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December 22, 2020

YOUNG performer John Sharp, a graduate of Assumption College Kilmore, was recognised as a young emerging artist after he was the winner of a Georgy Award.

it is the third time Mr Sharp has won a Georgy Award, but the first time as Emerging Young Artist.

The awards are named in memory George Pullar, who was involved in all facets of theatre in Shepparton and district in the 1950s and 1960s.

Mr Sharp said he was hopeful he would be a successful contestant to win the award.

“To win the award, you needed to be in your last year of schooling, with a past in participating and assisting in community and school theatre,” he said.

“You also needed to outline a clear idea of how you’d use the prize money in a way that furthered your artistic studies.

“Although I’m not sure how many others applied, I know the award is very desirable for graduates around the community.

“I was very, very hopeful – probably to a fault, so I was very glad when I found out.”

Even at a young age, Mr Sharp said he had many highlights to his career so far.

“I’ve had many highlights of my musical career, but the ones that come to mind is last year and the year before when I won Georgy Awards for my roles in Seymour Performers’ Workshop’s Footloose and Grease, respectively,” he said.

“Next year I’m hoping to go to university for studying either musical theatre or music composition, using my prize money to purchase a laptop to help with my studies.

“A special thank you to Seymour Performers’ Workshop, Broadford Amateur Theatrical Society and Assumption College Kilmore and people involved at those companies for always giving me opportunities and chances.”

For more information on the Georgy Awards or to view a list of previous winners, visit www.georgyawards.org.au.

Children First spread Christmas cheer

News

The North Central Review

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December 22, 2020

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By Steph McNicol

DESPITE limitations caused by the pandemic, Children First Foundation volunteers and children were able to spread Christmas cheer to their much-loved supporters and donors.

The Children First team hosted a Facebook Live stream at its Kilmore East Miracle sMiles Retreat, where they were able to sing some Christmas carols they had practised leading up to the event.

Volunteer and host Treaisa Rowe said the Facebook event replaced what would otherwise be a big open day each year, filled with live music, food, visitors, and special guests with stories to tell.

“The reason we’re doing this is because we normally have a lovely open day around this time each year, and obviously because of COVID-19 this year we haven’t been able to do that,” she said.

“Because you can’t come to us, we’re coming to you.

“We know very strongly that we rely on the support of our donors and our volunteers, and we know that 2020 has been really tough for a lot of people, and we’ve certainly had a lot of challenges up here as well.

“Just as a sign of appreciation for you guys for sticking with us, for continuing to support us, and for continuing to donate, the kids have been practicing Christmas carols.”

Children First sMiles Retreat program manager Deb Pickering, second right, celebrates carols behind the scenes.

Program manager Deb Pickering also joined the event and said she was fortunate to be doing her work at the Miracle sMiles Retreat.

“We’re very happy to be here at The Retreat and to do what we do. The children come to us from overseas to receive surgeries that they wouldn’t otherwise get at home,” she said.

“We have a beautiful property up here, and we try to make it as much a home away from home as we can for everyone that’s here.

“At the present time, we’ve got six children and three carers with the children, we offer physiotherapy post-operatively, we have teachers come in, we have a beautiful built-in pool, which is fantastic for physiotherapy and rehab.

“We’re just very fortunate to be doing what we do, we love it.”

The concert is still available to watch on the Children First Foundation Facebook page for people who are interested.

For more information on the work of Children First, or to donate to support the children, visit www.childrenfirstfoundation.org.au.

Weed management questioned

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The North Central Review

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December 22, 2020

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Broadford residents have raised their concern about the State Government’s lack of weed management along the north-east rail corridor between Broadford and Wandong.

The management of weeds including blackberry, gorse and St John’s wort has allegedly been neglected for the past four years with the weeds spreading to neighbouring properties.

Broadford landholder and Glenaroua Land Management Group president Paul Fleming said he had consistently reached out to State Government departments and officials to get them to address the issue since 1999.

Mr Fleming said he had to spray his property’s frontage to the train line, about a kilometre long and 50-metres wide and fenced off for natural revegetation, every year because of the weeds spreading.

“In my property, I’m responsible for keeping the weeds under control, but they just don’t take responsibility for it,” he said.

