proposed for the coming financial year includes the $1.54 million Harley Hammond Reserve pavilion, netball court and lighting upgrades, and $514,000 for netball courts at LB Davern Reserve, Wandong.Proposed waste management projects include a $1.2 million land purchase for the Wallan Resource Recovery Expansion and $1.06 million for a Mitchell Landfill construction project.
Council has proposed a $35.34 million capital works program, which includes $6.42 million in carry forward works. The carry forward works are mostly a result of council’s successful advocacy to attract grant funding from other levels of government.
The draft budget projects a council surplus of $26.17 million and the elimination of deficit through growth in revenue from population increase as well as cost reduction.Mayor Bill Chisholm said council was directing increased road funding towards road assets that needed it most and have increased roadside drainage efforts at an operational level.
“The draft budget represents council’s continued commitment to managing our finances in a prudent and responsible manner to continue towards a financially sustainable future,” he said.
“We continue to deliver many services to a growing community and believe that this budget illustrates our commitment to directing funds to areas that are valued by all members of our community.”
The 2019-20 draft budget is now in public consultation with councillors attending pop-up sessions throughout the shire at the following dates:
Wednesday, May 1 at Club Mandalay at 10.30am; Thursday, May 2 at Broadford Living and Learning Centre at 1pm; Friday, May 3 at Open House Café in Wallan at 2.30pm; Tuesday, May 7 at Pyalong Neighbourhood House at 9.30am; Wednesday, May 8 at Wine X Sam in Seymour at 11am; and Friday, May 10 at Old Kilmore Gaol at 2pm.
Any formal submissions need to be received by May 22 and council will consider submissions on June 3 before making a decision on June 17.
Paralympians train for Tokyo
By Jackson Russell
AUSTRALIAN Paralympic cyclists have taken advantage of Broadford’s State Motorcycle Sports Complex in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
With the Games’ road cycling events at a former grand prix circuit, Fuji Speedway, the athletes have been training on the complex’s road circuit to better understand the difference between a motorsport track and city streets.
The cyclists have also been out and about in Broadford, with the whole group out for dinner at the Broadford Hotel on Monday night.
Cycling Australia head of performance solutions for paracycling Keren Faulkner said they were all excited about how the town had supported them.
“We’ve really enjoyed meeting people locally and people have been really engaged with what our athletes are trying to do in preparing for Tokyo so it’s been a great opportunity for us to share some of the journey with local people,” she said.
“The course here in Broadford is absolutely perfect for what we’re trying to do. There are a lot of great advantages.
“The course really helps coaching, you can see most of the course and we’ve been able to apply lots of science and a bit more data and video collection that what we’ve previously not been able to do.”
Darren Hicks will compete in the road race and individual time trial as well as on the track in the individual pursuit where he will defend his gold medal from the 2019 Para-Cycling Track World Championships.
Hicks said the biggest advantage of training at the Broadford circuit was learning how the surface differs from public roads.
“You get to learn what the tyre does, it’s no different to what the motorcycle guys out here enjoy about it, it’s nice and smooth, nice and predictable, which is what we’ve got to face in Tokyo,” he said.
“I wasn’t expecting there to be such a large amount of climbing as far as the hills go on this track so it’s really cool to have the big undulation changes and really pushing the limits of what we can do so it’s been fun going 70-odd km/h down the hills.
”Hicks rides in the C2 category and only uses his left leg to pedal while his amputated right leg sits in a custom-made socket attached to the seat post.
“That helps me stabilise as well as generate a bit of power,” he said.
“It’s different, that’s for sure but it’s just a bit more training to learn how to ride with one leg.”