Romsey lose a thriller in RDFNL action

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June 9, 2023

By Max Davies

Romsey coach Justin Sherman has called for a consistent four-quarter effort from his side after the Redbacks lost a close match to Diggers Rest on Saturday.

It was the match of round eight in Riddell District Football Netball League senior football action at the weekend, and while Sherman was confident with what he saw from his team, the home side’s third quarter proved costly.

After a strong start with seven straight goals, the Redbacks took a 10-point lead into half time.

But the Burras came out firing in the third term, with 11 scoring shots, resulting in four goals and seven behinds, to Romsey’s one goal.

A late charge in the final term was not enough to overcome the new ladder-leaders.

“It was probably the best start we’ve had all year and I thought the way we finished the game was really strong as well. It’s just that middle period that was a bit tough,” Sherman said.

“Them being a good side, they were going to have their run and we just couldn’t stem the flow. We’re still looking for that four-quarter effort and against good sides you have to do that.”

Sherman remained positive about his team’s combined effort, especially with six players on the Romsey side having played less than 30 games.

“[The young players] inject a bit of energy into the side and give us a bit of flair, and that’s what we want them to do. We want them to come into our side and play with a bit of flair,” he said.

“We got the most out of ourselves in terms of effort, it’s just a bit of polish with the ball in hand under pressure and making the right decisions. We’ll continue to train and continue to get better, but we’re doing a lot right so we’re not far off the mark.”

Sherman named vice captain Jack Jedwab as a stand-out performer, with five goals.

He said Jedwab often led training sessions and delivered consistently strong performances each round – this week working through the Burras’ defence on multiple occasions.

Ali Khalil’s performance off half back and his role in setting the ball up for attacking efforts also drew the coach’s praise.

Sherman hoped the league-wide bye would be a chance for the team to recover ahead of their away game against sixth-placed Macedon.

“We’ve got some key injuries at the moment, our skipper and a few other guys, so hopefully the bye this week will allow us to get a few back, which we can then inject back into the side to make us a bit stronger,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to the second half of the year and the two games after the bye are going to be pretty critical for us … so if we can get some good results, it will set us up for a big second half of the season.”

The other round eight matches saw losses for both Lancefield and Wallan, with the Tigers going down to Riddell by 30 points and the Magpies losing to Woodend-Hesket by 17 points.

The Western Rams were no match for the visiting Macedon, going down in a decisive 17-98 thumping.

The Riddell League will take a break over the King’s Birthday long weekend, with the season resuming on June 17 where Wallan will host Riddell, Lancefield at home against Western Rams, and Melton Centrals travelling to Diggers Rest.

Netball

Romsey’s A grade netballers had the better of the visiting Diggers Rest, recording a comfortable 26-goal victory at the weekend.

The home side’s efforts were spearheaded by a strong goalscoring effort by Emma Grech, who scored 47 to contribute to Romsey’s 54-point total, and making the most of aggressive attacking play from her teammates.

The Redbacks have now recorded two wins in a row but will face tough competition in top-of-the-ladder Macedon following the league-wide bye.

Romsey’s Emma Grech scored 47 of her team’s 54-point total.

Meanwhile, Wallan was not able to build on their 10-goal victory over Diggers Rest the week before as it came up short in a 31-36 goal loss to Woodend-Hesket at the weekend.

Lancefield’s A grade side is still yet to record a win for the 2023 season, going down in a 28-goal loss to Riddell in what has been a challenging season for the Tigers so far.

Macedon was able to overcome the Western Rams to win by three points and remain at the top of the A grade ladder, tied on points with Riddell.

Romsey minutes silence 1 — Players stood for a minute’s silence in recognition of Castlemaine Under 18 footballer Dallas Keogh-Frankling who died after a match on May 27.

Old Goulburn Bridge restoration divides Mitchell Shire Council

Jordyn Grubisic

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June 9, 2023

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Old Goulburn Bridge restoration divides Mitchell Shire Council

Borrowing $3.5 million to restore Seymour’s historic Old Goulburn Bridge proved to be a divisive issue at Mitchell Shire Council’s special meeting to pass its 2023-24 Budget.

Cr David Lowe submitted an amendment to the Budget to change the council’s plan to borrow money for the bridge restoration, but instead put in grant applications for $3.5 million to minimise council borrowing.

All three south ward councillors voted for the amendment, and did not support the approval of the Budget.

Cr Lowe said as a councillor he could not support the $3.5 million borrowing but agreed the bridge was worth restoration.

