Community angry as council cancelled

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February 12, 2019

by Evelyn Leckie

FRUSTRATED community members confronted councillors at the City of Whittlesea’s first meeting of the year which was cancelled due to poor attendance.

This is the third time a council meeting regarding Mernda Town Centre has been delayed.

The meeting, on Tuesday, started off with quorum after councillors Mary Lalios and Alahna Desiato walked in two minutes before the meeting was due to be canned.

The meeting did not last long with Cr Lalios running from the meeting room three minutes into a confidential discussion, with Cr Desiato and Cr Caz Monteleone leaving shortly after her.

As the councillors filed outside, angry residents yelled at Cr Desiato and Cr Monteleone.

Doreen resident Denise Ferguson vented her frustration by telling the councillors they still need to represent their constituents.

Ms Ferguson told the Whittlesea Review she was angry with the events that occurred.“I’m a rate payer and we deserve better,” she said.

“When three councillors walk out of this place like they did tonight – nothing can get approved – again!

“When my children were little they used to spit the dummy – that’s what these people do they spit the dummy but this involves millions of dollars – and the three of them spit the dummy and walk out of here.”

Mayor Cr Lawrie Cox announced the meeting will be delayed until this Tuesday.

“If councillors can’t be bothered to turn up to meetings, then they need to retract on their position,” Cr Cox said.

“If they’ve lost interest or don’t want to turn up, then they should make way for someone who is prepared to actually be here.”

Cr Emilia Sterjova told the North Central Review she was disappointed with her fellow councillors.

“I am very disappointed, once again we don’t have quorum – I can’t believe we are delaying our Mernda Town Centre and this is costing our taxpayers,” Cr Sterjova said.

Cr Monteleone said the minority have elected not to continue because his colleague [Cr Lalios] had been under pressure, which had caused her an enormous amount of grief.

“This is not about grandstanding – this is about standing up for one of our own,” he said.

Federal Member for McEwan Rob Mitchell took to social media to call out the absent councillors.

“Once again delays to infrastructure and programs in @CityWhittlesea as petulant clowncillors boycott meetings again,’ Mr Mitchell said on Twitter.

Romsey Men’s Shed seeks land

The North Central Review

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February 12, 2019

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Members of the Romsey Men’s Shed are seeking a permanent or long term location for its members to meet.

The Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA) supports almost 1000 Men’s Sheds throughout the country to help men to be valued and productive members of the community.

Members of Men’s Sheds come from all walks of life – what unites them is they are men with time on their hands and would like to do something meaningful.

Romsey Men’s Shed President Steve Goodman organised a meeting last May to gage levels of interest in the Romsey community.

“There was an official meeting down at the Romsey Hub where there were 70, maybe 80 people. It was the biggest meeting I’ve seen for whatever reason in Romsey,” Mr Goodman said.

“Fortunately, there were local politicians there, like [Member for Macedon] Mary-Anne Thomas who showed incredible support for the initiative.”

Romsey Men’s Shed Secretary Patrick Holt said a Men’s Shed in Romsey will bring together the community and help support men’s mental health.

“In rural communities where men would retire and have nothing to do, it gives them a purpose to learn new skills and help mentor others,” Mr Holt said.

“It helps individuals as well as the community with projects for schools and community parks.”

Despite efforts to get this initiative up and running in Romsey both Mr Goodman and Mr Holt are unable to secure a location close to Romsey.

“We’ve identified one or two possibilities that are just of reach. Mary-Anne Thomas secured $60,000 from the state government for us to work on an establishment – we’re trying to work out how we can spend that money,” Mr Holt said.

“If we could find a piece of ground that we could get a long term commitment and a very reasonable lease or donation, we could try and make it work.”

The Romsey Men’s Shed found a location at Romsey Park but said they have had setbacks in adhering to conditions from the Macedon Ranges Shire Council.