“The stock will graze [St John’s wort], so in the open paddock, you don’t have much of a problem but when you’ve got plantations locked up for the environmental reasons, you then find that the weeds the livestock won’t tackle just flourish,” he said.

“It costs me probably three days of my time and there’s chemicals and so forth, but it’s just having to do it when you shouldn’t have to do it.”

Management of the train line between Donnybrook and Seymour is shared between the V/Line and the Australian Rail Track Corporation, who both work with VicTrack to maintain vegetation on the rail reserve.

In Parliament last week, Member for Euroa Steph Ryan questioned the State Government for failing to comply with the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994, which requires landowners to manage declared noxious weeds.

“The government is failing to comply with its own legislation, which requires all landholders to manage declared noxious weeds, including blackberry, gorse and St John’s wort,” Ms Ryan said.

“Landholders are sick to death of trying to control weeds while the government abrogates its responsibilities.”

Ms Ryan said she believed one of the reasons it had been allowed to go on was the corridor was managed by several different agencies, which allowed them to ‘pass the buck’.

“We need somebody to take accountability and recognise that it is a problem for our community and for adjoining landholders and to actually act on the weed problems,” she said.

“It is a real issue that the State Government is quick to throw the book at landholders for not managing weeds, but their own agencies are failing to meet their obligations as well.”

A State Government spokesperson said vegetation removal efforts were prioritised to focus on high-risk areas and management works were recently completed in townships along the rail line including Broadford, Wandong and Kilmore East in preparation for summer.

“V/Line, VicTrack and ARTC work together closely to maintain the shared section of the network between Donnybrook and Seymour, including fire prevention and vegetation management works,” the spokesperson said.

“Regular land maintenance undertaken includes tree, vegetation and grass removal, pruning, weed spraying and collection of illegally dumped rubbish.”

Crews also spray herbicides up to five metres from the track to manage growth in the rail corridor and remove noxious weeds as needed.

Residents with queries, concerns or who would like to flag an area for inspection are encouraged to call V/Line’s customer service team on 1800 800 007.

Council opposes park loss

News

The North Central Review

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December 22, 2020

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By Jackson Russell

Mitchell Shire Council will register its concern through its submission to a State Government planning scheme amendment about the effect the Wallan Area Network Improvements project could have on Wallan Community Park.

The project includes three stages: the Watson Street interchange upgrade, an upgrade to Watson Street itself, and an upgrade to the Northern Highway with several other upgrades included within the scopes of each stage.

As part of the project, the planning scheme amendment proposes to introduce planning controls, which would allow the Department of Transport to acquire land necessary for road reserve widening and allow for construction without a planning permit.

Council submission includes its concern with the use of Wallan Community Park as a temporary construction site and laydown yard, a section of council-owned land not being included in the public acquisition overlay and footpaths that do not connect to Station Street and Wallan station.

In its submission, council requested the removal of a special controls overlay on the park, which would stop it from being used as a laydown yard.

“The exhibited SCO extent doesn’t appear to have taken into consideration the existing conditions of the community park and how it is currently utilised by the community,” the submission said.

Council’s reasons included the extensive revegetation of the park, limited cleared areas, it’s use as a key open space, the proximity of homes that back onto the park and impact on fauna.

Council also requested the extension of a shared path on the upgraded Watson Street through to Station Street and Wallan station.

The motion to approve the submission was carried unanimously after south ward councillor Christine Banks, who lives near the park and ran for council on a platform of saving the park, declared a conflict of interest.

South ward councillor Rob Eldridge said he strongly opposed how the Department of Transport’s original plan affected the park.

“If I was to give anything back to the people that did the planning for this submission, that’s the state public servants, it probably looked like a good idea on paper but the problem we have with it is the Wallan Community Park is very well-used by the community,” he said.

“It’s the most-used piece of open space in Wallan and we don’t have a lot of them, and the proposal of the laydown area would last the length of those three stages which could be five years or beyond which would take that out of the public realm for that time.”

North ward councillor Fiona Stevens said it was disappointing the plans had caused the community so much heartache and angst.

“If there had been more conversation with council staff and councillors, we may have been able to avoid this situation but I’m confident we’ll be able to move forward, contribute to this in a positive way and find a solution that is palatable to all stakeholders involved,” she said.

