Whittlesea girls join movement

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February 19, 2019

Inspired by the ‘This Girl Can Victoria’ movement women in the City of Whittlesea are encouraging others not to be afraid of being active.

Five women from different walks of life have spoken out in a video, ‘Whittlesea Girls Can’, encouraging women not to be intimidated or scared of being active and playing sport.

The video has been launched on social media in conjunction with the opening of Council’s female participation in sports grants.

Sports clubs in the City of Whittlesea are invited to apply for grants up to $3000, to encourage the participation of women in sports.

Mayor Councillor Lawrie Cox said the grants were about encouraging equal opportunities for women to participate in the community.

“Participating in sport offers many health and wellbeing benefits, as well as increasing self-esteem, interpersonal networks, social inclusion and community connections,” Cr Cox said said.

“We recognise that men and women have different access to resources, power, responsibilities and life experiences.”

“This grant program is just one way we can approach this issue.”

The grants are now open and close on Sunday 10 March.

Women are invited to join in local active events during This Girl Can Week Victoria.

Details: whittlesea.vic.gov.au

40 years of policing for Sergeant Kennedy

News

The North Central Review

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February 12, 2019

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by Evelyn Leckie

WHITTLESEA Police gathered together on Tuesday, 5 February to celebrate Sergeant Daryl Kennedy’s 40 years of service with Victoria Police.

Sgt Kennedy joined Victoria Police on February 5, 1979.

His career took him to Broadmeadows, Northcote, Mill Park and for the past 18 years – the Whittlesea community.

“I can still quite clearly remember my early days in the academy and walking into my first training day at the station – but in other regards it’s all gone past in the blink of an eye – it feels surreal,” Sgt Kennedy said.

Sgt Kennedy has served the Whittlesea community since May 2000.

“I was only meant to stay a few years but 18 years later I’m still here.

“I don’t know if that says more about me or more about the community and the people who work here.

“It’s a great place to work and a great community – the community appreciates the police and the hours we put in – and it’s a pleasure to serve them,” Sgt Kennedy said.

Senior Sergeant Glen Parker presented Sgt Kennedy with a commemoration plaque acknowledging his service.

“I think for me, I see a hardworking man who’s very professional with a lot of integrity, sets high standards for himself and others and certainly one to be relied upon in the workplace,”

Senior Sgt Parker said.Superintendent Timothy Tully also congratulated Sgt Kennedy for his dedication to Victoria Police.

“It’s not an easy job, but to turn up to work every single day for 40 years is a testament to you,” he said.

Colleague Sergeant Jason Gaffee commended Sgt Kennedy for always being one step ahead of the team and always being the voice of reason.

“I learnt how to be a constant, stable person from Sgt Kennedy – because he set an example for me – it’s helped me through my career and he’s always had my back,” Sgt Gaffee said.

Sgt Kennedy was humbled by the gathering and thanked his family and colleagues for their support throughout his career.

Romsey falls short, Wallan dodges bullet

The North Central Review

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February 12, 2019

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Romsey falls short, Wallan dodges bullet

by Jackson Russell

ROMSEY Cricket Club suffered a 72-run first innings loss to Gisborne in their two-day McIntyre Cup match at Romsey Park on Saturday.

Gisborne were 7/204 at stumps on day one, thanks to 42 from Brook Grumont and a solid 38 not out from lower order batsman Jay King.

Taylor Stevenson led the Romsey bowling attack with 3/30 from 19 overs.

Romsey came into day two with a lot of work to do in cold and blustery conditions. Rain earlier in the day threatened to cost the home side valuable overs but the skies cleared just in time.

Opener Chris Burkett was clean bowled early on, while opening partner Damien Devlin was caught and bowled soon after to have Romsey 2/24.

Matthew Hoyt top scored for Romsey with 47 batting at number five but saw the lower order collapse around him, losing 4/15 at one stage before he was bowled at 8/119.

Romsey was bowled out for 132 from 54.3 overs shortly after.Gisborne came back in to try to nab some extra points, making a quick-fire 2/108 from 12 overs.