“We have sought a space in Romsey Park but the significant terms and conditions from the council have become an obstacle,” Mr Holt said.

Last October, Premier Daniel Andrews was at the Kyneton Men’s Shed with Mental Health Minister Martin Foley and Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas to announce the first Royal Commission into Mental Health.

“Every year one in five Victorians experience a mental illness, while the truth is our mental health system could be a lot better than it is,” Mary-Anne Thomas said.

“I encourage the Macedon community to have their say to help shape the future of mental health services in Victoria.”

Mr Holt hopes these discussions can lead to securing a location for the Men’s Shed and allow them to give back to the community.

“We’re not seeking profit, we’re looking to give back to the community”

For more information on the Romsey Men’s Shed or if you’d like to discuss donations or locations please call Patrick Holt on 0407209899

$50m freeway boost

The North Central Review

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February 12, 2019

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by Evelyn Leckie

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has announced a $50 million injection to bust traffic congestion on the Hume Freeway as part of the Coalition Government’s Urban Congestion Fund.

“We want Melburnians to get home sooner and safer with help from our Urban Congestion Fund,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our plan for a stronger economy means we can back the local projects that will help bust congestion around the city and suburbs.

“I want people to spend less time stuck in traffic jams and more time at home with their families and working in their businesses, that’s what matters,” the Prime Minister said.

In 2011, 2,500 vehicles travelled on the Hume during peak hour periods and it’s expected to jump to 4,300 by 2031.

Mitchell Shire Mayor, Bill Chisholm said it was great to see a commitment to the shire’s roads from the federal government.

“We welcome any funding which improves our roads,” Cr Chisholm said.

“We will continue to work with our state and federal governments to achieve the best roads outcome for our shire.”

Mitchell Shire will be heading to Canberra on Wednesday, February 13 to discuss their top advocacy policies which includes the petition for Watson Street – Hume Freeway interchange funding.

Whittlesea Council also welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement to upgrade the Hume Freeway between Beveridge and the M80 Ring Road.

Whittlesea Council Mayor Lawrie Cox said the upgrade will certainly help to accommodate the morning peak experienced in the northern parts of the Whittlesea municipality.

“The funding however falls short of addressing the increasing transport needs generated in our growth areas and we are looking forward to further announcements in the lead up to the Federal election,” Cr Cox said.

“We are hopeful that further road funding announcements in coming weeks will include the E6 Freeway.”

Cr Cox said the population in the areas serviced by the E6 transport corridor was anticipated to increase by 186 per cent over the next 20 years from 129,000 people to 241,000 people.

“This road is currently not scheduled for another 15 to 30 years and we are asking for the Federal Government to bring forward the timeframe to construct this road,” he said.

Federal Member for McEwan Rob Mitchell said Labor has been fighting the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison Government for over 5 years to secure funding for the community.

“After five years of dudding Victoria with as little as 7.7 per cent of the national infrastructure spend, Scott Morrison’s belated plans to widen some of Melbourne’s road bottlenecks are welcome, it’s a case of too little, too late” Mr Mitchell said.

“Victorians make up a quarter of the national population.

“We deserve better than Mr Morrison’s cuts and broken promises.

“We now await to see if the funding is allocated in this year’s budget or is it another unfunded con just to win votes on the eve of an election,” Mr Mitchell said.

Expo is a learning experience

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The North Central Review

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February 7, 2019

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SEYMOUR Alternative Farming Expo event manager Susie Filleti said visitors often used the expo as a learning experience.

“If someone is thinking about trying a new farming venture they can come along to the expo and talk to people who have been there and done that and are happy to share their experiences,” she said.

Jill Noble and Gary Tie have been coming to the expo for more than 10 years and will be presenting two farm lectures.

In Seven Sheep Essentials they will talk about effective use of pasture and how sheep can control weeds and act as environmental monitors.
They will also demonstrate how technology can help sheep farming and introduce people to useful apps.