Health-led recovery a focus for Green

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The North Central Review

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December 22, 2020

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At the halfway point of her fifth term as Member for Yan Yean, Danielle Green has identified a ‘health-led’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic as a key focus for the next two years.

Ms Green believes that focus will then create a flow-on effect into other areas including infrastructure and jobs creation.

She said the outer north had been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 with some of the largest numbers of cases occurring in the north, but there had also been an economic hit.

“After Black Saturday, we always said build back better, so I think what we can do over the next two years is have a health-led recovery,” she said.

The recovery efforts would not only include the construction a new community hospital in Whittlesea, but address some of the chronic health issues of the electorate.

Through her current role as Parliamentary Secretary for Sport, Ms Green said she hoped to increase participation in sport in both Mitchell Shire and the City of Whittlesea to match the electorate’s third municipality, Nillumbik Shire, which has the highest participation rate of organised sport in the state.

Ms Green said the rollout of reforms from the Royal Commission into Mental Health would be important in the state’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re building some new beds at the Northern Hospital because the Royal Commission identified that the north was really underdone,” she said.

“I always say that there’s still an impact community-wide from Black Saturday. So much of the community was impacted and it’s intergenerational, so we’ve got an opportunity to try and break that nexus.

“When you look at the causes of young people’s unemployment, a lot of it can be anxiety, mental health, substance abuse, if we can knock those things over, that’s the best thing that we can do to prepare young people in the 21st century.

“We know now with COVID, with climate change, it’s a very different century so we need to prepare our young people to be resilient and embrace this stuff and be healthy along the way.”

Ms Green said continuing the growth of southern Mitchell Shire was also on the agenda but took a long view that included people living and working in the area, much like a regional centre.

She said she would like to see taxpayer money used more effectively by encouraging more people to live or work in the other north, which tied back into improving the electorate’s health through greater sport participation and greater community involvement.

“I think Wallan and Beveridge in particular are the sweet spots for local to work but also for people in the north to come out to work,” she said.

“If you fundamentally change the local economy and have people working locally, you’re more efficiently using your road space and your rail assets. “So, the most effective use of taxpayers’ money is to actually use the opposite side of the train line, fill the trains that are going in the other direction, and fill the other side of the road. Then you’re less worried about the bumper to bumper cars coming back in on the Northern Highway.”

Tree turmoil

The North Central Review

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December 22, 2020

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By Colin MacGillivray

LAURIMAR residents are up in arms about a council decision to remove 140 trees from the area, claiming it will damage ecology, lower property values and ruin the character of the development.

Council sent residents a letter last month notifying them that about 140 trees on Woodstock Drive, Sparrowhawk Road, Harlin Street, Geebung Place and Sheoak Street would be removed.

In the letter, council’s parks and urban design manager Susan Hecker said the existing tree species in the area, combined with other factors such as soil type and condition, extended drought periods, climate change and building and engineering standards, had already damaged or were likely to damage houses in the future.

Ms Hecker said council had an obligation to mitigate risk for residents by removing the trees.

Geebung Place resident Paul Adams said while he agreed that some trees needed to be removed from the area, the scope of the project was too wide.

He said many of the problems stemmed from poor planning by previous councils.

“The area is a wetland area, and it was a floodplain,” he said.

“For a few streets back before it starts to go uphill, the ground surface is a mixture of mud and clay and the water doesn’t run away.

“Council has allowed houses to be built there and some of them have had to be rebuilt. With others, the combination of the soil type and the trees allows the trees to undermine. A lot of people have had to have synthetic materials pumped under their houses to stop them moving.

“It’s been a bit of a dog’s breakfast in allowing those houses to be built there.”

But Mr Adams said other areas with trees slated for removal were not on the floodplain and therefore less susceptible to tree damage.

“We’re on the elevated side. We’re just outside that wetland area of bog,” he said.

“I hand-dug the fence posts and I couldn’t get down further than 400 millimetres because it’s all rock and clay.

“I’ve got six trees outside the front of my place because I’m on a corner block, and one of the trees is 8.8 metres from the veranda, so I can’t see that as being any threat to anything.

“I went around and talked to the neighbours, and they just don’t want it gone.

“A lot of people in the affected area want them gone because they’re affecting their houses, but this is overkill.

“If they’re going to knock down the trees in the northern end of Geebung and Harlan, why not the next street higher up the hill? There is just no logic to it.”

