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Basketball rivalry renewed in Mitchell Shire

Lauren Duffy
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Basketball rivalry renewed in Mitchell Shire

By Colin MacGillivray

MITCHELL Shire’s two Country Basketball League teams renewed their rivalry in Wallan on Saturday night, with the Seymour Blasters and Wallan Panthers winning one game each.

The Blasters entered as the reigning champions in both the men’s and women’s north-east division competitions, but were defeated handily in the opening game against Wallan’s women.

The Panthers looked sharp from the opening tip, scoring freely and restricting the Blasters at the other end of the court to race to a 42-14 half time lead.

Wallan could seemingly do no wrong, with Carley Cranston and Kaitlyn Bickerton each scoring 24 points to lead the team, and Ruby Pantisano hitting four three-pointers on her way to 18.

Melissa Buckley added a handy 10 points, while Madison Tinetti, Chloe Mott, Nicola Stewart and Katarina Kekez helped round out the team’s 91 points.

For Seymour, only college-bound guard Maddison Ford was able to record a double-digit scoring total with 12 points, while Jasmine Hunter had eight, Katelyn Russell had seven and Kasey Lennox had six.

The 97-37 thumping dislodged the previously undefeated Blasters from top spot on the ladder, while Wallan moved up to fourth place with the percentage-boosting win.

Seymour will attempt to bounce back against the Wangaratta Warriors at home at 5.30pm on Saturday, while Wallan has a bye.

It was a different story in the men’s game, with Seymour running away after a tight first quarter to win 78-47 against a young Wallan squad.

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Blasters coach Craig Hockley said Seymour’s defensive intensity after quarter time helped wear down the Panthers and led to easy scoring opportunities in transition.

“It was a tough win. We had to really grind it out,” he said.

“Wallan is a very young team but they were really competitive. It was our experience and bigger bodies in the end that took a toll on them.

“Our defensive effort went up after quarter time, which then generated offense. We kept them to seven points in the second quarter and we were able to then generate some layups out of our defensive efforts.”

Seymour’s balanced scoring attack was led by Harry Stones with 14 points, while Tyler Best had 13 and Jack Murphy had 11. All but two of the Blasters players scored in the game – something Hockley labelled one of the team’s strengths.

“We’ve had four games now and we’ve had four different guys lead us in scoring each game,” he said.

“Then we have other contributors as well, so we’re not reliant on any one or two players to score our points. We really go 10, 11 or 12 deep.”

Wallan, by contrast, was led by Ryan Philippe’s 23-point performance, while the rest of the team struggled to generate consistent offense.

The Panthers’ men will travel to Mansfield on Saturday as they attempt to correct course against the Eagles, while the Blasters will host Wangaratta at Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre from 7.30pm.

Engaging with nature at City of Whittlesea festival

The North Central Review
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Engaging with nature at City of Whittlesea festival

People can learn about nature with the City of Whittlesea’s Community Environment Festival at Lauries Field, Doreen.

The festival is focused on teaching all ages about the municipality’s environment through engaging activities such as nature-based games, a live butterfly display and other science activities.

In addition to the activities, there will be a range of stalls to educate visitors on how to protect and restore the planet, the importance of recycling, and how to improve people’s carbon footprint.

For a gold donation, participants can receive a barbecued sausage or a hot drink through the Scouts.

The free event will be from 11am to 3pm on Sunday November 20, at Lauries Field, Brookwood Avenue, Doreen.

For more information, people can visit whittlesea.vic.gov.au/events.

Kilmore Cup this Sunday

Lauren Duffy
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Kilmore Cup this Sunday

KILMORE Racing Club chief executive Ben Murphy and his team are hoping the weather gods will be kind to them in preparation for Sunday’s running of the $200,000 bet365 Kilmore Cup.

The club is looking forward to attracting a top class field for the listed 1600-metre race given the injection of added prizemoney.

Last year’s winner, Bendigo galloper Hi Stranger, is trying to make it back-to-back Kilmore Cup wins.

The then five-year-old Zoffany gelding, trained by Shane Fliedner, comfortably defeated Imperial Lad and Tibetan.

Fliedner said he would have to find another rider as regular hoop Damien Thornton is currently suspended.

Hi Stranger is in form, having come from the rear of the field in last month’s Seymour Cup run at Bendigo to place third to the South Australian galloper Noname Lane and Just Folk, beaten only by a half-length.

“He just falls short of top class but he is an ideal country cup horse,” Fliedner said.

Hi Stranger has won eight races with 14 minor placings from his 50 starts.

