Students’ spirits not dampened by rain

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February 3, 2021

By Aleksandra Bliszczyk

IT was a dreary and dribbly start to the school year last week, but after a confusing 2020 for many children, the cohort wasn’t disheartened by the weather.

“They arrived in the middle of heavy rain, and because parents are limited in their access [they] didn’t get to come inside the classroom, so our foundation students showed incredible independence and just managed their separation from their parents really well,” Kilmore Primary School principal Neil O’Sullivan said.

“I think all the kids that have come through this period are incredibly flexible and have a lot of resilience in dealing with change.”

Despite the challenges schools faced due to the pandemic, Mr O’Sullivan said many opportunities arose, including the use of new technologies to deliver curriculums and support learning, which helped some students thrive.

He also said professional development among staff had changed radically.

“There have been a lot of positives. We really came to know our community incredibly intimately during that time and we had a very strong focus on community wellbeing and supporting the physical and mental health of our kids, and that’s been highly valued,” he said.

Kilmore Primary School prep students enjoyed their first day at school last week. Pictured are students Zara Sheldon, Kobie McKenner, Lana Wright, Cody Male and Mackenzie Praag.

Kilmore Primary School’s focus on mental health has sharpened in 2021, with an expanded wellbeing program that includes new small-group support programs to help students develop their social skills.

“I think there’s a great sense of stability and regaining that sense of old routines which has been lovely for everyone,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“It feels like the old normal and everyone is enjoying that.”

Many staff and students across the region shared a sentiment of joy of being back in the classroom after months of remote learning.

“The [preps] are normally nervous but [this year] they’re just so excited,” Pyalong Primary School principal Jessica Bowen-Duarte said.

“The energy they bring to the school – it’s just lovely.”

Some COVID-19 restrictions still apply to schools, including density limits, additional cleaning and infection prevention training for all staff.

Wandong Primary School students Kobe Barnes and William Bankuti in their classroom on their first day of prep.

Wandong Primary School principal Kelly Morrow said not allowing parents into classrooms had been the most challenging adjustment.

“It’s tricky because that’s not how we operate with kids and families. We want family involvement, we want community involvement, we want them in our schools, and to try and keep distance is not in our teachers’ natures,” she said.

Wandong Primary School has also introduced a new Auslan language program for students of all ages, which Ms Morrow said had been well received.

With 73 preps, Wandong is among several schools that have seen record enrolments this year, thanks to many new families coming from neighbouring postcodes.

Pyalong has 15 preps this year, an increase from 11 last year.

Ms Bowen-Duarte said the small school had doubled in the past four years, now with 87 students in total.

Our Lady of the Way Catholic Primary School in Wallan has 97 preps this year, including four sets of twins.

IMG 0362 Again for no reason — Our Lady of the Way in Wallan has four sets of twins in prep this year. From left, Bailey and Mason Ferrise; Edith and Gillian Collis; Jackson and Lachlan Marcucci; and Angel and Josh Ustuner.

Call for clarity on logging plans

The North Central Review

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February 3, 2021

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BEAM Mitchell Environment Group leaders have called for more transparency from state forestry body VicForests over concerns about planned logging in Tallarook State Forest.

The group believes logging at coupes in the forest could begin as soon as April, but president Peter Lockyer said VicForests had not been forthcoming with information about its operations.

He said the group had scheduled a video meeting with VicForests in November but the forestry body cancelled the meeting and had not rescheduled.

Mr Lockyer described the information on VicForests’ website as confusing, incomplete and sometimes contradictory.

“We have a range of concerns, and a response of ‘here, go find the answers on our websites’ is lazy and draws into question the integrity of their process,” he said.

“The website references have contradictions and the information portal is not easy to navigate.

“If VicForests were to be straight and answer our questions, now two months old, we may have some reassurance that they actually want to engage with stakeholders.”

Mr Lockyer said separate letters from former state Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes and VicForests said there would be no logging in the Tallarook State Forest during this financial year, but that VicForests’ online information portal indicated logging would start at three coupes in the area in April.

“They contradict each other, and obviously one of them is wrong, so we’re suspicious,” he said.