Ms Hecker said council’s decision on which trees to remove was based on independent testing and research commissioned in 2019.

She said it was the best option to reduce the risk of further damage to buildings.

“We believe that the best option for the long-term benefit of local residents is to replace the trees with an alternative species that is better suited to the conditions,” she said.

“Feedback from residents has been very welcome and is being considered as we explore options to commence the project.”

Mr Adams said council’s decision would impact the aesthetic of the neighbourhood, disrupt native wildlife and reduce the area’s capacity to sequester carbon.

“Every tree in these three parallel streets and the connecting streets are getting the chop – it’s going to look like a lunar landscape,” he said.

“It’s a great area for birdlife. We get king parrots, lorikeets and crested pigeons, which we often feed.

“The council talked about putting in trees that they said would stop the urban heat island effect.

“I asked them how many trees they were going to put in, and they said there would be one in front of each house, maybe two. The trees they’re talking about would be half as big, so there’s no way known they’re going to achieve a canopy.

“It’s just overkill. The council has got an internal zero net emissions plan by 2022, but they’re going backwards with the area they control.

“Basically they’re doing everything counterintuitive to having an urban design that accounts for storing carbon and providing shade.”

Mr Adams said the work could potentially lower property values in the area.

“Many people have bought here because this area is known as the treed part of Laurimar,” he said.

“I asked if council would do a reassessment of our rates due to the reduced value of the properties.

“Many of the local residents weren’t interested in going down to the information sessions, because the letter said the decision had already been made.

“But when I went down to the first one, they said it could have been worded better, so I started getting people and saying ‘it’s not over yet, get down there’.

“There has been a problem for them and they’ve got to reduce their financial exposure to this problem that was created, but we’re not part of it. They’ve used a sledgehammer instead of a hammer.”

Men’s shed progress

The North Central Review

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December 22, 2020

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By Colin MacGillivray

ROMSEY Men’s Shed members are looking for donations of tools and equipment after celebrating the long-awaited construction of a shed at Romsey Recreation Reserve.

For more than two years the group laboured to make the shed a reality, as disputes with Macedon Ranges Shire Council stalled progress.

In December 2019 a toilet block on the reserve next to Romsey Scout Hall was demolished, and in July this year construction of the shed began on the site.

Members marked the completion of the shed with a morning tea last week.

State Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas and federal Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell attended the event. Mr Mitchell helped secure a grant of $20,000 and the State Government contributed $60,000 towards the shed’s construction.

Romsey Men’s Shed president Steve Goodman said both Ms Thomas and Mr Mitchell had been there ‘every step of the way’ as the group attempted to get the shed built.

“It’s been two-and-a-half years of bitter struggle at times,” Mr Goodman said.

“It was a pain in the bum while it was all happening – the toing and froing, and the arguments with the shire and all those sorts of things – but now that it’s up and it’s here, you sort of forget about all that.

“Somebody has got to put their hand up. Unless you do that and make it happen, this would still be a vacant block of land.”

Power is expected to be connected to the shed before Christmas and members are now searching for donations of tools and equipment ahead of a planned grand opening in February.

“The thing is now to get it filled and start putting things in – finding things like donations and equipment that might be suitable,” Mr Mitchell said.

“There are people who might be sitting at home and have dad’s old tools that they don’t use anymore. If it’s serviceable and useable for the community, then donate it – put your little piece into it.”

Ms Thomas said local businesses should also consider making donations.

“That would be a fantastic Christmas gift for these blokes who work so hard to get this shed to where it is today,” she said.

Mr Goodman said some items, such as a car hoist and some woodworking machinery, had already been donated.

He said the group was thrilled to finally have its own space, with membership more than doubling during the shed’s construction.

“Once people see things happening, bang, away you go,” he said.

“We’ve got a good number of members, somewhere in the mid-40s.

“It’s been very hard [having meetings without our own space]. We used to do it in the scout hall.

“We’d have our meetings there, but you couldn’t really do anything – you would just having a meeting and talk.”

The men’s shed movement aims to combat social isolation in men by providing a communal space where they can work together, bond, and discuss their issues.

The movement originated in Australia and has spread to several countries around the world.

Mr Goodman said the shed would make a difference to the lives of many people in the Romsey community.