The Bendigo galloper Just Folk and the Lindsay Park Racing veteran, So Si Bon, both scratched from last Saturday’s Cranbourne Cup, a 1600-metre race, are also likely to take the field.

Liberal pledge for new Whittlesea police station

The North Central Review
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Liberal pledge for new Whittlesea police station

By Colin MacGillivray

The Liberal Party has vowed to build a new $35 million police station in the Whittlesea township if the Coalition forms government at this month’s state election.

Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell and candidate for Yan Yean Richard Welch announced the funding last week, claiming the new station would operate 24 hours a day.

The existing station was built in the 1960s and Ms Lovell said it was inadequate for modern policing needs, with no disabled access or private interview rooms and asbestos lining the walls.

“The Whittlesea Police Station has outlived its useable life span … and our police deserve better,” she said.

“There is very little privacy for interviewing people if they are reporting a domestic violence incident or a sexual assault.”

The Liberal-Nationals Coalition pledged $2 million to refurbish the existing station at the 2018 state election, but Mr Welch said the opposition decided to increase its commitment to build a new, modern station.

“This is a classic example of us listening to the community. The community have been asking for reinvestment into the station, because the Whittlesea Police Station is a paint-peeling weatherboard house, completely inadequate to the needs of a growing community,” he said.

“This is a case of responding not only to the immediate needs of the community, but having a forward-looking view as our population doubles.”

Ms Lovell said having a police station open at all hours would benefit the community.

“When Mernda [Police Station] was built [in 2017] there was concern Labor was going to close down the Whittlesea station altogether,” she said.

“Having a police station open 24 hours is very important for a community that is a little bit remote. There was a lot of rural theft there a little while ago, and without a 24-7 presence it takes a long time for police to get there after hours.

“This will be a real bonus for the Whittlesea community and help people to feel more secure and safer.”

Mr Welch said he was unsure of how many officers would occupy the new station and that the police union would dictate staffing matters.

Shadow Police Minister Brad Battin said Labor had broken an election promise to upgrade the Whittlesea Police Station in 2018.

“Whittlesea can’t afford another four years of neglect,” he said.

Vet association outlines election priorities

The North Central Review
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Vet association outlines election priorities

The Australian Veterinary Association, AVA, is calling on the next State Government to support three key areas important to the veterinary profession.

The AVA want essential veterinary services for the public good to be resourced to become sustainable; the protection of mental health of the veterinary profession; and animal care and protection legislation modernised.

The AVA is asking the State Government to commit to planning for and allocating adequate funds to veterinary services in areas of public need, such as animal welfare, biosecurity, animal population control, care of wildlife and emergency care of animals in natural disasters.

Private veterinarians service animal health and welfare across Victoria, and through their daily work generate a multitude of public benefits at their own cost, such as caring for un-owned sick and injured animals including wildlife, subsidised desexing and surveillance for the early detection emergency animal diseases.

AVA Victorian Division president Dr Hugh Millar said that expectation was not sustainable and had compounded issues within the profession while contributing to the skills shortage being experienced by the industry.

“It is no surprise that veterinarians, and now veterinary nurses, are included as occupations that are assessed as being in shortage in the 2022 Skills Priority List report,” he said.

“People are leaving the veterinary profession because it’s not sustainable, that is, they feel they can’t make a valuable contribution and at the same time safeguard their own health and welfare.

“Day to day this looks like long hours, lack of flexibility, high educational debt that is difficult to pay back with current low wages.”

One of the issues the veterinary profession is facing is poor mental health from, in part, providing the high-quality services needed, with inadequate resources.

“The research tells us that vets have a higher rate of mental health issues compared to the general public, and we are calling on the Victorian government to provide mental health support directly to the veterinary profession,” he said.

The AVA supports reform of the state’s animal welfare legislation to responsibly modernise aspects of the existing Act and is calling for the alignment of animal welfare and veterinary legislation so that only qualifications, skills and competencies determine who may perform ‘veterinary competencies’.

“Only this will make sure that all animals and the public are protected and safe from animal welfare harms and zoonotic disease,” Dr Millar said.

Edgar’s Mission piglet finds forever home

The North Central Review
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Edgar’s Mission piglet finds forever home

Remember Colin, the piglet who fell off the back of a ute and was rescued by his namesake?

The little fellow may have lost a toe, but he has well and truly landed on his trotters in a loving home with his new best buddy Moby.

Colin featured on the Review’s front page earlier this year, outlining the work of Lancefield’s Edgar’s Mission animal sanctuary.

Colin became part of a growing rescue crew at Jess and Amy’s property in May.

He joined his new brother and best friend, Moby Wilbur, who had come to Jess and Amy as a four-week-old abandoned piglet, as a ‘short-term’, emergency foster.

