Wet and wild weekend

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December 2, 2025

THERE was immense frustration across the Diamond Valley Cricket Association as rain halted what looked to be multiple exciting finishes to games.

Mernda’s Money Shield clash against Lower Plenty at Waterview Reserve was affected, which meant the Demons were stranded on 0/4 chasing 195.

Laurimar’s match against Hurstbridge at Ben Frilay Oval was listed as a draw, with the Power 3/159 chasing 266 after 72 overs.

Luke Richardson was impossible to get out, finishing on an unbeaten 56, while Rian Boddy was also unbeaten on 30.

South Morang was undone by a wild innings from Thomastown’s Shoaib Khan, who scored an unbeaten 107 at Main Street Reserve to help Thomastown chase down the Lions’ 9/190, winning by five wickets.

Theiveekan Theivanesan was a lone hand for the Lions with the ball, taking 4/46 off 27.5 overs.

Whittlesea’s first XI game was abandoned against Research Eltham Collegians, with both teams settling for a draw.

Elsewhere, Mernda’s B grade team was no match for Diamond Creek, losing by 178 runs after being bowled out for 80.

Arshdeep Singh’s 18 and Satinder Sekhon’s 16 were the best for the Demons on a difficult day.

There was no play for Laurimar’s second XI, meaning they lost on first innings to Hurstbridge, 125 to 6/153.

It was a similar story for the Power’s third XI, losing to Rivergum 98 to 4/113 after play was abandoned.

South Morang’s second XI just avoided an outright loss to Riverside.

Riverside passed the Lions’ 139 and declared with a 38-run lead.

The Lions batted again, with Paul Martin leading the way with 23 runs, and sportingly declared on 7/107 to try and take 10 wickets.

From six overs, Riverside made 1/34, falling short of an outright win by 35 runs.

The Lions’ third XI saw them fall short by 34 runs to Banyule.

Brodie Slater put in a fighting innings, scoring 49, but his departure spelt the end of the Lions’ chances as they were rolled for 126, chasing the Bears’ 9/160.

Mernda got the job done on the second day’s play in its third XI, winning outright against Dennis.

After bowling Dennis out for 45 on day one, the Demons did a number on their opponents once again, all out for 72 as they won outright by 43 runs.

David Taylor took 3/14 off 11.1 overs to lead the way, while Stephen Otter took 2/6.

There was no play for South Morang in F2 grade, meaning its 77-run margin over Research Eltham stood as a first innings’ victory.

The Lions also did not get on the park for their G2 grade game.

Mernda’s G1 West team won via forfeit against Heidelberg.

Laurimar, on the other hand, had a difficult day against Bundoora Park, all out for 84 chasing 9/154.

Jack Cordwell, Michael Peters and Chaminda Arachchige took two wickets apiece, while Peters played a lone hand in scoring 57 runs.

The Power’s G2 grade game was abandoned.

Mernda had a thrilling G3 grade win over Hurstbridge, winning by one wicket.

Chasing 7/166 courtesy of Gurbinder Pannu’s 4/19, the Demons were looking comfortable at 4/135, but a collapse saw the Demons lose 5/25.

However, Saurin Sandeep Sharma had ice in his veins, scoring an unbeaten 58 to take the Demons home on a thrilling afternoon’s play.

South Morang struggled greatly in G3, losing to Bundoora by 10 wickets, 115 to 0/118.

Adi Sharma’s 26 was the best score for the Lions, while Michael Flint provided some lower order hitting with his 22.

Another big innings from Jack Jerabek guided Whittlesea’s second XI to a 57-run win over Eltham.

Jerabek’s second consecutive 50 saw him score 52 off 61 deliveries, while Thomas Watt scored 41 as the Eagles made 7/195.

After Eltham made an encouraging start in response, the Eagles slowed down the run rate greatly, and Jerabek performed strongly with the ball, taking 3/11, while Gavin Butler took 2/32 as Eltham made 9/138, falling well short.

The home-and-away portion of the women’s competition in the North Metro Cricket Association ended on Sunday.

