Doreen harpist fuses music and meditation

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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Doreen harpist fuses music and meditation

By Aleksandra Bliszczyk

Music’s beneficial physiological effects have always been evident to Doreen harpist Michael Johnson.

The accomplished musician is about to embark on a series which will bring harp music and meditation together, with a free introductory lesson on Friday.

The session will be at Brookwood Community Centre in Doreen, open to anyone.

“Music stops us focusing on things that happened in the past and the possible things that could happen in the future and really puts us in the present moment in a very peaceful way,” Mr Johnson said.

“I’m aware as a musician of the effects it has on me, and I’m also aware of the effect music has on the audience just by watching the audience with their eyes closed and all breathing in time to each other.”

As an established concert performer and the resident composer and musician at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne for more than 20 years, Mr Johnson has played many instruments, but is best known for his work on the harp, with which he fell in love for its unique reverberating and resonating qualities.

“The harp really literally sang to me,” he said.

“It does what no other Western instrument does. When you pluck, for example, middle C, and you dampen it – in other words stop it from ringing – all of the other Cs on the harp ring out [and] it’s the most beautiful sound.”

Alongside his performances at the Botanic Gardens, Mr Johnson began to play at yoga classes and meditation events, and was asked to work for the Gawler Foundation, a not-for-profit cancer support organisation and meditation retreat in the Yarra Valley, piquing his interest in the many ways that music can help people.

His career has taken him across Australia and beyond through documentary music he’s composed for the ABC and SBS.

But more recently Mr Johnson has put music under the microscope, undertaking study in music and neuroscience at Swinburne University.

“I’m actually able to carry out [research] at places like Delmont Psychiatric Hospital, where I’ve worked for the last 10 years practising mindfulness and music with the dementia patients and also people with schizophrenia, bipolar and chronic depression, because in each of those cases, even though mindfulness is part of the non-drug intervention, it’s very difficult to get into meditation in silence for people with those illness because silence is deafening for them,” he said.

“If you have a whole lot of voices in your head arguing with your own thoughts, it’s very hard and very distracting, and music, because it releases that lovely cocktail of serotonin [nicknamed the brain’s calming chemical], melatonin [the sleep-regulating hormone], oxytocin [ the ‘love hormone’] and dopamine [the ‘happiness hormone’] in the brain, what ends up happening is it almost anesthetises the fear of ruminating thoughts.”

Ruminating thoughts are excessive, intrusive thoughts about negative experiences or feelings, which are particularly persistent in people who have experienced trauma. But these thoughts can also be triggered by stress in mentally-well people.

“You don’t have to have a mental illness to have ruminating thoughts and particularly so with times of stress like during the bushfires and during the lockdowns during COVID,” he said.

Since 2019 Mr Johnson has been running a meditative music program at the Botanic Gardens, but this will be the first time he has brought his two passions to Doreen, and he encourages everyone to give it a try.

In the first half of the session, he will guide the group through meditation while playing hypnotic, slow-heartbeat music on his harp.

He will help participants enter a state of observation, rather than past or forward thinking, noticing and focusing on breathing and temperature.

The second half will be a simple performance, where Mr Johnson will play music he has composed in nature and in the Botanic Gardens, telling the stories behind each piece.

This first session will start at 7pm on Friday in the Brookwood Community Centre’s Hazel Glen Room at Doreen. Tickets are free but bookings are essential and can be made at www.michaeljohnson.com.au/concerts.htm.

Station parking upgrade

Roads & Transport

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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Riddells Creek and Kyneton train stations will have new car parking built, while Gisborne station will be upgraded to improve passenger experience.

The State Government projects will also deliver additional accessible car parks, bicycle parking and increased safety and security with CCTV and lighting improvements in the car parks.

Residents can have their say on the concept designs for the projects, online at www.engage.vic.gov.au/car-park-upgrades-kyneton-gisborne-and-riddells-creek, and available until March 31.

Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas said the project was in response to an increase of passengers travelling on the Bendigo line.

“These car park improvements will help people living in the Macedon Ranges get to their local station and I encourage people to provide any feedback they have on the plans,” she said.

“This is the second time we have increased car parking at Gisborne and Kyneton stations and these projects respond to the fact that over recent years more and more people have been catching the train on the Bendigo line.”

The project will be delivered by VicTrack as part of the government’s Car Parks for Commuters program which will see 11,000 new car parks built to free up streets, make it easier to catch the train, improve safety and generate jobs across the state.

Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll said the project was part of a continued upgrade to Victoria’s rail network.