A VicForests spokesperson said the organisation regularly engaged with stakeholders about planned harvesting operations and still intended to have a formal meeting with BEAM.

“VicForests is committed to ongoing and constructive engagement with stakeholders consistent with the regulatory framework in which it operates,” he said.

“VicForests also thoroughly assesses all coupes prior to harvest and applies all buffers and exclusions required by regulation. In addition, VicForests excludes high value habitat trees from harvesting as a contribution to the maintenance of habitat for priority species.”

Mr Lockyer said environmental groups were concerned about the effects logging in Tallarook State Forest would have on greater gliders and other native flora and fauna.

He said citizen surveys indicated the presence of the threatened species in the Tallarook forest, but that VicForests’ survey data was incomplete.

“We’re still doing our surveys and finding greater gliders and we’re engaging others to help with the survey of flora,” he said.

“As citizen scientists it’s pretty onerous, and it would be better all-round if we could work with VicForests and piggyback off their studies.”

Mr Lockyer said logging at Tallarook would be a short-sighted move.

“There’s not a lot of big trees in the Tallarook forest, so what we’re looking at primarily – probably, but we don’t know because [VicForests] haven’t shared which coupes will be logged in which way – is clear-fell logging,” he said.

“That means most of that forest will go for woodchips, and you just think in this day and age, when species are being threatened by climate change, we’re in the wrong century if it’s ending up as woodchips.”

Mr Lockyer said BEAM would fight to save the forest.

“We had a meeting with a representative group from Strathbogie who had worked for five years with their council to get Minister Lily D’Ambriosi to put an interim protection agreement in place to protect the forest,” he said.

“In due course after a lot of politics and surveying, that forest will be reclassified. That’s where we want to go.”

Dance group aims to host state comp

The North Central Review

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February 3, 2021

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BROADFORD-BASED marching group Mitchell DrillDance Club hopes to host a round of state competition in March.

The club, which was formed in 2019 by Broadford resident Dianne Pungor, is hoping to attract new members to participate in DrillDance Victoria competition.

DrillDance Victoria, which was formed in the 1990s, had its roots in the female-only Australian Marching Association competition before being rebranded as a unisex sport.

It emphasises teamwork, coordination, good posture and physical activity through technical drills and thematic dance aspects.

Mitchell DrillDance Club secretary Coleen Lazaric said the group was looking to expand in 2021 and were seeking council approval to host a round of domestic competition. The club will also compete at the state titles in Geelong on the last weekend of March.

“It’s a good sport and it’s easy to do,” she said.

“We’ve got ladies in the masters team who are up into their 60s, and I know of other ladies in other teams who are in their early 70s, so it’s a sport you can join when you’re young and pretty much do it your whole life.

“We have nine members in our masters team, an under-13 team with six members, and our committee members and affiliated members plus a coordinator for each team, so there are probably 25 members in the whole club.

“Our plan is to continue to grow, ideally. We had a stall set up [last week] at the Broadford festival and there was a lot of interest from the younger age groups. We had a bit of interest in the under-eight age group and a couple of kids interested in the intermediate age group from 13 to about 15.

“We also had a bit of interest in the masters age group, and the more people you have, the better the spectacle.

“March will be the first time either of our teams have competed at a state competition. They’re all very excited, especially the little ones.”

Ms Lazaric said hosting a round of the state championships would be a good chance for Mitchell Shire residents to discover what DrillDance was all about.

“If all goes well with council and COVID restrictions aren’t too tight, we hope to make use of the Broadford Leisure Centre on either March 7 or 14,” she said.

“We thought if there is going to be a competition in the area, we could encourage people to come along and see not only us, but all the other teams from around the state as well.”

Bins for bales

The North Central Review

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February 3, 2021

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By Colin MacGillivray

HIDDEN Valley’s Ethan Liddy is a unique teenager.

While his peers might ride their bikes around the neighbourhood for fun, Ethan has a different reason for pedalling.

The 13-year-old rides the length of his street each week putting out bins for seven of his neighbours. In return, they pay him $1, $2, or sometimes even more, all of which he donates to the Buy a Bale campaign supporting rural farmers.