South Morang Blue’s match with North Balwyn ended as a draw, with the Lions making 5/132.

Emma Leatham led the way with 36, while Kristy Carbis added 22, before taking 2/33 as North Balwyn finished on 2/33 before rain intervened.

Laurimar Black avoided the division one wooden spoon with a terrific win over Epping.

Phoebe McKenna, Tara Chetcuti and Abbey Buckley took two wickets apiece as the Power restricted Epping to 83 runs, before Chetcuti’s 28 and Kyra Rule’s unbeaten 35 helped Laurimar get the job done easily, scoring 2/86 off just 12 overs.

In division three, Laurimar Teal was no match for Preston Baseballers.

The Power was restricted to 78 runs, and Preston only needed 13 overs to chase it down with eight wickets left in the shed.

South Morang Maroon ran out of time to chase down Macleod/Heidelberg’s total, losing by 24 runs.

Kylie Krezuer-Pierce was terrific for the Lions with the ball, taking 2/6 off six overs as Macleod/Heidelberg scored 6/128.

Liba Ahmad did her best to try chase down the total, scoring an unbeaten 27, but the Lions could only make 4/104.

Tunnel approved for Sunday Creek

Michael Thompson

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December 2, 2025

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SOUTHERN Cross Gold’s Sunday Creek Project has had a new exploration tunnel approved – and naturally, it has brought significant attention to the project as more minerals could be discovered.

The project was announced by the Victorian Government last Thursday, in which the tunnel is slated to reduce community impacts for noise and light while underground drilling and exploration goes on.

The new project is set to create 100 to 150 jobs, according to Southern Cross Gold, while also creating opportunities for local contractors.

The new tunnel has been approved as research from the Geological Survey of Victoria suggests there may be a large antimony resource in Central Victoria than believed previously.

The tunnel will be around 150 metres deep and 600 metres long, with construction of the exploration tunnel to take six to nine months.

To minimise traffic, buses will take workers to and from the site, avoiding school bus times.

Southern Cross Gold Consolidated President and CEO/Managing Director Michael Hudson said the work plan approval does not mean mining and processing can begin at the site.

“Southern Cross Gold Consolidated is still only permitted to undertake exploration activities which will help us to understand the Sunday Creek resource more quickly,” he said.

“The licence does not permit us to mine for minerals nor does it guarantee that a mining license will be approved. A mine licence requires a separate, comprehensive approval process.”

Mr Hudson said feedback from residents was considered from the formulation of the plan.

“We shared our plans with community members from the earliest possible stage and their feedback has been incorporated into the project’s final design,” he said.

“We will continue to keep the community updated on any plans and activities and will let residents know before any construction begins.”

Mr Hudson said dust and noise suppression techniques will also keep the community front of mind.

“While the exploration tunnel will enable drilling to occur 24 hours per day from underground, we will continue surface exploration drilling during the day as well,” he said.

“We will monitor dust and noise emissions so that activities can be adjusted if needed.”

Local jobs remain the focus for Southern Cross Gold, according to Mr Hudson.

“With the increase in rigs, we will be hiring more local people to train as field assistants, creating more employment opportunities. We also deliberately focus on using local businesses, which will further support local economic development,” he said.

“We support local initiatives, volunteer organisations, sporting clubs and events across the region, and we work closely with neighbours, landholders and community groups to ensure open communication.

“This year we have welcomed a number of local people into new roles across the business. Many of our staff are locals, and this announcement will further accelerate that growth, creating additional jobs at our Kilmore core shed and on site.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said it was a project which helps support the mineral industry in Victoria.

“Critical minerals are the future and we’re backing the industry in Victoria – while protecting the environment and our communities,” she said.

Member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes, said it was also a boost to the industry in Central Victoria.

“Victoria is home to globally significant deposits of critical minerals and we’re backing projects that could lead to jobs in central Victoria,” she said.

While seeing the positives of a local employer creating more jobs in Sunday Creek, Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland said she also expected the local community to get engagement for the works throughout the process.