“After spending just a few hours with Moby, experiencing just how beautiful, intelligent, loving and full of personality these gorgeous animals are, there was to be nothing ‘short term’ about his stay with us,” Amy said.

“After reaching out to [Edgar’s Mission founder] Pam Ahern to provide the best advice on how to care for our four-week-old piglet we learned of Colin, a piglet of a similar age who had just come into the care of Edgar’s Mission.”

Fast forward a few months and Colin and Moby are now happily snooting their way around their new home and the hearts of their mums.

“With his delightful curls, pink snout and flowing trot, Colin is the most adorable and loving pig,” Jess said.

“He is such an easy-going member of the family. He pretty much finds joy in everything in life including belly rubs, piggy salads – even when his brother pushes him out of the way, Colin swiftly stockpiles as much sweet potato and pumpkin into his mouth as possible and makes a lofty getaway, scratching his whole body against our legs, back, arms or any unsuspecting part of our body, posing for selfies and burying himself under fresh bedding.

“Trying to imagine a life without a pig – especially our two perfect boys – is impossible.

“We are so grateful to have the opportunity to share our lives with these beautiful beings and feel so grateful to Edgar’s Mission for once again entrusting us with one of their animals.”

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Cricketers celebrate as two-day games return

Lauren Duffy
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Cricketers celebrate as two-day games return

By Colin MacGillivray

TEAMS across the Gisborne and District Cricket Association are eagerly anticipating the return of two-day matches starting this weekend after a delayed start to the season.

Wet conditions saw the cancellation of the association’s first four rounds, with games not played until earlier this month.

In the top-flight McIntyre Cup competition, Romsey got off to a brilliant start with an away win against Woodend followed by a home victory against Rupertswood at the weekend.

Corey Day was the star of the show, ripping through the Rupertswood top order to take the first five wickets of the day and following it up with 30 runs as Romsey chased down the visitors’ 117 total inside 29 overs and with five wickets to spare.

Redbacks captain Ben Way said Day had taken his opportunity ‘with both hands’ after being called up to the McIntyre Cup side.

“It was Corey’s first wicket in McIntyre Cup cricket, and he ended up taking five,” Way said.

“It was a bit dewy in the morning and it took a bit of time to clear, so we went away from our seam bowlers and went to our spinners quite early on. It built a lot of pressure and then all of a sudden wickets started to tumble.

“Corey took the first five wickets and then ran out of overs, otherwise we would have kept bowling him.”

After Day’s 5-17 from nine overs, Jake Way cleaned up the tail end with 4-26.

A measured run chase saw Adam Frost, 20, Day, 30 and Way, 29 not out, consistently chipping away at the total required.

Way said he was pleased with the performance of each of his bowlers and looked forward to the return of two-day cricket against Wallan starting on Saturday.

“These will be the first two-day matches in a number of years, so everyone is pretty keen,” he said.

“We love our two-day cricket and we’ve got a lot of players who would rather play two-day cricket than one-day cricket.

“Both our batters and bowlers are looking forward to getting more opportunities than you get in one-dayers to bat for a long period of time and bowl some longer spells.

“We played Wallan in the first final last year. They’ve obviously got a pretty solid team and we’ll have to play well to win.”

Wallan enters this weekend after a 40-run loss to Woodend on Saturday, with Campbell Fowler’s team-best 4-47 bowling figures and Kieran Atkin’s 80 runs at the top of the order not enough to guide the Magpies to victory.

In the second-tier Johnstone Shield competition, Kilmore played a thriller against Bacchus Marsh, losing by one wicket at home on Saturday.

The Blues batted first after winning the toss and made a promising start through openers Kevin Craddock, 32, and Ashley Lovick, 11, before a succession of quick wickets left the team 5-68.

Ben Dawson’s middle-order 31 steadied the side, but partners kept falling around him as Kilmore was bowled out for 117.

Skipper Josh Buttler nearly helped his side to a remarkable victory with 5-22 with ball in hand. Bacchus Marsh was down to its final wicket but knocked in its 118th run with two overs to spare.

Buttler said Kilmore had plenty of upside as it looked towards its upcoming two-day match against Romsey.

“The weather has been a bit of an ordeal to begin the season, but it’s been good to finally start,” he said.

“We’re 1-1 so it’s not all doom and gloom. I don’t think we played anywhere near our best this weekend but we still got close and managed to make it a tight game.

“I’d like our chances next time around. I think we’ve got a lot of improvement to come, and hopefully that shows in the next few weeks and the back end of the season.”

Seymour District Cricket Association’s A and B grade games were washed out but C grade matches were played on Saturday.