“I’m all in favour of us to continue to try obtain grant funding for it,” Cr Lowe said.

“I just don’t think it’s appropriate for us to be diverting funds that should be spent on other needs within the shire to this particular project at this particular time.

“I’m sorry I just don’t think we can afford to spend $7 million on this when the Budget is in such dire strait.”

Cr Rob Eldridge said he would also like to see the bridge restored but didn’t believe it was appropriate to do so at the moment.

“As Councillor Lowe said we have roads that need repairing … I think it would be just irresponsible of us to sign this sort of money, when we can’t meet our basic duties as councillors,” he said.

Cr Rhonda Sanderson voted against the amendment, stating council had a legislated obligation under the Heritage Act 2017 and Planning and Environment Act 1987 to restore the bridge.

“The bridge is deteriorating. It is a known risk and we have a duty to address this,” she said.

“With no external funding forthcoming council has two choices to meet its obligations – council cash or borrowings and I think the most financially responsible thing is borrowing,” she said.

Cr Annie Goble said she was ‘shocked and a little bemused’ at the suggested amendment.

“The Budget has gone out to the community on two separate occasions and there has been no objections to the borrowings for the bridge,” she said.

Cr Goble said the Budget had been balanced with the borrowings factored in.

“An attempt to remove it at this stage would, I believe, be blindsiding the community,” she said.

“To put a halt to the project yet again will do further damage to our reputation and I frankly would be ashamed and quite embarrassed if that was the outcome of the Budget debate.”

Cr Louise Bannister agreed the budget was received with no community objections.

The community also raised more than $100,000 towards the project showing support.

“Within our capacity for these road projects I think we’ve allocated an adequate amount and forecasted an adequate amount for the future,” she said.

“Council has a legal responsibility to maintain this bridge and if we don’t, we may face fines in the future and no bridge to show for it. More importantly, council morally has a duty to preserve history as once it’s gone it’s gone.”

But Cr Lowe said roads remained underfunded.

“We have had reports that [the allocation] is $2 million a year less than what we need to maintain current roads in their current situation, never mind improving which the people out there are demanding that we do,” he said.

“The need for us to develop this bridge at this stage is not critical. The need for us to fill potholes in the road is critical.”

Cr Clark and Mayor Fiona Stevens voted against the amendment.

It did not pass, and the south ward councillors did not support the Budget.

“Yet again the south ward finds themselves contributing most in the rates and getting far less than they should be,” Cr Lowe said.

“I just think it’s ridiculous the way the rates are divided. A great deal of grant funding is going to other areas within the shire but we can’t rely on grant funding in the south to actually develop the facilities we need.”

Cr Eldridge said he couldn’t support the Budget with places like Seymour missing out on monetary allocations for recreation facilities.

Cr Cornish said there was not much for the south.

“People in the south need to pay a bit more attention to the Budget moving forward,” he said.

Horse care at the forefront for Project Hope

Max Davies

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June 9, 2023

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Horse care at the forefront for Project Hope

By Max Davies

WITH the welfare of both wild and domestic horses a concern for communities across the state, one group has been providing safety to the animals for the past 47 years.

Project Hope Horse Welfare Victoria, PHHWV, is a non-profit organisation that works to provide hope for horses through owner and rescuer education and advocacy, as well as rehabilitation of rescued horses.

PHHWV was founded by Val Collingwood in 1976 in response to the number of neglected horses in the country, and served as a method to coordinate the rescue and rehabilitation of horses subjected to maltreatment or abuse.

The organisation is now estimated to have about 150 horses in its care, with a wide range of members taking effective ownership of the animals while they remain in the legal possession of PHHWV.

Project Hope 2 1 — The Project Hope clinic provides an opportunity to learn about horse care techniques, as well as ways for owners to forge a connection with their animals.

Vice president Renee Neubauer, who has been involved with PHHWV for 23 years, said the organisation relied on its members to provide care for the horses rescued.

“Our members provide their properties, their skills and their knowledge to actually take in horses that have been reported to our organisation, which then go into what we call a short-term care program that identifies what their health issues are,” she said.

“There might be behavioural issues, they might be deemed a companion horse or a riding horse, they go through quite a rigorous plan.

“It’s all done to determine the best outcome for that particular horse, and from there they are put up for lease. The big difference with our organisation is that we do not sell our horses, they always remain property of Project Hope.”

Members of the organisation go through a thorough training program that teaches them how to safely rescue horses, identify any health issues, and care for them effectively once they have been cleared for lease.