“With the project now moving to an underground exploration tunnel, impacts such as noise and light for nearby residents are expected to be reduced. It is vital that the assessment of environmental and community impacts remains thorough as this work progresses,” she said.

“Local communities rightly expect clear information, genuine engagement, and strong protections at every stage of exploration. I will continue to monitor the development closely to ensure the voices of residents, landholders, and local businesses are heard.

“The prospect of a significant local employer is welcomed, provided that lasting, high-quality jobs are created. Throughout the process, I have engaged with Southern Cross Gold, community groups, and local stakeholders to get feedback and understanding of this significant region building project.”

Work goes on for Council bin system

Michael Thompson

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December 2, 2025

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THE Mitchell Shire Council have officially reviewed the first six months of its transition to the four-bin kerbside system, acknowledging that while it’s a continued work in progress, they emphasise they are listening to feedback from residents.

The detailed report in the Council agenda prior to last Monday’s meeting found that 56.9 per cent of waste was diverted into landfill, up from 26 per cent from the previous two-bin service, something which Councillor Nathan Clark pointed out was a ‘largely successful’ result.

“A huge part of that has been the redirection of food-organic, garden-organic material into the green bin, which people in the Shire have been begging for,” he said.

“The result has been largely successful. Over the six-month period, 56.9 per cent of waste collected at the kerbside have been diverted from landfill.

Cr Clark also offered advice for larger families, in which the report had acknowledged that they had struggled with the new system, as well as younger families with nappies – leading to council meeting with a mothers’ group in May to understand how young families were coping with the change.

“There are options for large families to upgrade your bin as well, so if you qualify for that, I’d certainly encourage it. I do recognise and acknowledge that nappies are a problem in the community in terms of timing, the fortnightly pickup as well,” he said.

As part of the next six months of reporting, independent audits will occur to ensure Council can pick up on how full bins are getting, and whether there are contamination threats.

Cr Clark said it would allow Council to understand common themes as a result.

“Upcoming after this, there will be kerbside audits, where the experts go through the various bins and check for contamination rates, see what’s in there and give us a good idea of what’s happening in waste,” he said.

Councillor Ned Jeffrey said he understood resident feedback loud and clear.

“Sometimes I feel like the public sees us receiving these reports and acknowledging them, and their large level of complaints that were originally lodged when this program was implemented could be forgotten,” he said.

“I would like to say to the community that we have heard your complaints, they’re still very much front and centre.

Councillor Timothy Hanson said a significant success of the program was the MyMitchell application, with 12,000 downloads as of August 2025.

“We had a significant uptake in the downloads of the MyMitchell app when the bins came in, so that in itself is great,” he said.

“Anyone who doesn’t have the MyMitchell app should think about it. It’s great for kerbside collection schedules, reminders and a great way to see what we’re doing here at council.”

Councillor Bob Humm took note of the monthly glass collection, saying that understanding more data would allow Council to review the contract, given changes that has occurred in the rubbish industry since then.

“The glass situation – this contract was done out in 2023, prior to this council being put out, and prior to the 10 cents to know what impact that would have on the articles that are actually dropped off to the recycle centres,” he said.

“That’s impacting on our pickup, and the fantastic report that the officers did just recently is actually showing a lot of that information, and hopefully over the next six months, we’ll know a little bit more about it, and as far as the glass side of things go, we’ll be definitely looking very hard at that contract, because there is a major saving there for the ratepayers.

“If we can save our ratepayers a few hundred dollars a year, that’s great.”

Other findings from the report indicated that the bin inspection program found that while most bins were presented well, there were issues with minor contamination in the mixed recycling, glass and organics bins.

It was found that 17 per cent of inspected general rubbish bins had material which needed to be placed in other bins, however, Council noted a positive where contamination rate in food and garden organics dropped significantly, noting that the contamination rate had dropped from 12.4 per cent in April, to 3.5 per cent in October.

A night for Ray

Michael Thompson

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December 2, 2025

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With Ray Carroll

A GIANT of the community was celebrated on Saturday night as Ray Carroll’s immense contribution to Assumption College and the wider community was celebrated with a testimonial dinner in front of 600 guests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s Olympic Room.

