By Jackson Russell
Wallan Panthers had a great night at home on Saturday with both men’s and women’s teams getting wins over the North-East Bushrangers.
The Panthers’ women opened the night with a 77-62 win over the Bushrangers for the Panthers’ second win of the season.
Wallan went on a 14-4 run in the first quarter to take a 10 point lead and never looked back, leading for the rest of the game for the 15-point win.
The Panthers were dominant in the paint, out-rebounding the Bushrangers by 19 and scoring 34 points in the paint to 16.
Carly Simons was a key player for Wallan with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Gemma Jackson was just as good in the paint with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Wallan coach Warren Taylor said they put an emphasis on getting off to a good start and it paid off.
“We’ve put ourselves in holes early so we put a lot of emphasis on getting a good start,” he said.
“We had a deeper bench which made a hell of a difference, Carly was fantastic early, Gemma was too.
“Gemma’s really raised the bar for her rebounded and she’s probably near the top of the league for rebounding along with Carly.
“We’re happy to be going into Easter where we’re at. We’re only two games behind the top team and some players will start to come back after Easter and it’ll make a big difference to the rest of our year.”
The men’s team had a convincing 108-83 win on the back of a 37-12 third quarter which blew the lead out to 26 at three-quarter time after tracing the lead throughout the first half.
The Panthers were able to lead by as much as 30 in the fourth quarter thanks to great shooting as a team.
The Panthers won the game from the outside, shooting 43-77 (.558) from the field and 14-31 (.452) from three-point range.
Jaak Ponsford led the Panthers in scoring with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists while Brock Carter was big inside with 11 rebounds to go with nine points.
Wallan coach Carey Paps said the Panthers came out hot in the third quarter.“We came out firing in the third quarter, got our run going and tightened up our defence,” he said.
The men weren’t as lucky on day two of their back-to-back, going down 82-73 to Pakenham Warriors on the road.
The Panthers led by as many as 12 points in the second period before a Warriors fight back saw them hit the front mid-way through the fourth.
Neither team shot well, but Pakenham was always there for the rebound, beating Wallan on the boards 72-47.
Import Trace Cureton played well, scoring 21 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists while Brock Carter was again strong in the paint with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Paps said it was disappointing not to be able to sweep the weekend.
“It was a bit disappointing to lose Sunday when we had control of the game for three quarters then we fell away in the fourth quarter,” he said.
“We had control of the game, but we had some defensive breakdowns, stopped moving the ball on offence. When you’re playing the top team, you can’t give them an inch but we did.”
Panthers back on track
Romsey lose tight game
DESPITE carrying a 10-point lead into three-quarter time, Romsey were unable to finish the job, going down to Rupertswood by four points in the Redbacks’ RDFNL opener.
Rupertswood got the jump on Romsey at home in the first term, taking an 11-point lead into quarter time.
Romsey responded by kicking 5.1.31 in the second term to Rupo’s three straight.
The Redbacks extended the lead out to 10 points with a 4.6.30 to 3.4.22 third quarter but fell short as Rupertswood came home strong, booting 5.4.34 in the final term to pull the rug out from under Romsey.
Mitchell Jensen kicked six goals in his best-on-ground debut for Romsey while Jack O’Sullivan kicked three.
Romsey coach Corey O’Sullivan said it was a disappointing loss after being in the box seat with 10 minutes left.
“We made some silly decisions that good sides like Rupo capitalise on, they made us pay for them and in the end we paid pretty heavily,” he said.
“You could tell early that Rupo were a little more match hardened but as the game wore on we hit our straps.
“To beat a side like Rupo at home, it takes everyone to contribute and I think we had that on the day but we just didn’t get the result.”
Rupertswood 16.10.106 def Romsey 15.12.102
RUPERTSWOOD
Goal Kickers: N. Grigg 6, C. McRorie 4, T. Podolczak 3, M. Knight 2, M. Smith
Best Players: C. McRorie, N. Grigg, M. Knight, L. Cannon, L. Muir, M. Smith
ROMSEY
Goal Kickers: M. Jensen 6, J. O”Sullivan 3, M. Burkett 2, J. Caruana, N. Rayment, C. Burkett, J. Mills
Best Players: M. Jensen, J. O”Sullivan, R. Wood, M. Burkett, J. Caruana, N. Blair
Doreen woman supports animal rights protest
A DOREEN resident has spoken out in support of the vegan protests in Melbourne last week saying the protest spread truthful messages about animal cruelty occurring in Australia.