Crime Stoppers’ call to help to stop illegal wildlife trade

The North Central Review
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Crime Stoppers’ call to help to stop illegal wildlife trade

Crime Stoppers Victoria is urging the community to beware and speak up about the trade of illegal wildlife and exotic pests through its ‘Don’t Buy In’ campaign.

The joint campaign with the Conservation Regulator and Agriculture Victoria aims to stop people buying pets that have been illegally brought into the country or taken from the wild.

“It is illegal to buy and sell exotic animals or to acquire native wildlife through unofficial channels in Victoria,” Crime Stoppers Victoria chief executive Stella Smith said.

The animals are often sold through online marketplaces and by word of mouth, with many people unsure about the animal’s history or legality.  

“Native Australian animals are essential to sustaining our local ecosystems and while it’s not always illegal to own a native animal, we want to remind all Victorians to purchase them responsibly and have the right licence,” chief conservation regulator Kate Gavens said.

Animals taken from their native environments and illegally trafficked for profit are often bound, gagged, and shipped with limited air, food, and water, which many do not survive.

Australia’s shingleback lizards are one of the most heavily trafficked Australian species, selling for thousands of dollars overseas and often subjected to dreadful trafficking conditions because of the demand.

Exotic pests, such as reptiles, are also imported from overseas, and then used for breeding and trading in Victoria.

An example of this is the Red-eared Slider Turtle, which can cause significant damage to fragile ecosystems by killing or competing with native species and spreading new diseases, which in some instances has led to the extinction of native animals.

Biosecurity risks from exotic pests and diseases also pose a threat to Victoria’s $17.5 billion food and fibre sector.

“Exotic pest animals aren’t pets. The illegal pet trade is one of the two main pathways of entry into Victoria for exotic pest animals,” Agriculture Victoria acting biosecurity manager Miranda Green said.

Online marketplaces, such as Facebook and Gumtree, have made the illegal sale of native animals and exotic pests easier and many Victorians are caught out unintentionally buying illegally sourced animals.

“Don’t buy into the illegal wildlife trade and don’t support dodgy dealers. Make sure you do your research before you buy any animal and always check the animal’s condition and the seller’s licence,” Ms Smith said.

“Native wildlife must be bought from a licensed breeder, not taken from the wild. Anyone caught breaking the law will face serious consequences.”

Penalties for illegally acquiring native wildlife in Victoria can result in $40,000 in fines and up to two years in jail. Penalties for buying and selling exotic animals can result in $210,000 in fines or up to two years in prison.

If something feels suspicious or people have information relating to the trade of native wildlife and exotic pests, share with Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestoppersvic.com.au. 

$5 million Labor pledge for Greenhill Reserve

The North Central Review
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$5 million Labor pledge for Greenhill Reserve

Labor has made a $5 million pledge to a stadium and aquatics centre project at Wallan’s Greenhill Reserve if re-elected in the upcoming state election.

Labor candidate for Kalkallo Ros Spence on Wednesday announced $5 million for stage one of the Greenhill Recreation Precinct project, set to deliver an integrated facility for stadium sports, gymnastics and aquatics.

The precinct will also include accessible facilities catering to people of all abilities, including sensory rooms.

Ms Spence said the funding would help support growing communities in Wallan and Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

“Labor understands that local sporting clubs are at the heart of communities like Wallan,” she said.

“We’re proud to be injecting new life into local communities by delivering more modern, accessible infrastructure and facilities.”

Ms Spence also announced Labor would invest up to $50,000 towards a masterplan for a new recreation reserve for Beveridge.

The masterplan will guide the future use and development of the reserve, which will support the growing community.

New roundabout set for Wandong Road intersection

The North Central Review
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New roundabout set for Wandong Road intersection

Pre-construction and service relocation works on a multi-million-dollar upgrade at the intersection of the Northern Highway and Wandong Road, south of Kilmore, have begun.

Plans for the intersection include a new dual-lane roundabout aiming to reduce the risk of crashes and improve traffic flow, specifically for oversize and over mass vehicles that rely on the road for agricultural businesses.

Construction is planned to start in 2023.

The roundabout has been designed to be integrated into a future Kilmore bypass.

The State Government will work with Mitchell Shire Council to examine design and landscaping options for the location – a main entry point to Kilmore.

Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the initiative was to ensure all road users were safe when travelling on regional roads.

“We are continuing to invest in the regional road network and this project will greatly improve safety, reduce wait times and improve traffic flow for all road users at this busy intersection,” she said.

For more information about the project, head to regionalroads.vic.gov.au and search for ‘Northern Highway’.

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