The capacity crowd included former students who travelled from London and New York and every Australian state.

It was not just an assembly of star footballers and cricketers but many from all walks of life-medicine, law, teaching, captains of industry, the arts and agriculture.

Also, quite a number were girls’ students Mr Carroll had taught in the classroom or who had assisted him with sport.

The gala occasion honoured Mr Carroll’s five decades of service to Assumption in the classrooms, dormitories and sporting fields. Also, it paid tribute to the 48 football and cricket premierships he had coached on Australian record.

Mr Carroll had previously been honoured by the AFL, Cricket Australia, federal and state governments and Mitchell Shire. A moving tribute was also paid to Australian of the Year Neale Daniher.

Twenty-five of his 1978 First XVIII and First XI premiership players were present.

Nearly all of the 82 VFL/AFL footballers who played in Mr Carroll’s teams were present along with nearly 40 cricketers who had progressed to test, state, UK county and Australian premier clubs.

The night saw multiple guest speakers provide their insights on Ray’s impact within the Assumption community, as well as their later success in life.

Hosted by Simon Costa OAM, the speakers on the night were Brother Doug Walsh, Fred Le Deux and Dion Prestia, Brian Forrest, Francis Bourke, Simon O’Donnell via video, Neville Clark OAM via video, 1999 Brownlow Medallist Shane Crawford, Neale Daniher, Tony Ottobre, Ken Fletcher via video and Hayley Casboult via video.

Mr Crawford provided a stirring speech which documented his journey from Finley in country New South Wales to Assumption under Mr Carroll’s watch, while Mr Bourke read AFL chief executive officer Andrew Dillon’s personal message to Mr Carroll.

Mr Daniher spoke about Mr Carroll’s impact on his life, while Mr Fletcher and Mr Clark spoke as respected figures from other schools who competed against Assumption in both football and cricket.

A panel session soon followed, with Damian Drum hosting the first contingent from the 1970s to the 1990s, with Gary O’Brien, Michael Connor, Peter Tossol, David Brooks, Ray Power, Jon Henry and David King on the first panel, before the second panel, hosted by Mr Costa, brought in Jason Smith, Dan Kavanagh, Adam Pickering, Eric Kuret, Michael Barlow, Jamie Sheahan and Tallan Wright.

Former Geelong player and modern-day Triple M radio host Billy Brownless provided support to Mr Costa, before a horse-race hosted by racecaller Gareth Hall and Fox Footy’s Ben Dixon determined who Ray’s favourite student was, won by Mr Power.

To finish the night, Mr Carroll spoke on stage, greeted and finishing the speech to a rousing standing ovation, speaking about his memories at Assumption College.

“To all of you here, I’m greatly in debt. You made my life so good, and it was a great privilege to know you and so many of your families. Without exception, you are all here with success in life and various forms, whether it be medicine, law, school teaching, agriculture, farming, it’s wonderful that you all made a success of your life and families and in nearly all cases, contributing to your community,” he said in his speech.

“I wish I could mention all your names to say how you impacted on my life across the decades, but that would take hours.”

Funds for Mitchell Shire libraries

The North Central Review

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December 2, 2025

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MITCHELL Shire libraries have received a major funding boost, with the latest round of the State Government’s Living Libraries Infrastructure Program set to invest in 18 libraries across the state.

Mitchell Shire Council has received $76,682 for a technology upgrade. The project will deliver faster, more reliable, and more accessible services, improve resource management, and free up staff to focus on learning programs and personal support.

Minister for Local Government Nick Staikos announced the recipients of $4 million.

Since 2014, the government has invested $57.6 million into 176 different library infrastructure projects, with a combined end value more than $522 million.

The Living Libraries Infrastructure Program supports initiatives that deliver tangible benefits to local areas, and increase access to learning, participation and engagement with community libraries.

Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the funding would strengthen Mitchell Shire’s ability to provide safe spaces and essential learning resources, creating real benefits for the community.