“A big part of the meetings is communication. It gets you out of your house and you have social contact with someone else other than your wife or your family – and that’s a big thing,” he said.

Mr Mitchell is a co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Men’s Sheds group and said he had seen firsthand the positive effect the sheds could have on men’s mental and physical health.

“[Earlier this month] I went to a barbecue at Whittlesea Men’s Shed that was about making sure people get prostate checks,” he said.

“The important thing is having that conversation, and two days after that visit I got a phone call saying two guys had gone and got check-ups for the first time in about six years.

“I thought, beauty – a box of snags, a loaf of bread and a conversation was all it took to get two blokes on a better road for their own future.”

Mr Mitchell said breaking down social isolation was especially important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In normal times when you’re out doorknocking, you can meet blokes who haven’t spoken to another soul for four or five days,” he said.

“Over the course of the pandemic, isolation has been a big problem, so let’s address that.

“Wherever we look, men’s sheds are thriving. Every single one of them starts off with a handful of blokes, and it takes off from there.

“If you know someone who should be getting involved in the shed, then encourage them to get out and do it. Help them, because getting them out gives them an opportunity to connect with their peers and supports their mental and physical health.”

Ms Thomas said the Romsey group would welcome new members of any age or background with open arms.

“I encourage all men in Romsey to come down and have a look. They’re a very friendly group of men and I know the door will be open for people who are new to the town and people who are recently retired, but for younger men also,” she said.

Quarry conundrum

The North Central Review

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December 22, 2020

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By Jackson Russell

Mitchell Shire Council has raised its concern regarding the proposed inclusion of a quarry within the Beveridge North West Precinct Structure Plan.

Council claims it was ‘blindsided’ by an independent planning panel decision to recommend a quarry in an area south of Wallan.

It has urged Minister for Planning Richard Wynne to intervene and reject the planning panel’s recommendation.

The council is also seeking an explanation from the Victorian Planning Authority regarding the panel’s decision decided to support a quarry in the middle of a new suburb in the face of opposition from council and other agencies.

The quarry was a late inclusion in the plan after it had already gone through a community consultation process without the quarry present in the plans.

Council said the quarry’s inclusion was contrary to the vision, design and plan shared with the community and also goes against government advice from 2018.

A council statement said it had not ruled out further legal challenges if the panel’s recommendation was supported.

Council chief executive Brett Luxford said the quarry would destroy the amenity of the area and have a profound affect on its existing and future communities.

“The Planning Panel’s recommendation to support a quarry will kill our community and its way of life,” he said.

“Our growth corridor is already home to two quarries, one at Mount Fraser and a VCAT-approved quarry in Wallan East. We are seen as the dumping ground for quarries to service the needs of other parts of Melbourne.

“Alongside us at the recent Planning Panel were six highly-regarded strategic planning experts who provided evidence to the panel.

“All these people arrived at the same conclusion – that a quarry in this location would be fatal to the desired outcomes outlined in key State Government planning policy, PSP Guidelines and the PSP Vision for this area.

“We believe the VPA has substantial strategic justification to disagree with the panel’s recommendation and to proceed with adopting Amendment C106 to the Mitchell Planning Scheme without the need to contemplate a quarry in this location.”

Council said three out of 18 parties represented at the panel hearing were in favour of the proposed quarry – the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Resources, the landholder and quarry operator Conundrum Holdings.

Conundrum Holdings managing director Ron Kerr said the company supported the recommendations made by the independent planning panel.

“Quarrying is an essential temporary land use to maintain our community’s standard of living. Each person in Victoria uses on average eight to 10 tonnes of quarry products every year,” he said.

“We look forward to being granted a social license to extract this significant basalt resource offering choice of supply to local and Victorian small, medium and large-scale businesses, whilst coexisting and continuing to support the economic growth of our community now and into the future.

“We are proud of the quarrying industry, its contribution to our state, and look forward to continuing working with our local community over the coming years to create choice, opportunity and build an example for current and future generations.”

A government spokesperson said the Victorian Planning Authority was reviewing the recommendations of the independent planning panel.

“The amendment must make its way through the formal planning scheme process before a decision can be made,” the spokesperson said.

*The landowner of the location where the quarry is proposed is Wally Mott. He is also an owner of the Review.