Ethan has been at it for more than two years and in that time has donated more than $2000 for drought-stricken farmers. His ultimate goal is to raise $5700, the cost of a full semi-trailer load of hay.

In the lead-up to Christmas, Ethan received $200 from the Wallan chapter of the Country Women’s Association (CWA), bringing his donation total above the $2000 mark.

Ethan’s mother Jo Liddy said she was extremely proud of her son’s selfless actions.

“We’re very proud of him. He’s a teenager and it would be so easy for him to say ‘this is uncool’ and not do it anymore, but he’s stuck with it for more than two years,” she said.

“What I really love about it is that he’s kept it going. He’s in secondary school now and he kept it going through COVID.

“I’m so proud that he’s thinking about people other than himself. It would have been so easy for him to have kept some of the money for himself, but he keeps none of it.

“He’s always had a really strong sense of community.”

Ethan said he was inspired to begin raising money for farmers after a Hay Mate fundraising concert in 2018, and his parents agreed to match every $100 that he raised.

From humble beginnings, putting out two of his neighbours’ bins, he has expanded, and plans to bring in even more money through a paper run and other activities such as busking.

“I’m hoping to hit the target [of $5700] by 2022 or 2023. If I start doing the paper run I’ll get more money from that,” he said.

“But I don’t want to just stop after getting there – that would be a bit odd just to stop after several years because I’ve gotten to a certain number.

“We’re still in drought and it’s not like it’s all over. We still need to keep donating and helping the farmers.”

Ethan said it was ‘amazing’ to receive the $200 donation from the Wallan CWA and hoped that more community organisations would support his efforts.

He also thanked one of his neighbours for giving him his old bike after Ethan outgrew the one he had been riding.

“He gave me a bike that had been sitting in his garage for four years, so it’s nice to have another bike. It’s more comfortable to ride and go on my bin runs. It’s really nice that he donated that to me for free,” he said.

People interested in contacting the Liddy family to make a donation to Ethan can email Ms Liddy at mysecondaddress@hotmail.com.au.

Seymour constable receives Rotary award

The North Central Review

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February 3, 2021

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SEYMOUR Senior Constable Jason Crossing was recognised for his service with the 2019-20 Rotary Peter Toomey Memorial Community Police Officer of the Year and Rotary Clubs of Victoria District Police Officer of the Year awards.

Sen Const Crossing was presented with the awards during the Australia Day ceremony at Kings Park in Seymour last week.

The Peter Toomey award is presented annually to a police officer within the Rotary 9790 district who demonstrates outstanding service above self in the community. The 9790 district spans an area from the northern suburbs of Melbourne to southern New South Wales, including all of Mitchell Shire.

The Rotary Club of Seymour and Mitchell Police Service Area Inspector Peter Koger presented Sen Const Crossing with the award and paid tribute to his dedication.

Insp Koger said Sen Const Crossing had been a member of the Australian Defence Force prior to joining Victoria police and was deployed on active duty to conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Timor during his 10 years of service.

Sen Const Crossing received eight service medals during his time in the army, including infantry combat badges, a soldier’s medallion and commendations.

“Jason’s service to his country has now turned to serving our community,” Insp Koger said.

“His diverse background and experience has equipped him with life skills that he is able to utilise in every day policing duties.

“Jason consistently demonstrates his commitment to making the community a safer place whether it be attending family violence incidents, addressing anti-social behaviour in town or policing our rural roads.”

Insp Koger said Sen Const Crossing had attended numerous family violence incidents, some involving recidivist offenders.

“The compassion he displays to victims of family violence allows them to again feel safe and on numerous occasions the victims have taken the time to make comment on the empathy he has displayed towards them,” he said.

“Jason has twice been commended for the actions he took while attending serious family violence matters and his commitment to reducing family violence in our community.

Insp Koger said Sen Const Crossing’s commitment to serving the community and Victoria Police’s fundamental value of protecting life and property was no more evident than in 2018 when he and his partner were called to assist three adults and two children stranded in the Goulburn River at Yea after their canoe had capsized.

“All five were clinging to branches in the water and starting to suffer from the effects of hypothermia,” he said.