Amanda, who wanted her surname withheld, said she attended the protest before she started work in the city.
“My husband and I were a part of it for the first hour before going to work – it was a very sombre atmosphere,” she said.
“Many of the protestors wore their work clothes before going to work, construction workers for example wore their hi-vis – it showed people we were all from different backgrounds.”
Amanda told the Review that it wasn’t a hidden fact that there was an inconvenience to the traffic on the day.
“It grinds my gears too when a trip that’s supposed to be 20 minutes turns out to go for 40 minutes – people are inconvenienced on a daily basis,” she said.
“Sometimes it does take real disruption to our everyday life to make an impact like the widening of Plenty Road.
“Once completed, we are all better for it – locals fought for that.”
Amanda said the protest on Monday sparked more than 50,000 views on the Dominion documentary over a 48 hour period.
“I don’t think I’d tie myself to a truck – but I’ve learnt for change to happen – we need to take an educational approach and share what happens behind closed doors,” she said.
Amanda said she opposed the term ‘vegan terrorists’ that was being splashed in the media.
“We’re not terrorists, we’re family members, we’re community volunteers, we’re professionals and we’re here to make things better and more sustainable,” she said.
Victorian Farmers Federation showed its support for its farmers saying those who choose to eat products from animals could be assured that Australian farmers care for their animals and strive to achieve world best practices when it comes to standards of production – including health and welfare.
“Farmers respect their animals and invest heavily in research and development to ensure they are always adopting the latest science-based methods,” Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said.
“We are fortunate that Monday’s activist activities, while causing disruption to the public and businesses, appear to have been peaceful unlike the other events we have seen unfold across the country recently where large numbers of trespasses invaded farming businesses.”
Amanda said animal cruelty has to be condemned.
“Change isn’t always easy – but we’re fighting for the rights of the voiceless.”
Volunteer grant helps prevention network
By Evelyn Leckie
A volunteer grant for the Mitchell Shire Suicide Prevention Network will help the group run more effective courses on suicide prevention.
The network exists to help people recognise in others, the needs they have and to talk to them so they may be referred to the correct places.
Member for McEwan Rob Mitchell handed over the $2,050 grant to the network on Friday saying it was an important service.
“We know the importance of the work that’s being done by the volunteers and how they’re helping build a stronger and more resilient community that we live in,” he said.
The grant was given to help purchase ‘chatterbox’ devices – a device that clips to the speaker’s belt and conveys sound to walking groups who could be standing up to 50 metres away.
The device assists with the network’s outdoor sessions.
“One of the issues that’s being raised is the inability to deliver mental health workshops across the region because not all the halls and public spaces are available,” Mr Mitchell said.
“The grant will help supply amplifier equipment to take those mental health workshops anywhere across Mitchell Shire and deliver this worthwhile service.”
Network chairperson Nikki Simos said the group were excited to receive the volunteer grant.
“We’re a small volunteer group and we provide a medium of contacts that we’re affiliated with to let people know this is who we are – supporting and advocating to reduce the stigma of suicide,” she said.
Volunteer Roslyn Stewart, who applied for the grant, said the network was all about educating the community and the grant would help with projecting educational courses.
Drought support needed
By Jackson Russell
FARMERS in the Mitchell Shire are calling from greater assistance from the State Government after being excluded from drought assistance programs.
Farmers in north of the shire are unable to apply for On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Support Grants and the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme.
The former provides up to $5000 to assist farmers with infrastructure to help manage drought while the latter provides a one-off 25 per cent rebate up to $25,000 for the costs associated with the purchase and installation of on-farm water infrastructure.
One farmer, who wished to remain anonymous, lives only a few kilometres from the shire’s border with Strathbogie and has been denied government assistance.
He said normally, he would have to purchase feed for his 12,000 sheep for about six weeks a year, but had to feed them for 10 months out of the last 13.