“Increasing car and bicycle parking at stations makes it easier for people to access public transport and get to where they are going,” he said.

“We are building new and upgraded car parking at stations across the state to respond to the increase in passengers we have seen over recent years, particularly as we continue upgrading Victoria’s rail network.”

Panthers impress in long-awaited return

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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By Colin MacGillivray

WALLAN Panthers returned to Big V competition with a bang at the weekend after more than a year of waiting.

Wallan’s men’s and women’s teams each recorded double-digit victories at RB Robson Stadium, defeating Pakenham and Mornington respectively.

For the men’s team, the talking point was American import Sharif Black.

Black, who was signed before the 2020 season was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, made his long-awaited debut for the Panthers and thrilled spectators with a 40-point performance in the 86-68 win.

Black’s explosive speed and ferocious attack on the rim earned him 16 trips to the free-throw line, of which he converted 12. His thunderous transition dunk in the third quarter was the game’s highlight, bringing the Panthers’ bench players to their feet.

But Black was far from the only contributor for Wallan. Recruits Keenan Gorski and Dominic Bruno shone in supporting roles, scoring 19 and 13 points respectively and each netting three three-pointers.

Wallan coach Tim Annett said the Panthers’ combination of outside shooting and transition offence was a blueprint for the rest of the season.

“We played the style of basketball we want to play this year – really fast-paced, up-tempo, taking the shots that are there and a really exciting brand of basketball,” he said.

“We’ve got three or four really high quality three-point shooters, all guys who can quite easily have 30 points on their night.

“I’ve given them the green light if they’ve got a bit of space away from the defence to just shoot and shoot and shoot, because I’ve got every confidence that they’ll make them.”

Annett said Black’s debut was a great story for the Panthers.

“Sharif has had to be very patient, and to be able to reward him with a win like that – especially with the way he played – was outstanding, and I think it opened a lot of eyes around the league,” he said.

“He’s so quick and athletic, he gets his way to the bucket very easily, and to be honest he could have gone to the free-throw line another 10 times if calls had gone his way.”

The Panthers’ women were even more dominant in a 74-47 win against Mornington on Sunday.

Forward Rebecca Romeo dominated in 27 minutes of action, scoring 25 points on 8-13 shooting and hauling in eight rebounds.

Carly Simons and Alex Darby chimed in with 10 points apiece, and guard Sarah Scott celebrated her return from a two-year layoff with an Achilles injury and the pandemic by scoring three points.

Wallan’s defence stifled the Breakers, who shot an abysmal 28.8 per cent from the field.

The Panthers’ youth league teams could not match the exploits of the senior sides, with the division two men losing 79-74 and the division two women losing 72-58 in their Big V debut, both to Southern Peninsula.

Wallan’s senior men will host Mornington at RB Robson Stadium on Saturday at 8pm, with the youth league men also playing Mornington in a curtain-raiser at 6pm.

The senior women will be on the road to face Corio at Geelong Arena on Saturday night, with the youth league women at home against Collingwood at 1pm on Sunday.

Magpies soar into grand final

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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WALLAN is ‘quietly confident’ of bringing home the Gisborne and District Cricket Association Johnstone Shield on Saturday after a big semi-final victory over minor premier Rupertswood at the weekend.

The match was played over two days after being rained out after 24 overs on Saturday, but the Magpies held their nerve and rode their outstanding batting and error-free bowling to a grand final berth.

Wallan was already well on its way to a big total when rain cancelled play on Saturday, with openers Todd Keenan and Ryan Cumberland putting on 76 for the first wicket.

Cumberland fell leg before wicket to Rupertswood’s John Lane just after bringing up his half-century, but Keenan batted on unperturbed with new partner Bryan Vance on Sunday.

Vance was caught for 46 shortly before Wallan’s 40 overs were up, but Keenan got just reward for his patience with an innings of 108 not out.

A massive total of 2/216 gave Magpies skipper Steve Bell plenty of confidence.

“I think we have the best bowling attack in the comp, so I was very confident with the total we set that we were going to be able to defend it,” he said.

“All the bowlers did what needed to be done. Chris Vecchie was a standout with 4/23, which was pleasing to see because last week he was doubting his spot in the side and whether he belonged in the team.

“Brent Hanson is our best bowler, and it was pretty standard from him to get three wickets.

“All the bowlers bowled well, but the figures probably don’t reflect that. That was probably due more to the field we had set, where we were happy to give up singles because of the big total we had set.”