Five Business Skills for Farming Success is aimed at people who are new to farming.

“When starting out, people often concentrate on the practical side of farming,” Ms Noble said.

“We will be talking about sales and marketing, financial aspects of the business and strategic planning.”

The expo will also feature lectures and presentations from Agriculture Victoria.

“The experts from Agriculture Victoria come along to keep farmers up-to-date with new thinking and government systems relevant to the industry,” Ms Filleti said.

“This year they will be covering topics such as preparing for the next dry season, the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS), rights and responsibilities on farm biosecurity and preparations for livestock and horses in bushfires.”

Local cattle managers will also share their expertise in several farm lectures.

Each day there will be a lecture on Cattle Production Basics, which will be aimed at attendees who are interested in getting involved with cattle production.

This will give people an introduction to the basic procedures involved in running a small cattle herd.

Cattle Reproduction and Calving Management will explain the normal calving process, what can go wrong and when the vet needs to be called.

Other topics covered will include farm insurance, fruit fly traps, weed control and pasture improvement, Boer goats, alpacas, worm farms for waste management and beekeeping in backyards.

All talks are about 45 minutes and will be in the Farm Lectures marquee and Learning Hub.

A full timetable is included in the official event guide or the website.
A full listing of site-holders and a program of events is available in the official event guide, which is in today’s edition of the North Central Review.

The Seymour Alternative Farming Expo will be at Kings Park, Seymour, from February 15 to 17. For more information or to buy tickets online and save 17 per cent off the gate price, visit: www.seymourexpo.com.au

Raise your hand Whittlesea

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The North Central Review

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February 6, 2019

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by Evelyn Leckie

ANNA Rysenbry is calling for Whittlesea community members to raise their hand and volunteer this year for a good cause.

Raise is a non-for- profit organisation that runs mentoring programs in state schools across Australia.

The program matches volunteers with young persons in school that are at risk of disengagement.

In Australia, one in 10 young people are completely disengaged from education, employment and training.

Raise helps to empower young people to become more resilient, capable and connected by delivering best practice mentoring programs that are supervised by counsellors.

Ms Rysenbry volunteered as a mentor at Whittlesea Secondary College and told the Review that it was an incredibly rewarding experience.

“I almost felt like I get more out of it than the young person because it’s so nice when you sit with them and you give them the opportunity to be who they want to be,” she said.

“The mentees are so happy to know that you are there just for them.

“Once I had a mentee who was so shocked – they asked me ‘wow, so you don’t get paid to be here and you drive an hour each week just to see me? That is so special!’”

Ms Rysenbry said a big part of why she joined Raise was the organisation’s commitment to people in need of the service.

“If you’re going to commit that time to someone who needs it, you want to make sure you commit properly to that young person,” she said.

“We’re looking for volunteers in Whittlesea – it has been harder to recruit because of the location.

“The Whittlesea mentor groups have been really strong in the past – it’s just getting the numbers up.”

If you are over 21 and interested in volunteering with Raise – visit raise.org.au/volunteer for more information.
No qualifications, skills or experience are required.

Shadow Treasurer discusses Mitchell Shire’s future

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The North Central Review

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February 5, 2019

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Shadow Treasurer discusses Mitchell Shire’s future

by Eden Hynninen

Priorities for this year’s Federal Election were the focus when Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen and Federal Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell met at Craigieburn on Saturday.

Amid a battle on tax policies between Mr Bowen and Treasurer Josh Frydenburg, Mr Bowen spoke publicly outside Mr Mitchell’s office claiming the Treasurer is “all tweet and no action”.

Mr Bowen also met with Mitchell Shire Mayor Bill Chisholm and chief executive David Turnbull, with the council highlighting issues such as Wallan Road upgrades, Hume Freeway interchange, mental health care and a military tank museum in Seymour.

The Shadow Treasurer told the North Central Review the purpose of his visit to McEwen was to discuss issues that were important to the community.

