Importance of Whittlesea community strengthened
THE Rotary Club of Whittlesea earlier this month hosted a dinner meeting for members of community’s service clubs and organisations to get together and connect.
Representatives from Victoria Police, including community liaison officer acting sergeant Lee Smith, as well as members of the Country Fire Authority, Country Women’s Association, State Emergency Service, Whittlesea Agricultural Society, Lions and Rotary were in attendance.
A spokesperson from the Rotary Club of Whittlesea said it was clear there was a strong sense of community in Whittlesea.
“The groups and organisations represented at this special night, work side-by-side with the other groups in attendance, assisting each other in any manner of ways, including with financial support,” they said.
“There is no doubt our community is a safer and better place due to the interdependence of all of these groups, many of whom are volunteer groups.”
Each speaker on the night detailed the activities they were involved in, who they assisted and how they benefitted from the other groups in the area.
A speaker of note was Victoria Police Legacy chief executive and ex-detective Lex De Man, who spoke about his time as a detective in the police.
Mr De Man was involved in an investigation into ‘The Family’, a cult in Victoria’s Fernery Creek in the 1970s led by a lady who acquired children from cult members and by irregular adoption processes.
After she and her husband were found in the USA by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mr De Man travelled to extradite her back to Melbourne where she could not be convicted on a major crime and only received a fine, to the distress of Mr De Man and his team.
Mr De Man shared his experience as someone who was personally involved and invested in the case and reiterated the importance of community and working together for the good of everyone.
The Rotary Club of Whittlesea plans to keep regular communication between all groups who attended the night to further build on the community spirit.
Vietnam veterans remembered by Whittlesea RSL
WHITTLESEA Return and Services League, RSL, sub-branch will this week hold a remembrance ceremony for Vietnam Veteran’s Day.
Visitors are invited to assemble at Whittlesea’s Vietnam Cross at 4.45pm for a 5pm start on Thursday, with an introduction to be presented by Peter Crook.
Following will be a Prayer of Remembrance, a welcome and dedication by RSL president Emmanuel Panuzzo, Long Tan Cross, Vietnam War, and a prayer of honour, all presented by various speakers.
A wreath laying will then be followed by a Last Post and a final prayer, with the ceremony to be concluded with the Australian National Anthem.
Whittlesea’s Vietnam Cross is located on the corner of Forest and Walnut streets and all are welcome to attend.
Wellbeing and resilience a focus for Edgars Creek Primary School students
EDGARS Creek Primary School students last week participated in an event aimed at improving wellbeing and resilience in response to natural disasters and global challenges.
As part of the Junior Landcare Resilience program in partnership with the Lendlease Aurora community, students and staff participated in a morning of activities guided by the principles of being, doing and creating through the Blue-banded Bee Resilience Pilot Project at the school.
Landcare Australia environmental grants and volunteering project manager Angela Snowdon said the program used a unique approach to enhance learning and understanding of the environment.
“The Junior Landcare Resilience workshop program uses a holistic approach to enhance learning, appreciation and understanding of the environment to create a stronger connection to place and improve mental health and wellbeing,” she said.
“From yoga activities to develop mindfulness and movement to encourage physical resilience, to planning out and planting a blue banded bee garden to encourage teamwork and decision-making, the morning brought together students and partners to inspire what we hope will be ongoing activities at the school.”
The Merri Creek Management Committee also attended to provide students with plant education, making connections between the resilience of nature and people.
Artist Tinika Clifford also worked with students to create their own designs together to fulfil the creating element of the program, as well as to recognise International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Edgars Creek Primary School principal Ann Turner-Calleri said it was a good opportunity for students to understand the historical value of the Wollert area.
“It is important for us that our school and students celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the area and the significant local flora and fauna,” she said.
The school is now looking to using the garden and activities learnt to encourage deeper connections with First Nations perspectives and the local environment for long-term resilience building among its students.
Pool politics at Mernda Regional Sports and Aquatic Facility
By Colin MacGillivray
FORMER City of Whittlesea Mayor Lawrie Cox is afraid the $180 million Mernda Regional Sports and Aquatic Facility will become a white elephant, expressing doubts about council’s ability to fund its construction and ongoing maintenance.
Mr Cox, who was a member of council until its dismissal by the State Government in March 2020, said a business case for the Plenty Road facility approved by administrators at last month’s council meeting was ‘not sound’ because it relied on $80 million of external funding.
He said the project would cripple council’s ability to deliver sports infrastructure in other parts of the municipality.
“Constructing a pool is not simply a click of the fingers, it’s a fairly expensive exercise,” he said.
“What the previous council was concerned about was that the cost of one facility was going to asset strip all other areas. The cost then was talked about as $113 million, and it’s now come out at $180 million.