Bell’s field placements worked to perfection, with the high-scoring Rupertswood line-up bowled out for 184 in the final over of play.

The Magpies will now face Bacchus Marsh – a team they comfortably beat in the final round of the home-and-away season – in the grand final.

Bell said his side simply needed to replicate its form of the past two weeks.

“We have beaten Bacchus Marsh a couple of times this season, but they are a good team and we obviously can’t go in overconfident. We’re more quietly confident,” he said.

“It would be great if we could get plenty of support and people coming over to watch us in the grand final.”

Wallan Youth Hub opens

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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A $1.74-million one-stop-shop providing essential youth support is now open in Wallan.

The Bridge Youth Service will manage the facility, providing a suite of services as well as assisting other providers outreaching to the area.

Services that will be available include housing and homelessness services, mental health, substance abuse, family relationships and support for young parents.

There will be a variety of early intervention programs including family reconciliation, adolescent support, links to education, future parenting programs and school disengagement.

The former Wellington Street kindergarten building has been transformed thanks to Mitchell Shire Council’s in-kind contribution of $1.09 million and $645,789 from the State Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund.

Member for Yan Yean Danielle Green and Mitchell Shire Mayor Rhonda Sanderson officially opened the youth hub on Friday.
It is envisaged new group programs and other services will be provided once the facility is opened.

The hub features youth social spaces; consulting rooms; intake rooms; GP room; modern reception and waiting area; landscaped open space, seating and shade; and open plan kitchen.

Cr Sanderson said the initiative had been a key focus for the youth council who worked alongside Mitchell Shire Council to highlight the need for increased youth services, particularly mental health support in the area.

The Youth Services Hub also ticks two vital boxes recommended by The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System – providing early intervention and offering services much closer to home.

“Youth mental health and wellbeing is a priority for our community, and the youth hub will provide essential support services to our young people,” she said.

“Projects like the youth hub are imperative to keeping up with the growth in our communities and to delivering on our commitment to provide a healthy, connected and sustainable community now and into the future.

“We’ve seen first-hand from young people and service providers in the community how important locally accessible services are. It’s good to be to be able to give an old building a new lease on life for a good cause.”

Youth mayor Thomas Starkey said having a youth hub in Mitchell Shire was crucial to the health and wellbeing of young people in the community.

“Being able to access mental health support locally means young people can get the help they need without having to travel hours on public transport or wait months for appointments. This support will change lives and set young people up for a positive future,” he said.

The Bridge Youth Service chief executive Melinda Lawley said improving access to services was crucial, as was providing effective and easy pathways, closer to the young people’s homes and their families.

“Working with other providers, we will be able to coordinate and integrate support for young people closer to their homes,” she said.

“We are working hard to attract new mental health funding for young people in Wallan and the whole Mitchell area.”

Bus driver abuse ‘won’t be tolerated’

Roads & Transport

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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By Colin MacGillivray

A MITCHELL Shire bus operator is taking a stand against ongoing abuse directed at one of its female drivers.

Karin Folino, who drives a Kilmore bus route for Seymour Passenger Services, said she had been repeatedly targeted by some passengers when she tried to prevent them from fare evading.

She said she believed passengers thought they could intimidate her because she was a woman.

“I’ve been called all sorts of names and swearwords,” she said.

“Last week there was a man who got on the bus and told me he was homeless. I let him on, but I told him next time he would need to get a ticket from the Salvation Army, who purchase them from [Public Transport Victoria] and then hand them out to homeless people.

“He tried to get on a few days later and I told him he needed proof, and he started to get nasty.

“I told him he could get off the bus, because I don’t need to put up with that. I had to call the police, and as he got off the bus he turned around and said to me, ‘I’m going to get you’. That really put the wind up me.

“Sometimes I wonder if they choose me because they think because I’m female they can intimidate me. I’m the wrong person to pick on, because I take my job seriously.”

Seymour Passenger Services general manager Stuart Locke said the treatment Ms Folino received was unacceptable.

“I’d just like it to be known that it won’t be tolerated,” he said.

“We do have camera footage on our buses and we do have the means to win this war on people who intimidate not only female drivers, but any driver who they think will buckle when someone tells them ‘I’m not paying’.

“It puts drivers in a really bad spot. It needs to be raised publically that it’s not acceptable.

“A female driver is getting hammered, and it might only be a couple of times a month, but that’s a couple of times a month too often.

“Let’s have the people who are law-abiding and pleasant and nice – which is 99 per cent of them – understand that if someone gets on and they’re aggressive, it shouldn’t be the driver’s problem to confront them.”