The ‘boomerang policy’ employed by PHHWV means if a carer faces issues and can no longer care for the horse they have taken on, the horse can be returned to the organisation where it will be cared for before it can go to a new home.

“The community can ring in and report any concerns about a horse, and we’ll then assign one of our trained reps to go out to the property and have a discussion with the owner and we just try to work through a resolution with them,” Ms Neubauer said.

“Ultimately we would like to see that they take responsibility for their horses, but quite often they are just not really aware or don’t have the financial means to support a horse properly.”

PHHWV last month sponsored a clinic in conjunction with Shaw Horsemanship to educate riders, handlers and people interested in horses about appropriate care methods and building connections with horses through ethical teaching methods.

PHHWV has multiple events planned in the coming months, and new members are always welcome. For more information or to become a member, visit www.phhwv.org.au.

The organisation can also be contacted by calling 1300 881 606 or emailing info@phhwv.org.au.

Mitchell Shire Council Budget addresses population growth

Jordyn Grubisic

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June 9, 2023

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Mitchell Shire Council Budget addresses population growth

Mitchell Shire Council will spend $5 million on a list of community centres and $14.47 million on roads and bridges as part of its $167 million 2023-24 Budget.

Redeveloping Kilmore Senior Citizens Centre, Pyalong Kindergarten and Maternal Health Centre, Wandong Community Centre, and upgrades to RB Robson Stadium Wallan and Broadford’s Family and Children’s Centre are on the council’s agenda in 2023-24. All projects are being jointly funded with the State Government, who is providing $3.3 million in grant funding.

Council endorsed its Budget at a special council meeting on Monday, May 29, aiming to address the challenges posed by the projected tripling of the shire’s population in the next 20 years.

Mitchell Shire remains the fastest growing local government area in Victoria, and by 2041, more than 175,000 people are expected to live in Mitchell Shire.

Ratepayers face a rate rise of 3.5 per cent, as per the State Government’s cap on rate increases in 2023-24.

Individual rate bills will be affected by the State Government’s annual property revaluations.

Full-service garbage charge will increase 4.5 per cent to $514 and the optional extra recycling charge will increase by $10 to $224.

Council employee costs will increase by 12.54 per cent, equating to $4.51 million, from the 2022-2023 forecast. Council forecasts it will employ 419 full-time equivalent staff in 2023-24.

The council has forecast spending $1.2 million on footpaths and cycleways, as well as $3 million on recreational, leisure and community facilities such as the works on the lower oval at Greenhill Reserve, Wallan, and investigating an upgrade at Kilmore Leisure Centre.

Mitchell Shire Mayor Fiona Stevens said council planned to allocate nearly $240 million over the next four years, including $25.6 million in new projects in 2023-24.

“We are committed to providing the necessary resources to meet the needs of our growing community and maintain the high quality of life that our residents expect. This budget reflects our dedication to their wellbeing and a well-planned future,” she said.

“I’d like to sincerely thank the Victorian Government and the Federal Government for partnering with us to deliver many of the projects we have planned, we simply couldn’t fund them on our own at this stage in our population growth cycle.”

The Budget also includes $2.6 million for upgrades to parks, open spaces and streetscapes, with projects at Kings Park playspace in Seymour, Ryans Creek Reserve in Kilmore, and the Wallan central cycle and nature trail, in partnership with the State Government.

Cr Stevens said the budget was developed in consultation with the community, gathering valuable feedback earlier this year and through the year-round project input process.

“We’ve had great community input over the last few years including recent budget submissions, which help shape the current and future projects, both big and small, right throughout the shire,” she said.

“We work hard to develop a budget that meets priority needs across the shire and to help our community achieve their 2050 Community Vision.

50 years of Royal Australian Corps of Transport

Jordyn Grubisic

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June 9, 2023

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50 years of Royal Australian Corps of Transport

The Royal Australian Corps of Transport, RACT, hosted a commemorative parade to mark its 50th anniversary at Puckapunyal, the home of the School of Transport, on Thursday.

Australian Governor-General David Hurley attended to mark the milestone.

“We celebrate 50 years of service to our nation by [RACT] corps. We also celebrate the corps’ people, the tip of the iceberg representing generations that have served before and the contributions of their families,” Mr Hurley said.

“Fifty years ago, several thousand people gathered at Puckapunyal to mark the establishment of the RATC. It was to be a significant day in the history of the army and the Australian Defence Force.

“The upshot of that post-Vietnam reform was that the army’s capabilities were boosted. That is a credit to the army’s people and the newly-formed RATC.