With infrastructure and health for the Mitchell Shire at the forefront, Mr Bowen spoke about the pressures of living in a growth corridor.

An estimated 48,000 people live in the Mitchell Shire, with experts predicting the population to boom to an extra 250,000 in the next 30 years.

“I understand the pressures in the Mitchell Shire that come on when your population increases dramatically,” Mr Bowen said.

“If it’s taking you an hour to get home when it could take you 40 minutes if the roads were improved, then we need to take a look at that.

“I’m not here to make announcements or to bring out my cheque book, I brought my ears and will take things back with me.”

With tax changes on the federal agenda, Mr Bowen believes delivering tax relief to low and middle income earners will directly assist those living in the Mitchell Shire.

“Every single person that earns less than $125,000 will have a tax cut under us,” he said.

“We’ve chosen to prioritise tax relief because wages aren’t growing. Everything is going up except wages – the one thing we can control directly is tax relief.”

Mr Mitchell said the proposed changes would impact most in the community.

“About 95 per cent of those living in the Mitchell Shire earn less than $125,000,” he said.

Labor hopes to retain the negative gearing tax break for only newly-built homes and not existing investors.

“We’ve been working really hard on policies like negative gearing and all the things that help young people get into housing and to buy their first homes,” Mr Mitchell said.

Lancefield students cross safely

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The North Central Review

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February 5, 2019

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Students at St Mary’s Primary School in Lancefield have started their new school year by welcoming a new pedestrian crossing to keep them safe on their way to school.

The $70,000 Chauncey Street crossing was finished in time for term one, making sure children are safe from day one, while minimising disruptions during pick-ups and drop-offs.

The project included a new crossing, kerb, channel, drainage, safety signage and fresh line marking near the intersection of Raglan Street.

The Victorian Government worked closely with the community including St Mary’s Primary School, Macedon Ranges Shire Council and Regional Roads Victoria to ensure the crossing is in the best location for increased connectivity, visibility and safety.

The crossing also opens up a job opportunity for a crossing supervisor to attend before and after school.

St Mary’s Primary School principal Julie McDougall said the crossing has been a project of hers since joining the school in May 2017.

“It’s amazing. It’s been a long time in the making and for our community to know they can safely cross a busy road is just peace of mind for parents and school community,” she said.

“It was dangerous. We have lots of trucks that use this road so although there are 40km/h signs, they tend to just fly through it so it’s a lot safer and the crossing supervisor is visible as well.”

Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas said it was a great way to start the 2019 school year.

“Congratulations to Julie and the whole school community for the way they campaigned,” she said.

“The safety of our littlest community members is absolutely paramount and I can see this morning just how much this is appreciated by the local community and it’s all about children’s safety.”

Regional Roads Victoria Acting Regional Director Northern Seamus Haugh said the crossings were an important part of the regional road network across the state.

“This vital project is giving the 1,600 drivers travelling on Chauncey Street every single day some peace of mind by making pedestrians more visible during school pick up and drop off,” he said.

“We’re proud to have worked with the Lancefield community, particularly St Mary’s, and alongside council to deliver this school crossing in a much-needed area for the Lancefield community.”

Drivers across the region are being urged to help keep children safe as the back to school rush returns.

On school days, speed limits drop to either 40km/h or 60km/h in the mornings between 8am and 9.30am and in the afternoons from 2.30-4pm, Monday to Friday.

Drivers must obey reduced speed limits outside all schools on weekdays even if an individual school is closed.

Generous community support remains with couple

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The North Central Review

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February 5, 2019

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Generous community support remains with couple

by Evelyn Leckie

The community’s generous spirit stands out in the minds of Wandong’s Carol and Gary Roberts when they reflect on the Black Saturday bushfires.

The couple were at their Wandong home when the disastrous fire began five kilometres from their rural property.