Mr Locke said he had tried to report the abuse to relevant authorities but received little assistance.

“I pass it onto the authorised officers from PTV, but because of COVID they say they can’t go out and do anything, which is passing the buck to be honest,” he said.

“Even the police can’t do much about it because they’re not transit officers. They say it’s not really their domain unless someone physically assaults the driver. They say it’s a ticketing issue and they can’t do much about it.”

Ms Folino said she had become used to dealing with belligerent passengers, but fare evaders were jeopardising services for the majority of people who paid to use the bus.

“People need to be honest. If it doesn’t get recorded that people are using the service, we’re going to lose it. It’s becoming more and more popular, so I’m pretty sure people don’t want to lose it,” she said.

“I don’t know if they think I’m stupid and that I don’t know that they’ve got no money on their Myki card, but I didn’t come down in the last shower. It’s not fair to the other passengers who are paying to be on the bus.

“Now when they call me names I just laugh and tell them to come up with something different because I’ve been called that before. I’ve got to laugh about it, because if I didn’t laugh I would probably be in the corner in the foetal position.”

Kilmore tree removal divides opinion

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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By Colin MacGillivray

WORKS to remove 29 Monterey cypress trees at Kilmore Racecourse began on Friday despite the protestations of a group of community members.

The trees along the northern boundary of the racecourse reserve were deemed hazardous by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, DELWP, and are due to be replaced with new trees once they are removed.

Local arboricultural group Tree Tactics is expected to take about a month to remove all 29 trees.

DELWP Hume land and built environment regional manager John Downs said the removal of the trees would reduce risk to the community.

“The works will significantly reduce the risk to people visiting the reserve as well as drivers along the Kilmore East Road,” he said.

“An arborist report determined the majority of the trees had reached the end of their life expectancy, posing an increased safety risk to the community.

“We understand these trees are aesthetically pleasing, however our number one priority must be the safety and wellbeing of visitors to the reserve.”

Several members of Kilmore and District Residents and Ratepayers Association, KADRRA, expressed dismay at the prospect of the trees being removed.

KADRRA president Vyvienne Whitehurst said the decision to remove the trees was ‘disgraceful’.

“Just because these trees are over 100 years old doesn’t make them unsafe. If you look at the trunks of the trees already cut down you will see that the trunks are solid inside, there is no sign of rot,” she said.

“If DELWP had bothered to maintain these heritage trees over the years, as they are paid to do, we would not need to be fighting to keep them.”

KADRRA member Anne Rose said it would be ‘a big loss’.

“It’s very regrettable. It’s a pity that some of them can’t be pruned and preserved. To have so many go at once seems drastic,” she said.

“It’s a bit strange that so many are in the same position where they all have to go at the same time.”

But Kilmore Recreation and Racecourse Reserve trustees chairman Danny Laws and Mitchell Shire Mayor Rhonda Sanderson both supported DELWP’s position.

“In recent years a number of limbs have fallen within this specific area, increasing the risk of injury to visitors,” Mr Laws said.

“As the committee of management for the reserve, it’s important that all relevant measures are undertaken to try and mitigate the potential of injuries.”

Cr Sanderson said the trees would be replaced as soon as possible.

“As recommended by the arborists report and the trustees group, complete removal is the most effective way to reduce the risk to the community, which is our number one concern,” she said.

“While these trees are not heritage listed, we understand they are highly-valued by the local community, so it’s fantastic that new tree plantings will give the space a new lease on life and be part of our community moving forward.”

The removal works have been funded through the State Government’s Public Safety on Public Land program.

Distraction causes collision

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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A MOTORCYCLIST was taken by air ambulance to hospital in a serious condition after a collision with a car towing a trailer in High Street, Broadford on Sunday.

Paramedics, police and an air ambulance were called to the scene in front of Broadford’s railway station, after the collision which occurred between 4pm and 4.30pm.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said the man in his 30s suffered head and arm injuries and was taken via ambulance helicopter to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Witnesses said the air ambulance departed the Broadford oval just after 6pm.

Broadford police attended the scene, and First Constable Andrew Callander said there were no suspicions of foul play surrounding the collision.

“I don’t think it’s a particularly high-risk [location for collisions], just a distracted rider,” First Const Callander said.

“We don’t know exactly what happened, we just talked to witnesses and there is no footage from anywhere. The investigation is still ongoing.

“Just be aware of your surroundings and drive safely going through townships.”