“The big cost is feeding, which is huge. We run a few sheep and it’s gone way over $300,000,” he said.
“We’re feeding 12,000 sheep and its costing us $2000 a day.”
After a dry summer, with just 32mm of rain since January, many of his dams are dry and he had to resort to installing a $20,000 pipeline to get water to the paddocks.
“It’s ridiculous that they can get something across the boundary and we can’t,” he said.“If our farm had have been a few kilometres north, we would’ve received $2000.”
Member for Euroa Steph Ryan said farmers have been unfairly locked out of the program.
“Drought and low rainfall do not end at arbitrary lines on a map as shire boundaries do,” she said.
“Things are getting very tough and the drought facing much of Victoria shows little sign of abating.“With feed prices increasing and water supplies scarce, even the most well-established and prepared farmers in our district are struggling.”
Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes said Farmers in northern Victoria, east and central Gippsland have been doing it tough with unprecedented dry conditions.
“There is a range of support available to farmers within the Mitchell shire, and I urge people to visit the Agriculture Victoria website to see the programs available to them,” she said.
“While we can’t make it rain, we can offer support and lend our ear and that’s exactly what we are doing. My job as the Minister for Agriculture is to listen and hear from farmers about what they need, how our government can help and simply be there during tough times.
“We have Agriculture Victoria staff and rural financial counsellors available in all parts of country Victoria helping farmers with challenging conditions – and we’re getting on with delivering a $43 million Drought Relief Package.”
Support programs available for Mitchell Shire farmers include technical assistance delivered by Agriculture Victoria, the Rural Financial Counselling Service, Farm Household Allowance and Commonwealth Concessional Loans.
Family denied residency
By Eden Hynninen
AN IRISH family from Seymour are at risk of being deported after their three-year-old son was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and considered a ‘burden’ on the health system.
Christine and Tony Hyde came to Australia in 2009 on a Working Holiday Visa and have since spent a decade working and raising a family in Seymour, Victoria.
Mrs Hyde is an acting principal at Broadford Primary School and her husband works for Skybus while volunteering for the State Emergency Service in Seymour.
In 2015, the couple put in an expression of interest form for permanent residency and received a first round invitation to apply on August 3, 2015.
“During this time I was heavily pregnant with my first child. Part of our application was that you need to sit a medical assessment – we couldn’t do this until six weeks after my caesarean with Darragh,” Mrs Hyde said.
“We then had to add him to our application and they asked for a letter from our GP to state his health. Eight weeks after are a heel prick, it was confirmed that Darragh had Cystic Fibrosis.”
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in various organs that can impact the lungs and digestive system – there are many mutations of the condition.The couple then sent a letter from their GP to a medical officer who asked for more information on Darragh’s case.
“We sent another letter from a paediatrician and received a reply that Darragh has a severe case of cystic fibrosis,” she said.
“The Home Affairs department responded saying Darragh would need to rely heavily on the health system to have access to an organ donation. They said he would be a ‘burden to the state’ and rejected our application.
“I remember that day at work when I read the email, I crumbled and someone had to drive me home.”
From that point on, the Hydes hired a lawyer who advised them to appeal – a process that’s still underway.
During the appeal process, Darragh started taking a medication called Kalydeco – a drug covered under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme – that helps improve hydration and mucus clearance.
“CF is different for every patient. Luckily Darragh had two gene mutations missing which made him eligible to the drug at aged two,” Ms Hyde said.
“It has changed his life in the last 18 months, there is less mucus in his lungs, which makes him less prone to infections and has had no hospital admissions.
“He goes to childcare twice a week. He’s just like every other child.”
The family are ready to appeal their final case to the Administrative Review Tribunal on April 30.
They also started a petition, that has attracted more than 13,000 signatures, in the hope of drawing community support to help the family avoid deportation.
Federal Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell said the government needed to recognise the contribution Christine and her family made to the community.
“The refusal of the visa would further disadvantage some of our most vulnerable children,” Mr Mitchell said.
“As someone with a Masters in Special Education from La Trobe University, Christine is a specialist qualified teacher working with students with particular learning difficulties in primary, middle and secondary schools.