“This capability has been demonstrated on every operation since that time. Members of the corps have served with distinction and honour and have played a critical enabling function for the army and the ADF in times of conflict and peace.

“I have benefited from, tasked and employed most of the corps’ capabilities during my career, always confident in the outcome.”

Army parade pic1 1 — Soldiers march with the Royal Australian Corps of Transport Princess Royal Banner, which it received in June, 2013.

RATC Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Phillipa Cleary said the parade featured soldiers of all ranks from across Australia.

“It was incredible to see what they turned around in three days. For many of the soldiers they were learning new manoeuvres,” she said.

“It was a bit white knuckle there for a while, but they pulled it together and have done a brilliant parade.

“We’ve asked a lot of them to come out here and do this, but now they’re a part of history, which is really exciting.”

Army parade pic4 1 — Soldiers in the Royal Australian Corps of Transport commemorative parade had three days to prepare their drills, with many participants coming from interstate to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

RATC formed on June 1, 1973, with an amalgamation of elements from the Royal Australian Army Service Corps and the Royal Australian Engineers Transportation Service.

Water, road, movement, air dispatch and termites are the five trades offered, and about 3200 currently serve in the corps.

Lieutenant Colonel Cleary said the corps professionalism was what she was most proud of.

“We trust soldiers and corporals, our lowest ranking people, to go and do things independently because we trust their training and we trust their professionalism. That’s an exciting thing to be able to do,” she said.

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Head of Corps and Commander of the 17th Sustainment Brigade Brigadier Natasha Ludwig said the corps had been and continued to be a vital and indispensable part of the ADF.

“This milestone is a testament to the unwavering dedication, service and commitment of the men and women who have proudly served the corps over the last 50 years,” she said.

“As the Head of Corps, it is an immense privilege and honour for me to lead such a dedicated and talented group of individuals.”

New equipment purchased over the past four years has replaced the 1980s legacy fleet.

Army parade pic3 1 — A collection of current and decommissioned vehicles were on display for attendees to see up close.

Installation of cupolas was a significant change that allows soldiers to stand out of a vehicle armed with a gun for protection.

“We must change our mindset about vehicle operation. Now we are responsible for our own protection, and we need to make sure we are tactically adept and able to operate safely in an environment of threat,” Lieutenant Colonel Cleary said.

“We’re soldiers first so that tactical proficiency is what we’re really targeting now.”

Autonomous vehicle trials using leader-follower technology are also occurring at Puckapunyal.

“The truck will be manned and the trucks following will be remote controlled. You’re not putting soldiers unnecessarily in an environment of threat,” Lieutenant Colonel Cleary said.

“Technology is amazing and it’s coming. It’s really an exciting time to be in army because there’s so many capabilities coming down and we feel lucky to be a part of it.”

Cross country takes to Kilmore Racecourse

Lauren Duffy

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June 9, 2023

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Cross country takes to Kilmore Racecourse

KILMORE Racecourse played host to the Woodlands and Whittlesea Division Cross Country Championships last week, welcoming students from multiple primary schools across Victoria attemping to progress to the next round of competition.

Organised by School Sport Victoria, SSV, the event marked the first primary division cross country competition to be run at Kilmore Racecourse and use its full-length horse racing track to form either a two-kilometre or three-kilometre course for the various age groups.

Twelve different races were run for children aged from nine to 13, with the top 12 placegetters in each race securing a spot in the Northern Metropolitan Primary Cross Country Championships on June 14 – also planned for Kilmore Racecourse.

Kilmore Racing Club marketing and partnerships manager Lindsey Melis said the club had a strong interest in hosting the events since they were first approached about the Northern Metropolitan Championships.

“[SSV] contacted us and just said that they were looking for a new venue and being a community club, we were more than happy to jump on board and offer our track,” she said.

“Once we had started planning for the Northern Metropolitan, the organiser of the Woodlands and Whittlesea Primary Division contacted us and said they would also like to use the track.”

Ms Melis said hosting the events gave the racecourse a chance to bring the large cross country community to Kilmore and show off the club’s facilities, with Trackside and the grandstand opened to accommodate athletes, parents and officials.

“A lot of people think that running a circle isn’t really cross country, but we’ve got a decent slope on our track that gives them a little bit of a hike uphill. It doesn’t look like much, but it certainly is once you’re on there,” she said.

“The ground isn’t totally flat, so they’re definitely having to pay attention to where they’re going, which sort of gives that cross country feel – it’ll be a good challenge.