Seymour focus for Goulburn Regional Partnership

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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SECURING government COVID-19 recovery grants, improving access to public housing and revitalising the Seymour economy are among the top priorities for new Goulburn Regional Partnership chair Stuart Locke.

Mr Locke, who is the chief executive of bus company Seymour Passenger Services, was selected to head the regional partnership until the end of 2024, replacing outgoing chair David McKenzie.

The Goulburn Regional Partnership was established by the State Government in 2016 as one of nine regional partnerships across the state. The partnerships serve as advocacy groups that engage with their communities and present priority projects to the government.

Mr Locke said he was ‘honoured’ to lead the partnership for the next four years.

He said helping towns across the partnership – which spans the Mitchell, Moira, Murrindindi, Strathbogie and Shepparton local government areas – to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic was a key focus.

“Every man and his dog are leaving Melbourne whenever they can and, with the border sensitivities, people don’t want to cross the border so they’re spending their money within Victoria, which is an awesome thing,” he said.

“Do we need to try to attract those people? Once upon a time we did, but right now we don’t – they’re already coming. But we don’t have enough people on the floor to meet the need of the burgeoning visitation we’re getting.

“Some of the major retail and tourism outlets like … Trawool Estate or many of the pubs are struggling to find chefs, waitresses, bar staff and cleaners. What I’m seeing is that people are pinching and poaching from each other, which doesn’t really solve the problem.

“I see economic recovery as a major project, and I see the recruitment and retention of key staff as one of our great needs. We lost a lot of people during COVID and … that’s what I see as hurting the retail side of Victoria.”

Mr Locke said securing government funding to aid the region’s recovery was also vital.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do in a short amount of time to take advantage of those initiatives,” he said.

“My fear is that while there may be a spike in funding during the next 12 to 18 months, there is going to be a long, cold winter coming some time in the next few years. You can’t continue to pay for all of this and not expect payback, so we’ve got to get the runs on the board now.”

Mr Locke said he had been working closely with Mitchell Shire Council chief executive Brett Luxford to secure funding for projects across the region.

“The key plank in the revitalisation initiative for Seymour is the health and community hub, which is a major centre primarily and strategically situated in the area of Seymour that most needs access to health, medical and social services,” he said.

“Council has bought the land and bulldozed the site, and all they need is to get funding to start turning the earth.

“Public housing is needed in Seymour, and the urban renewal of our townships is important.

“Mitchell Shire Council has been really pushing hard to get our industrial precinct out at Hilldene up and running to lure major heavy industry. I see that as a major project for our region, and [it would be excellent] if they can lure some waste-recovery industries or heavy rail to that site, or someone totally out of the box.

“The Kilmore bypass has not really been raised yet in our partnership, but a bypass is critical to Wallan and Kilmore.”

Other members joining Mr Locke on the partnership committee include deputy chair Amanda McCulloch, Paul Briggs, Peter Hall, Jamie Lea, Elaine Mallows, Brendan Mustica, Elizabeth Capp, Colleen Furlanetto and Sissy Hoskin.

Bank offers COVID support grants

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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BENDIGO Bank will support community groups across Mitchell Shire with COVID recovery grants of up to $500.

The Bank’s Wallan, Kilmore and Broadford branches, operated by NorCen Financial Services, will provide one-off payments to community groups throughout the region.

Community engagement and marketing officer Kate Boulton said the bank’s mission was to support the community.

“Applications are open to all eligible groups that apply for general funding with us, and applications are open until the end of the financial year,” she said.

“They are for groups like not-for-profit organisations, clubs, schools et cetera. They can all apply.”

Ms Boulton said the grants were a recognition that it had been a difficult 12 months for groups in Mitchell Shire.

“It’s a one-off COVID grant for each group of $500 to assist with things like insurance fees, membership fees, electricity bills – anything that is going to be helpful, because a lot of them wouldn’t have had much fundraising ability in the past year,” she said.

“We understand that many community groups have done it tough in the past 12 months, and that’s why we wanted to introduce the COVID recovery grants. Let’s hope these grants can keep our groups going and we can get back to having the community thriving this year.”

Bendigo Bank’s Wallan branch recently celebrated its first anniversary of the opening of its new building, marking the date by providing free cupcakes and coffee for customers.

Wallan branch manager Carol Ryan thanked the community for its support during a tumultuous first year.

“It has been a very interesting first year with everything thrown at us, but we never stopped,” she said.

“We’re an essential service, so we didn’t close a single day, and people were so supportive of us. We want people to know that we’re always here for our customers.

“It’s a beautiful building, so I’d encourage everyone to come in and say hi and visit.”