“You can’t build other facilities if you’re pouring all the money into that.”
The business case, prepared by Deloitte Australia, recommends the project be delivered in three stages, with stage one – site establishment and detailed design – already underway.
Stage two includes the construction of six indoor sports courts and eight outdoor netball courts, along with detailed design for aquatic and leisure components, and is set to begin in 2024-25.
Stage three involves building a 50-metre pool and several other fitness and leisure pools, along with a gym, a spa and sauna, and consulting suites. Construction on stage three is slated to begin in 2027-28.
Mr Cox expressed doubts the state and federal governments would come to council’s aid with funding pledges for the facility in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, there has been some election commitments to recreation centres at both a state and federal level in the lead-up to respective elections.
But Mr Cox said framing the facility as a regional centre was ‘rubbish’ and council should prioritise other sports facilities ahead of swimming.
“When I was a councillor we had 5000 people looking for court space for netball and basketball. You don’t have that sort of demand for swimming, and I’m saying that as a past Swimming Victoria president and past Swimming Australia board member,” he said.
“I don’t oppose courts being developed there, because we do need these sorts of facilities, but we also need them in other parts of our municipality.
“The Epping North-Wollert area is developing far more rapidly in population size than Mernda. People in that area are starting to say ‘where are the community sports facilities up here?’ There are none [planned] for the next 10 years.
“We also need renewal on facilities in areas further south like Lalor, Thomastown and Bundoora.”
Mr Cox said the long-term maintenance of the facility would drain council resources.
“I’d dearly love a pool, don’t get me wrong, but … the ongoing costs are horrendous. I was involved in the construction of [the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre], and the ongoing costs there are huge,” he said.
“We didn’t even use the pool that [former Premier Jeff] Kennett built using money from the casino. There was an outdoor pool that made a great duck heater but wasn’t used for much else.”
City of Whittlesea chair administrator Lydia Wilson said staging the project would spread the cost over several years, ensuring council could continue to deliver other infrastructure across the city.
“We are a growing municipality, and we need to ensure that we can meet the needs of communities across our established, new and rural areas – both now and in years to come,” she said.
“To deliver this project we need to secure the support of the federal and state governments and we are strongly advocating to both levels of government to contribute significant funding to deliver this much-needed facility.”
Ms Wilson said council had endorsed $48 million for the delivery of stage two, contingent on securing additional external funding of $40 million.
Administrator Peita Duncan said the project would not compromise council’s ability to deliver infrastructure.
“Council is currently developing its Long-Term Community Infrastructure Strategy to ensure we have a pipeline of community infrastructure projects ready to deliver over the next 20 years,” she said.
“The strategy will be underpinned by several principles, including equity of infrastructure across council’s established, growth and rural areas.”
Railway track projects in development
The Australian Rail Track Corporation, ARTC, will undertake two separate rail work projects over the next five weeks to improve safety and reliability.
Maintenance and drainage work at South Dynon is now occurring until August 26, enhancing reliability for V/Line passenger rail services travelling on the north east rail to Albury.
ARTC will then start the next annual maintenance program works between September 3 and 5.
V/Line and NSW TrainLink XPT passenger train services between Melbourne and Albury will run as coaches during the works. Passengers are encouraged to check the V/Line and transport for NSW websites for service disruptions.
ARTC asset maintenance services general manager Costas Kokkoni said the works would benefit rail services in the long run.
“These works will bring long term benefits and improvements for passenger rail services between Melbourne and Albury,” he said.
“The maintenance program and other urgent works require track closures to allow access to the tracks for works that cannot be done safely when trains are running.”
More information about passenger services and replacement coaches in Victoria can be found at www.vline.com.au/Timetables/Service-changes or www.transportnsw.info/regional for NSW TrainLink services.
More information about upcoming works is available on the ARTC website. People can also contact ARTC Enviroline on 1300 550 402 or email enviroline@artc.com.au if they have questions.
Wallan East students help the environment
Students from Our Lady of The Way Catholic Primary School in Wallan East planted trees on school grounds last week as part of National Tree Day.
Grade fives and six students stepped out of the classroom, rotating from the school’s veggie garden to planting about 80 native trees to learning how the environment is a fragile ecosystem.
The primary school partnered with Mitchell Shire Council and Merri Creek Landcare to teach the students about the flora and fauna they are contributing to.
Mitchell Shire environment coordinator Elyse Kelly talked to the students, showing different species of native plants for students to think about how they grow and adapt to the environment.
“They are happy to be outside getting their hands dirty and doing something that they will know will have longevity in the playground. We spoke about how big some of these trees will grow and the flowers that will come in the springtime,” she said.
“We spoke about different animals, flora and fauna in Wallan in particular, and how this school and this whole area is built on the remnants of the Hernes swamp.”