“It was an eerie week, we had a string of 40 degree days and on that Saturday morning – for some strange reason we knew it was going to happen,” Ms Roberts said.

Mr Roberts went to get the paper that morning and when he returned, he noticed smoke nearby.

“The wind was horrendous that day – the sound of it– you’ll never forget. It’s been 10 years but the sound is still so raw,” Ms Roberts said.

The Roberts watched the fire edge closer to their home as they listened to the radio, car packed and ready to go.

“Our electricity went out, our water pumps weren’t working, we couldn’t fight,” Ms Roberts said.

At 1.30pm the couple decided to leave.

As they drove separately down the driveway, the fire brigade were at the foot of their rural property.

“The CFA were saying ‘quick get out, get out there’s no one left around here – you’re the last ones here,” Ms Roberts said.

“By this time the flames were so far up above the power lines – it was horrible, we pulled out of the driveway and saw the house next door was on fire.

“We knew we had to get out because the fire was moving as quickly as we were driving.”

Ms Roberts drove into the Wandong township, wondering where she was going to go. She was soon separated from her husband.

“Gary came to look for me but the police directed him in a different direction,” she said.

“It wasn’t pleasant – we didn’t know if the other was okay.”

Gary headed to Kilmore thinking Carol might have gone there. He then checked on their daughters who weren’t home.

“The hotel in Wandong opened their doors and said come in,” Ms Roberts said.

“By that stage, dogs were running around everywhere out of their minds, the smoke and fire was just horrendous.”

Mr and Ms Roberts eventually made contact and were able to return to their home on Sunday afternoon.

“What you come back to, you can’t believe it,” Ms Roberts said.

The Roberts’ luckily still had their house, but everything surrounding their property was gone. Their cattle and horse had miraculously survived too.

“We felt very guilty because people around us lost everything,”
Ms Roberts said.

The support the Roberts family received from the community was overwhelming.

“We had a very supportive government at the time, caseworkers, the Salvation Army, Centrelink, our insurance company, Red Cross, the SES, it goes on,” Mr Roberts said.

Ms Roberts said they had no water supply for nine months.

“The council supplied us with water and would refill our containers every couple of weeks,” she said.

“When we went down to Wallan on the Monday – we registered with the Red Cross so that worried family members would know we were okay.

“People would come up to us asking, ‘What do you need? What can we do?’”

“The Wallan stadium was absolutely choc-a-bloc with people helping and donating. I’ll never forget the time I was in line to get help and I said we need feed for our animals – and a lady behind us said, ‘I can help, I can help’.

“I realised we didn’t have any trailers to pick up the feed as they’d melted in the fires, the lady said ‘that’s alright I’ll get my father-in-law to come and help and they can deliver it this afternoon’.

“We just burst into tears – people were so generous.”

The generosity continued for months after Black Saturday.

“We had groceries delivered for 12 months – I just felt so guilty – I said to the volunteer ‘the people who have lost their homes – give it to them.’

“She replied saying ‘yes I know love – but we’ve had so many donations we’d like you to accept it.’”

Ten years on, Mr and Ms Roberts have slowly rebuilt their lives with the support of the community and each other.

They are dedicated community members and spend time volunteering at The Kilmore District Hospital – assisting the elderly.

“The support was wonderful – we can’t thank people enough for what they did.”

The twists of fate

News

The North Central Review

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February 5, 2019

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by Eden Hynninen

TEN years on, former Kilmore East resident Carol Pullar reflects on the morning of February 7, 2009.

At home with her elderly parents on Saunders Road, Ms Pullar received a phone call shortly after 11.30am from her neighbours to alert her of a fire 500 metres from her property.

“They [neighbours] were the very first triple zero call that day,” Ms Pullar said.

“My parents and I packed everything up in case we needed to go and then I went outside to get the hoses and water organised.”

The Pullar family had a 20,000 gallon tank of water on their property that by chance [or fate] failed to work.