“With specialist assistance some time away, Jason realised that time was of the essence and enlisted the help of a nearby fisherman in a boat.

“By the time they rescued the last person they were so cold that they were unable to physically get into the boat, so Jason entered the water and assisted them.

“All ended well in a situation that could have very well ended in five people drowning.”

Cannabis seized at Pyalong property

News

The North Central Review

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February 2, 2021

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By Colin MacGillivray

POLICE have charged two Vietnamese nationals residing unlawfully in Australia with drug trafficking and theft offences after nearly 200 cannabis plants were seized at a Pyalong property.

Pyalong police, with the assistance of Mitchell Crime Investigation Unit and division response units, searched a property at 3 Nicholson Street, Pyalong at about 12.16pm on Monday last week.

Investigators found what Mitchell Police Service Area Local Area Commander Inspector Peter Koger described as ‘an extensive, sophisticated set up of hydroponically-grown cannabis in four rooms of the house’.

Insp Koger said an electricity bypass was attached to the property’s power supply, which was used to avoid payment for power use at the home.

Police seized 189 cannabis plants, deemed a commercial quantity and estimated at a value of more than $750,000.

Insp Koger said Vietnamese nationals Minh Van Phan and Nga My Tran, both of St Albans, were arrested in connection with the investigation and transported to Seymour Police Station, where they were interviewed with the aid of a Vietnamese interpreter.

Phan, 44, and Tran, 42, were charged with trafficking and possessing a commercial quantity of cannabis, as well as electricity theft.

The pair was remanded in custody to appear at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday last week, where they were further remanded for a committal mention on April 20.

Insp Koger said police had begun to investigate the property earlier in January, using the air wing to conduct a thermal evaluation of the building and completing an electricity check with the assistance of Powercor.

He said cannabis-growing operations similar to the one found at Pyalong were not unusual, but could be dangerous.

“It’s quite common for someone to rent a property and then use it for the sole purpose of cultivating cannabis like that,” he said.

“We do have a lot of fires from cannabis crops, particularly where they’ve bypassed the power, because they’re not usually set up by a licensed electrician. They’re done ad-hoc by the people who are growing the cannabis crop.

“Quite often they’ll have a fire. It’s very dangerous for the members who are attending as well due to the electrocution risk because it hasn’t been done the right way.”

Insp Koger said due to Phan and Tran’s status as unlawful residents in Australia, they would be deported after court proceedings concluded.

“They will go to court. If they’re found guilty, because they’re not permanent residents they will be deported by Border Security. Once they’re found guilty at the court, that’s the end of it,” he said.

CEO selection conflict

Council

The North Central Review

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February 2, 2021

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By Steph McNicol

THE selection of a new chief executive caused conflict at a Macedon Ranges Shire Council meeting last week, with Cr Geoff Neil claiming the process had been ‘manipulated’ and ‘belittled’.

The council is in the process of recruiting a new chief executive after the resignation of Margot Stork in September last year.

Councillors were discussing the formation of a panel to select a new chief executive officer following a motion by Deputy Mayor Mark Ridgeway, who suggested the committee include three councillors.

“I’m happy to move that our selection committee consists … of Mayor Anderson, Cr Death and Cr Guthrie. That’s a representative from each of the three wards, and as near as you can get gender-balanced out of three people – that’s what we’ve got,” Cr Ridgeway said.

“In moving this motion I’d just like to say that I’m of the view that when it comes to these committees, the smaller the better. After many years’ experience working on panel selection processes in the past, groups of about three people is probably the most effective group to work with.

“I think it’s very important in terms of how our council is seen by all of our residents and ratepayers that we actually have equal representation from each ward involved in it. I have every confidence in each of the people I have recommended to be on the [panel].”

But Cr Neil opposed Cr Ridgeway’s motion, and said he felt ‘grossly disappointed’ and ‘excluded’.

“Councillors, from the get-go you’ve been aware of my view in relation to the appointment of a chief executive. From day one I have always believed it’s all in or virtually nothing, and I look at this and say we have picked a nothing,” he said.

“You knew where I stood on this matter, that I wished to participate from go to end, and yet you’ve deliberately chosen to exclude me.