“Special Education Teachers are on the medium and long-term Strategic Skills List of the Combined List of Eligible Skilled Occupations 2019. These are jobs in which we have a shortage here in Australia, and we are in need of skilled practitioners to address this shortfall.
“Teachers like Christine are among the most valuable members of the Australian community, charged with huge responsibility.
“I believe Christine’s abilities and talents in supporting the Australian children with special needs far outweigh the possible cost of care to Australia for her young son.”
The North Central Review tried to contact the Home Affairs office for comment, but they did not respond.
Small fine for SKM for recycling debacle
The Environmental Protection Authority has issued a $16,000 fine for SKM’s part in the Coolaroo and Laverton North recycling plants’ shut down in mid-February.
The closure left tonnes of recycling materials in the City of Whittlesea to be sent to regular landfill, with 19 councils also affected by the shut down.
EPA resource recovery facilities audit taskforce manager Danny Childs said the company was issued notices that required it to modify the configuration of it combustible recyclable and waste material stockpiles.
“The company didn’t do this within required timeframes, which meant it failed to comply with the Victorian Waste Management Policy and resulted in EPA issuing further notices that meant the company had to cease accepting any further waste at either site until compliance was reached,” Mr Childs said.
Mr Childs said SKM was well aware of its obligations to comply with the Waste Management Policy.
“For SKM to not comply with a notice issued by EPA shows disrespect to the law, the community and our environment,” he said.
“Not controlling and managing combustible material has been proven in the past to have a significant impact on surrounding communities, the environment and on emergency management resources in the event of a fire.”
In July 2017, SKM’s Coolaroo sight went up in flames, a fire that lasted around two weeks – sending toxic smoke across Melbourne.
In July next year the Environmental Protection Authority will have strengthened regulatory powers under the Environmental Protection Act. The new Act will modernise Environmental Protection Authority’s inspection and inquiry powers and allow for significant increases in maximum fines and penalties – including jail time for repeat waste dumping offences.
Council advocate for affordable housing
CITY of Whittlesea has labelled Australia’s housing system as ‘broken’ during their Everybody’s Home campaign launched on Thursday at a housing authority estate in Lalor.
Mayor Lawrie Cox met with housing agency representatives, City of Whittlesea residents and federal politicians to announce the campaign.
In the lead up to the election, council is advocating for the development of a National Housing Strategy to meet Australia’s shortfall of 500,000 social and affordable rental homes, to reset the tax system to prioritise homebuyers over property speculators, introduce legislation that provides nationally consistent protection for renters, provide immediate relief for people in housing stress by increasing rent assistance and to commit to ending homelessness by 2030.
Cr Cox presented doormats with the campaign logo to Member for Scullin Andrew Giles and Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell to remind them to think of those less fortunate before going to Parliament.
“Our municipality has fewer social housing households compared to greater Melbourne, despite having some of the greatest levels of disadvantage in the state,” Cr Cox said.
“City of Whittlesea data shows the municipality has experienced at least a seven per cent increase in homelessness from 2011 to 2016.
“We also know that rental affordability has decreased from 60 per cent to 12 per cent in the last five years with 14 per cent of our community experiencing mortgage stress and 32 per cent experiencing rental stress.”
Mr Giles said he would keep his doormat on his office floor in Canberra.“This is a really important campaign – because we talk a lot about housing in Australia – but it’s all about property and investment not about the basic human right of having a safe and secure home,” he said.
Mr Giles said under a Labor leadership, the Housing Supply Council would be reinstated and a Minster for Housing would be appointed to deliver the party’s commitments.
Mr Mitchell and Mr Giles sat in with residents under the Housing Choices Australia arrangement to discuss the importance of affordable housing.
“The people we met with from a wide range of different backgrounds and stories – they all appeared comfortable in a safe, clean and affordable home,” he said.
“We’ve put a plan forward for 250,000 additional low cost housing.
“We want to support renters, there are agencies out there to help people and we have to be a part of that and join as a collective to actually build better communities and give people access to low cost housing.”
More support for children
Romsey mother Ashlea Rigby is irritated by the gaps and lengthy delays in health system support for her five-year-old son Joel who has a rare chromosomal syndrome.