Romsey 132 (M Hoyt 47; J Knight 4/29, R Gordon 3/28) def by Gisborne 7/204(cc) (BJ Grumont 42, J Knight 39, J King 38*, J McDonald 29*, LH Shore 28; T Stevenson 3/30, C Burkett 2/36) and 2/108 (R Gordon 72, J Knight 36)

WALLAN Cricket Club was able to avoid an outright loss in their two-day away match against Diggers Rest Bulla.

The Magpies were bowled out for 129 after 36.5 overs on day one after a middle order collapse that saw three batsmen out for ducks until the lower order was able to put some runs on the board.

Diggers Rest Bulla came into its first innings full of confidence and it showed, with the home side declaring at 6/263 after 44 overs.

Wallan struck early and had the home side 1/3 before Sumanjan Fernando came in at first drop.

Fernando led Diggers Rest Bulla with an unbeaten 62 batting at first drop while captain Rasika Batepola made 51 before being run out.

With more than half a day left, Diggers Rest Bulla sent Wallan back in with the Magpies needed 134 to avoid an outright loss.Wallan managed to make 7/172 before stumps were called to avoid a catastrophic outright loss.Wicketkeeper Russell Whittingham (34) and captain Kieran Atkin (48) were key to saving the Magpies’ second innings.Atkin said his side set themselves the challenge on day two to avoid the outright loss.

“We went into the match undermanned but from the position we were in, to avoid the outright loss was pleasing,” he said.

“We are starting to show signs of improvement. Our second innings score of 7/170 was certainly on its way to a respectable score and we just need to start making those scores in the first innings.

We didn’t do a lot wrong in the field, we bowled reasonably well. They were after quick runs but you create your own luck in cricket and when things aren’t going your way, you tend to drop chances but we continued to toil and the score probably doesn’t reflect how we bowled and fielded.”

Diggers Rest Bulla 6/263(dec) (S Fernando 62*, R Batepola 51, R Yasas 46, K Shaw 45) def Wallan 129 (R Berry 4/50, R Batepola 3/11, D Quarrell 2/39) and 7/172 (K Atkin 48, R Whittingham 34, J Davies 27*; AS Thanthiri 3/26, S Madanayake 2/15, D Quarrell 2/54)

Residents asked about Romsey’s future

The North Central Review

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February 12, 2019

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Macedon Ranges Shire Council will develop a township structure plan as part of planning for the future of Romsey.

The council asked residents last year ‘what should Romsey look like into the future?’ which resulted in the Romsey Issues and Opportunities Paper, now available on the council’s website.

The paper is the first step in the council’s work towards understanding what the future of Romsey could look like and plan the long term future of Romsey.

Residents, community groups, business and service authorities such as VicRoads all provided feedback into the paper.

Key findings included:

The creek corridor is a valued asset within the Romsey community; Greater housing diversity within the town is required; The current utilities and services such as telecommunications and drainage within Romsey need substantial upgrades; Improvements are needed to the number of public transport services along with better integration with train services; Footpath and shared path infrastructure needs to be improved; There is significant support from the community for Romsey to have both a secondary school and aquatic facility.

The current strategic plan for Romsey is outlined in the Romsey Outline Development Plan, adopted by the council in 2009, which sets a vision for the town until the year 2021.

The new planning work will enable the council to look beyond 2021 and carefully plan for the long-term future of Romsey.

Some of the issues identified in the paper include the lack of pedestrian crossing points over Melbourne-Lancefield Road, localised flooding issues and limited public access to sections of the Five Mile Creek corridor.

Opportunities include better integrating and connecting Romsey’s numerous heritage sites and open space areas with shared paths or heritage trails, and a potential shared path link between Romsey and Clarkefield.

You can read the paper and consultation report, and sign up for regular updates on the project, at mrsc.vic.gov.au/Romsey-Futures.

A Victorian Planning Authority grant has helped to fund the next steps in the process, including the development of an emerging options paper and a new township structure plan.

Community angry as council cancelled

The North Central Review

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February 12, 2019

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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

News

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

News

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

News

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.