“To my mind that says heaps. Do I have confidence in the processes? The answer is no.

“I think it’s been manipulated as it was last time, but I’m not given the chance to be proven wrong.

“I think the other part for me is that, given this is the most important decision we will ever make in our four years, that you’ve decided to belittle it to three councillors.”

Mayor Cr Anderson advised Cr Neil to ‘be careful with [his] language’ and requested he withdrew the word ‘belittle’.

“Let it be noted that I requested the word belittle be removed, it’s a derogatory term towards a motion before us, each councillor is entitled to put a motion before us,” Cr Anderson said.

“Yes Cr Neil, this is one of the most important, if not the most important, decisions this council will make. If this motion is passed tonight, there is more than one person sitting in this room that would’ve passionately loved to have been on this committee.

“Whatever decision we make tonight, we all need to be united in that decision and work together.

“I have no doubt that whatever committee we choose, there will be openness and transparency between committee members and council … hopefully the process can run as smoothly as possible.”

The motion was carried with support of all councillors, except Cr Neil.

“Councillors, I think if you can’t find time to do the process as a whole, I often wonder why you’re here. I’m not devastated, just grossly disappointed in the motion before the chair,” Cr Neil said.

Food packaging campaign

The North Central Review

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February 2, 2021

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By Aleksandra Bliszczyk

An online petition to make food packaging more accessible for Australians with disabilities and limited physical capacities has picked up more than 12,000 signatures in one month.

Wollert woman Jerusha Mather, who lives with cerebral palsy, started the petition because the congenital movement disorder makes tasks involving strength and fine motor skills challenging for her.

Wollert woman Jerusha Mather, who has cerebral palsy, has started a campaign to make food packaging more accessible for people with disabilities.

The disability advocate and PhD student in cerebral palsy research said her food options were sometimes limited because she struggled to open jars, tins and bottles.

While a support worker sometimes helps in the kitchen, the tools Ms Mather uses to open tins and jars are unreliable and often become stuck.

“It makes life really hard for me. Probably the most annoying thing in the kitchen is opening the packaging. It’s really hard to open,” she said.

“I thought that if they can make it more accessible for everyone, then everyone would benefit, and people with disabilities would live a more independent life, which is what we want.”

Ms Mather hopes her campaign will influence food packaging manufacturers and designers to consider more inclusive alternatives like containers with seal openings and tear-open packets, which she said could provide more independence and reduce the risk of injury.

One in five Australians, or 4.4 million people, have a disability, 77 per cent of which have a physical disorder as their main condition.

But Ms Mathers said this was a global issue that impacted people with a wide range of limitations, including the elderly.

A 2018 study by Arthritis Australia found that 44 per cent of Australians with arthritis in their hands experienced difficulty opening packaging every day.

Turn-to-open packaging was reported to be the most difficult, with only one per cent of respondents able to open glass jars with ease, without struggle, injury, asking for help, or the use of a tool.

Women are also disproportionately affected, with a higher percentage of men reporting to struggle less often.

More than two thirds of survey respondents also said they struggled to read packaging labels, often due to the size of the print, which could be harmful when checking for expiry dates and allergens.

Ms Mathers is looking for government support to create legislation to ensure manufacturers make accessible packaging options, as well as the opportunity to provide product feedback to major retailers with a group of people who have lived experiences with different physical disabilities, including blindness and low vision.

“I’m hoping they will consider people with a disability,” she said.

“I think it’s really important for them to become our allies and support us and really include us in the design world.

“A lot of people in the design world are able-bodied people, and if they can become our allies then they can support us in making some progress.”

To sign the petition, visit chng.it/YSsztrMyy8.

Radfords recognised

The North Central Review

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February 2, 2021

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BARBARA and Bruce Radford were the toast of the Broadford community last week when they were presented with Outstanding Citizen awards at the Broadford Australia Day Festival.

Ms Radford was honoured for being a driving force behind Love in Action Broadford, while Mr Radford is involved in numerous groups including Love in Action, Lions, St Matthews Retirement Village and Kilmore Anglican Church.

The pair said they were surprised to be joint winners of the award.