Joel, not long after birth, was diagnosed with Klinefelter syndrome – also known as 49,XXXXY syndrome – that causes intellectual disability, development delays and infertility.
The genetic condition effects one in 100,000 males born and has a broad spectrum of severity – Joel has delays in his speech and suffers from severe short-sightedness.
“We tried to get carers allowance because he was more care than a normal toddler, but we got rejected by Centrelink because the government doesn’t recognise it as a disability – it’s rare and didn’t tick one of the more common boxes,” Ms Rigby said.
“We’re lucky because Joel’s case isn’t as severe as others – he’s such a lovely and happy boy – but still there are hurdles and lots of appointments with different specialists.”
She found difficulty with not just access to Centrelink but also with timely responses from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
“I had to wait and see if we could gain access which we did in October, but they had no spots available and I only had a meeting with Intereach, a partner of NDIS, on March 25. I’m still waiting for the phone call for the planning meeting,” she said.
“I would like to see the transfer over to NDIS smoother and faster so Joel can access speech physio and occupational therapy.
“This will let him be more ready for school as he still needs quite a bit of therapy before he’d be ready for mainstream classes – this is why we hope he can attend a specialist school next year.”
Ms Rigby’s concerns follows a large number of complaints at the NDIS forum in Sunbury in early March.
The Make It Work forums, hosted by grassroots campaigners Every Australian Counts, visited several cities and regional towns across Australia to help discuss and fix the issues and gaps in the system.
Many people discussed the delays in the planning process that involves a ‘planning meeting’ to recognise what support is needed for individual cases.
Planning approval can take months or even years for participants, with many never receiving a response.
The recent release of the Federal Budget showed spending on the NDIS will decrease from a forecast in the 2018 budget of $16.7 billion in 2018-19 to $13.345 billion – a drop of $3.4 billion.
“I think they really need to make it easier for parents to be able to help their kids gain access to funding and tend to the child’s needs,” Ms Rigby said.
Police urge for safety over holidays
An already alarming road toll this year has sparked Wallan’s Highway Patrol and Roadsafe to encourage people to take extra care on the roads during the Easter and Anzac Day holidays.
Ninety people have died this year on Victoria’s roads with 59 deaths on regional roads.
This time last year there was 59 deaths across Victoria and 31 lives lost on regional roads – almost half the number of this year’s regional fatalities.
Wallan’s Leading Senior Constable Michael Debryuckere said the number of fatalities could inexplicably vary from year to year.
“I don’t know why that is, the weather isn’t really different, road surfaces aren’t any different and cars are only getting better,” Leading Senior Constable Debryuckere said.
“I started Highway Patrol in 2006 in Seymour. Then, you’d go out on the freeway and catch five people speeding in an hour, easy, no problems. Now, you can go out to the same spot and catch five people speeding over three days.”
Yet Wallan’s Highway Patrol has noticed a lapse in vigilance off the main roads.
“Drivers attribute high traffic and police presence to ‘I better watch what I’m doing’, but once they get out to quieter roads they relax a bit,” Leading Senior Constable Debryuckere said.
“The problem is people aren’t scared to die on the roads, they’re scared to lose their license.”
Roadsafe Goulburn Valley chairman Des Callaghan said Roadsafe were looking at several different campaigns on the road.
“We run initiatives like ‘Look after your mates’ which have been great for football clubs – you see them take extra care when it comes to drink driving,” Mr Callaghan said.
“One thing we have seen is a lot of is new mums not buckling children in their car seat or letting them sit in the front – we need to ensure they are protected.”
Senior Constable Joel Barclay said the top issues on the road centred on speed, drug and alcohol, fatigue and distraction.
“We have seen a massive incline on the drug to alcohol ratio being around 30:1. Kids think it’s a cheaper option,” Sen Con Barclay said.
“We constantly see people on their mobile phones, we now have officers at traffic lights notifying us of people doing this.”
Wallan police and Roadsafe urged drivers to remain alert and safe over the Easter break and ANZAC day.
“Just being aware of your surroundings and being vigilant. If it is wet, just take care. Try to eliminate the distractions in your car,” Leading Senior Constable Debryuckere said.