“Because you can see them all the way around [the course], the parents get to get involved and cheer the kids on too.”

Five generations gather at Broadford

Pam Kiriakidis

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June 9, 2023

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By Pam Kiriakidis

BROADFORD residents Paul Phillips and his wife Raelene watched their grandchild Theodore meet his great-great grandmother for the first time – a gathering of five generations for the family.

Mr Phillips, who felt it was rare for five generations to meet, said the day was spent at his son’s house in Broadford, as well as enjoying a meal at a local hotel.

He said great-great grandmother Dot, Raelene’s grandmother, was thrilled to bits when baby Theodore was in her presence.

“She was over the moon when she saw the little one for the first time. She had a hold of him, and a cuddle, and you couldn’t take the smile off her face,” he said.

Great great grandmother Dot and Theodore 1 1 — Great-great grandmother Dot meets baby Theodore for the first time in Broadford.

Mr Phillips said he cherished the afternoon where his son and wife’s family spent quality time together.

“I know how important it is because I never had much of a family life I guess when growing up. I want them, [my children], to have that, and have the aunties, uncles and grandparents,” he said.

Mr Phillips met the love of his love Raelene at a gathering in Coburg, and learnt that she was from the Kyabram area, where her family moved generations ago from Hahndorf, South Australia, and prior, Germany on her father’s side.

At the time, Mrs Phillips was entering her childhood education career and about to move to Queensland, but the couple’s lives changed when they were expecting their first child about 12 months after meeting.

“We sort of lived at a place in Melbourne for a little while then we got things sorted out and we ended up buying a house in Wallan and … it might have been roughly mid-1990s,” Mr Phillips said.

The family of three lived in Wallan for seven years, adding two more children to the household, then moved to Broadford in 2002.

“We played a lot of sports – they played cricket, rode motorbikes, we’re fortunate enough to have a house in Broadford on two acres. There was plenty of room at the back and we did all sorts of sports at the back,” he said.

While living in the Mitchell Shire, Mr Phillips said the family visited his wife’s side in the Kyabram area on special occasions to continue the family values.

Mr Phillips said all three of his adult sons embraced his teachings of the word family.

“One of the things that I was trying to teach [my boys] was about family values, about how to be kind to people,” he said.

“The three of them are very respectful, we get a lot of comments, especially as the boys were becoming teenagers and young men. The comments we would get from other people were how respectful they are, and how kind and generous.”

Stair challenge training commences for Mitchell firefighters

Max Davies

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June 9, 2023

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Stair challenge training commences for Mitchell firefighters

By Max Davies

TRAINING has begun for 18 Mitchell Shire firefighters ahead of the annual Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb to raise funds for various health and emergency services foundations.

Planned for September 2, the stair climb will see participants from across Australia scale 28 floors of Melbourne’s Crown Metropol while wearing up to 25 kilograms of firefighting equipment.

The Mitchell Shire group has set a fundraising goal of $25,000, in support of the $700,000 total outlined for the stair climb that will go towards the 000 Foundation, Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation and Lifeline.

Mitchell Shire group coordinator Matt McLaughlin, who is also a firefighter with Hilldene Fire Brigade, said he was excited to see multiple local firefighters engaged with the cause.

“I thought ‘hey, why not get our guys amongst it?’ so I got everyone together and basically said ‘let’s get this done’ and we got strong interest,” he said.

“We got 17 or 18 firefighters involved. It’s the first time I’ve coordinated it, and there’s a fair bit to do but it’s worth every bit of time to be a part of it.”

A range of businesses in the Mitchell Shire have thrown their support behind the group’s efforts, including Beer Auto Group, Seymour and Kilmore Toyota, Central Ford and Seymour Tyre and Mechanical.

Some of the businesses, including Linfox in Sunbury, are stockpiling vehicle batteries that will be recycled at Kidd Metals in Campbellfield, who will then donate $600 per tonne of batteries recycled.

Body Fit Training in Seymour has also provided a location for the firefighters to train over coming months.

“We do weekly training sessions as a group, so we plan on getting out and around the community and not even just in our community,” Mr McLaughlin said.

“We’re going to go to Bendigo to use a tower they’ve got there, there’s a Telstra tower in Shepparton we will use so we can start climbing stairs. We want to start getting out and seeing our local area as well so that’s what we’re going to do over the next couple of weeks.

“We want to keep that community engagement and get the community on board and say ‘hey look, this is what we’re doing, this is what your firefighters are doing’.”

For more information or to donate to the cause or a specific firefighter, people can visit .