“I had a bit of an inkling because I was cooking breakfast with the Lions club and I headed home and they said, ‘you’ve got to be back here’,” he said.

“They came chasing me to make sure I knew something was going on, but I wasn’t sure. They tried to ring us separately the day before and tell us that we had to have the other one there, but we were in the car together so that didn’t work.”

Ms Radford said the award reflected not just her efforts, but those of an entire community.

“I was surprised obviously, because you’re not thinking about that,” she said.

“When I got up and spoke, looking around, all the faces I could see were people who had supported Love In Action through the community in some way. One of the things I spoke about was it was Bruce and I standing up there accepting it, but it was the whole community’s award.”

Mr Radford said the pair had been instilled with community values by their parents.

“I’ve been involved with a lot of organisations because I suppose it’s just natural for me,” he said.

“It seems to be a thing from our generation that you get involved in the community. We came here 40 years ago and I was already involved in Lions, so that was an intro but I’ve been involved in school councils, the old Nexus and a lot of other organisations. It’s a way of getting to know people, plus it’s doing something for people and giving back.”

Ms Radford said it meant a lot for the couple to be recognised together.

“I do a lot on the phone organising people, whereas Bruce will do all the running,” she said.

“We are a team and we work as a team. I think that’s what it recognised mostly. As a family unit, as husband and wife we’ve always worked as a team and that’s just how we are.”

Community unites

The North Central Review

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February 2, 2021

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By Colin MacGillivray

Organisers of community group Love in Action Broadford have praised the town’s willingness to come together during hard times in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group, which helps supply vulnerable families and individuals with food, support, clothing and other household items, had to change its operations to remain compliant with COVID-19 restrictions, but coordinator Barbara Radford said community spirit continued to shine through.

Ms Radford said donations of both money and goods continued to flow even at the height of the pandemic, and Mitchell Shire Council lent its support to keep the community connected.

“It wasn’t the best thing for us to be out there running the show, so council was able to pay a couple of people to come and help us and they did all the pickups and deliveries for us,” she said.

“They have been very helpful and keeping us going properly.”

Ms Radford said lockdown restrictions associated with the pandemic had exacerbated problems for disadvantaged people in Broadford. She said there had been a noticeable increase in family violence incidents in the past year.

“I’ve learned so much about domestic violence since I’ve been involved with Love in Action,” she said.

“I used to think of domestic violence as physical and I’ve learned that it can just as easily be psychological or emotional abuse.”

Ms Radford said victims of family violence had, on occasions, turned up to her house in the middle of the night seeking refuge.

She said police had been good about responding to family violence incidents, but a lack of social housing made it hard for some women to leave abusive partners.

Ms Radford said an increase in the number of women seeking help for family violence could ultimately be a sign of changing attitudes.

“These younger women are already learning with what they’re seeing on the news that there’s more than one sort of domestic violence,” she said.

“It’s the emotional and the psychological, and the words their partners have called them.

“I think one good thing about it is a lot of the women are now feeling they can be open [about it] because of that education, and we have time to listen.”

Ms Radford’s husband Bruce, who also helps coordinate Love in Action Broadford, said a lack of government support for marginalised people during the pandemic had also had an impact on the community.

“Back in the day what was known as CES had two things they did – make sure you’ve got government support, and help you look for jobs,” he said.

“Now with Centrelink, their main focus seems to be making sure you’re not cheating.

“There was one woman who was trying to leave her partner and he called up Centrelink and said she was cheating, and they cut her off without asking any questions.

“It’s been months now and she doesn’t have any money coming into her bank account, so obviously she’s not lying, but nothing has been done about it.”

Despite an increase in the number of people seeking help, Mr Radford said Love in Action had been able to meet the demand thanks to the generosity of the Broadford community.

“That’s one of the things I’ve noticed – that there’s been a change in people’s attitude and their willingness to help during COVID,” he said.

“I met a lady who had been in Holland during World War Two as a child and before the Germans came they didn’t know who lived at the other end of the street. By the end of the time, everyone knew each other and helped each other out, but she said the problem was when it was over they all went back to normal. “I hope, and I’ve got a feeling, that this is going to continue on even after COVID is done.”