“When we opened it up nothing came out – we don’t know what went wrong,” Ms Pullar said.

“We went to the generator and pulled the rope that then broke. At that point I looked at Mum and Dad and said ‘we can’t stay here’ – it was like the universe was telling us to go.”

Ms Pullar packed up the cars and with her two parents, two dogs and cat drove down to the Evacuation Centre in in Kilmore.

Later in the afternoon, Ms Pullar assumed the fire had moved on to Kinglake and wanted to return home.

“We decided we’d try and get back home. It wasn’t until we got closer to home that we realised the extent of the fire,” Ms Pullar said.

Along Saunders Road, homes were completely destroyed but Ms Pullar’s stood intact thanks to firefighters working right on her doorstep.

“We met the fire brigade who had just left our house at the bottom of the driveway,” she said.

“When I got out of the car it was like walking into a furnace – everything was still burning.”

When Ms Pullar finally returned to her home the next day, she was surprised to find a handwritten note from Diamond Creek Fire Brigade on the kitchen bench.

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A CFA member wrote: “Diamond Creek Tanker Two and its composite crew were able to protect your home and at times fire was at your door step.”

The note continued to apologise for using her tank water before they had to move on to other properties in further danger.

The note ended with a “P.S Back door was open, we had ran dry of drinking water – $5.00 for orange juice under circumstances hope you don’t mind.”

Ms Pullar remembers her absolute bewilderment at the note and letter left behind.

“I couldn’t believe it. I still have the note and letter framed in my new home,” she said.

Five months after the fire, Ms Pullar continued to search for her cat that had escaped that day.

“I searched everywhere for months. Finally I was walking in Wallan when I saw a photo of my cat on a window at the Wallan Recovery Centre,” she said.

“She had travelled 50 kilometres the day of the fire from Kilmore and we think she tried to return to our old home in Kinglake – she must have been petrified.

“I couldn’t believe that five months later I found her in a cattery. As soon as she saw me she wouldn’t let go.”

Tiffany the cat was 16 at the time of Black Saturday, she went to live on for another seven years.

Looking back on Black Saturday, Ms Pullar reflects on the events that happened that day.

“On the day it seemed like the universe was conspiring against us, but in hindsight it knew better.

Mitchell puts Children First

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The North Central Review

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February 5, 2019

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by Jackson Russell

MEMBER for McEwen Rob Mitchell visited the Children First Foundation’s Miracle sMiles Retreat in Kilmore East on Friday to experience a firsthand look at the foundation’s efforts.

Mr Mitchell spent time with some of the Retreat’s residents, including Bhutanese twins Nima and Dawa, and spoke to staff about some of the issues they’re having with things like internet access.

He said the work the foundation and Rotary have done to improve the Retreat had been sensational.

“It’s an important part of their community and anyone who knows anything about Children First knows about the great work they do, the humanitarian work is sensational,” Mr Mitchell said.

“It’s a great asset to the community and really it’s a great asset to Australia.”

Children First Foundation chief executive Elizabeth Lodge said the support the foundation received from all three levels of government was vital.

“We are hugely supported by all the local communities, shops, Rotary, the Men’s Shed, and it’s an extension of that wonderful community support,” she said.

Mr Mitchell agreed, saying it was easy to see how passionate the foundation was about what it did.

“It’s important all three levels do what they can to help organisations like this grow and support them throughout because most of the time they’re running on the smell of an oily rag,” he said.

“You just have to spend 10 minutes here and talk to the staff to see these people are just absolutely stunning.”

Support from local politicians has allowed the foundation to explore options for support they might not have had otherwise.

“Being in Kilmore East, we don’t have access to the NBN but through Rob’s staff, we’ve been able to look at different options for us, which will make life a lot easier for us here,” Ms Lodge said.

“Even community grants, Rob just mentioned to me about a grant that we could apply for because we have to install a sprinkler system. That’s an avenue that wasn’t available to us before.”