Grade five and six teacher Mark van Zyl said students were excited to plant trees, taking on an opportunity to learn outside the classroom.
“We need to do more of it I think, the hands-on stuff, and that’s the way they’re going to create memories forever. I hope they can take it back home and look after their gardens at home a little bit more too,” he said.
“To take responsibility now to clean our grounds and hopefully then they will take pride in it and continue doing it. As leaders of the school too, it’s their job to teach others.”
Upper Merri Creek landcare facilitator Chris Cobern also participated in the school’s National Tree Day activity, informing the students about the rare birds and animals within the area.
“By revegetating this area here, the kids learn about types of plants and purposes these plants have in the environment,” he said.
Historic trams vandalised
By Pam Kiriakidis
The Tramway Heritage Centre at Bylands was vandalised and graffitied on August 7, damaging two trams and other buildings.
Centre volunteers reported the vandalism to police after arriving at the centre at about 12.30pm on the Sunday.
They provided police with CCTV footage that showed three people on site at 3am on August 7, leaving at about 4.30am, without leaving any evidence on site.
Police are now investigating.
Tramway Museum Society of Victoria secretary Graham Jordan said two major trams that sat outside the sheds were graffitied – a red Adelaide H class tram the heritage centre was restoring, and a 1976 vintage Melbourne Z class tram.
Mr Jordan expressed his frustration, and said most people did not realise that the heritage centre was a voluntary not-for-profit organisation.
“We are very disappointed and disheartened, because people don’t seem to understand, people seem to be under the misapprehension that the museum at Bylands is a government run facility, where the government is storing their old trams – that is not the case,” he said.
“Everything you see there – the museum had to do and work for themselves.
“We’ve got a couple of big projects planned for the next 12 months to enhance our site and to enhance our visitor facility, and we’ve now got to take away funding away from that.”
Mr Graham purchased the site in 1970, investing his time in restoring historical trams for the centre and the public to appreciate.
The centre opens to the public two Sundays a month.
He said as the Mitchell Shire area grew in population, there seemed to be more instances of theft and vandalism.
Last year in September, the centre was burgled with offenders stealing about 500 metres of copper wire from one of the tram lines.
Mr Graham said the heritage centre was for the community to appreciate the historic pieces, and was one of the few major attractions at the south end of the shire.
Animal advocate endorsed as candidate
The Animal Justice Party has endorsed Kyneton’s Georgie Purcell as the lead Upper House candidate for Northern Victoria at the November state election.
Ms Purcell is an animal rescuer who lives in Kyneton with 16 rescued sheep, three horses, a 42-year-old donkey, four ex-puppy farm dogs and four rescue cats. She works as chief of staff to Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick.
She is passionate about ending recreational duck shooting, protecting wildlife, creating a new position of Minister for Animal Protection, incentivising plant-based agriculture and improving affordability and accessibility of veterinary services.
Prior to working in parliament, Georgie was a union official. She is also a qualified lawyer.
As well as her passion for animal protection, she cares about job security, improving access to abortion and other health services in regional areas and the representation of young women in political systems.
“After four years working in the Victorian Parliament, I’ve seen the change we can make by having one representative for animals. With even more, the Animal Justice Party will be a stronger political force for animals, people and the planet,” she said.
“Despite so many political decisions impacting young people and women, we are still under-represented in political systems. I want young women like myself to be able to see themselves in politics.”
“Millennials like myself are often given a rough go – but we are actually more politically engaged than ever. We just aren’t truly represented in the halls of power.”
“More and more Victorian voters are losing faith in the major parties and are seeking an alternative. When elected, I will work pragmatically with the government to improve the lives of animals and people in our region.”
Free masks available
Free N95 and KN95 masks will be available from Kilmore District Health, Seymour Health and Nexus Primary Health’s Wallan Respiratory Clinic for the next four to six weeks.
Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas expect to see more than three million masks distributed via state-run testing sites and community health services.
The State Government program will make one box of 10 N95 masks available to every person who presents for either a free rapid antigen or PCR test.
In the City of Whittlesea, the free masks will also be available at DPV Health’s Mill Park Respiratory Clinic and First People’s Health and Wellbeing’s Thomastown Respiratory Clinic.
The government anticipate the free masks will help protect vulnerable community members and reduce transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.
“Providing masks free of charge to those who need them most will help them protect themselves, their loved ones, and Victoria’s hardworking healthcare workers,” Mr Andrews said.
Free masks will also be distributed across the public transport network, available from PTV hubs, staffed train stations, authorised officers and some V/Line conductors.
Victoria’s community organisations including multicultural, multi-faith events and Aboriginal gatherings as well as several disability service providers will also receive free masks to distribute.