For more information on the Living Libraries Infrastructure Program, or to view the full list of recipients, visit localgovernment.vic.gov.au/grants/living-libraries-infrastructure-program

Community feedback steers Seymour Hub

The North Central Review

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December 2, 2025

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COMMUNITY voices have helped shape the final design for stage one of the Seymour Community Wellbeing Hub, with Mitchell Shire Council confirming a series of improvements following two rounds of consultation.

The $17 million project, funded through $15 million from the Federal Government’s Growing Regions Program and $2 million from Mitchell Shire Council, will deliver a modern, two-storey facility in central Seymour, bringing health, learning and community services together under one roof.

The new hub is a cornerstone of the long-running Seymour Revitalisation Project, a partnership between Council, the Victorian Government and the local community aimed at improving wellbeing, strengthening social connections and expanding access to essential services. A dedicated health and wellbeing centre was identified in 2018 as a priority to help break cycles of disadvantage and better support residents.

Stage one will include a contemporary library with community learning areas, multipurpose meeting rooms, upgraded event spaces, a café, and a health hub featuring clinical and non-clinical consulting rooms for visiting service providers. Landscaped outdoor areas will provide accessible and inviting spaces for community use.

Initial consultation occurred in mid-2024, with revised draft plans placed on public exhibition in August and September 2025. Feedback from residents, community groups and service organisations prompted several key changes to the final design. These include expanding the meeting room and café area, adding 57 square metres to the building footprint, introducing an operable wall to allow the space to be divided, and incorporating upgraded audiovisual and acoustic features to better support movie screenings and large events.

Other additions include direct kitchen access for functions, an area for creative arts activities, and increased desk spaces and plug-in points throughout the ground floor to support study and work. The design improvements have resulted in an additional $572,893 being referred to Council’s capital works budget for allocation.

Mitchell Shire Mayor John Dougall said the project had been shaped by strong community input.

“We heard from residents, service providers and community groups who told us what was most important to them, and we’ve acted on that,” he said.

“While the additions increase the project cost, they’re practical improvements that will make the hub more welcoming, functional and inclusive for the whole community.

“The hub will deliver long-lasting benefits by bringing key services together in one central place. It will make it easier for people to access support, learn new skills and stay connected. It’s a significant investment in Seymour’s future, and I want to thank everyone who shared their ideas, your feedback has helped shape a facility we can all be proud of.”

Detailed design work is expected to be completed in early 2026, with construction scheduled to begin in mid-2026 and finish by mid-2027.

Further information and project updates are now available at mitchellshire.vic.gov.au/seymour-hub.

Road works for motorcyclists

The North Central Review

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December 2, 2025

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MOTORCYCLIST safety is a focus from the State Government, with a Mitchell Shire road part of a $10.6 million project designed to help motorcyclists on the road.

Through the Road Safety Program under the Motorcycle Safety Infrastructure Program, new motorcyclist-friendly barrier treatments, signage improvements and sealing of dangerous intersections will be performed.

One of the eight roads as part of the project will be the Broadford-Flowerdale Road near Strath Creek.

Victorian Minister for Roads and Safety, Melissa Horne, said this was designed to reduce road trauma, with 54 motorcyclists losing their lives on Victorian roads through to December.

“Motorcyclists are among our most vulnerable road users and are sadly overrepresented in road trauma, which is why we are continuing to prioritise making our roads safer through the Motorcycle Safety Levy,” she said.

“This is why we are investing in vital road safety improvements to ensure they can get where they need to go safely.”

A dream comes true

The North Central Review

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December 2, 2025

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By Ashok Verma

THE ceremony to mark the start of the new headquarters on Tuesday was a special occasion for Kilmore State Emergency Services (SES) Unit Controller Steve Caddies.

The new facility will realise a much-longed-for dream for the unit.

“This is one of the busiest road rescue units in Victoria and it’s also our busiest storm response unit. As you look around here, the population continues to grow, and it (the unit) will get busier and busier. So, this new facility for SES and our local volunteer members is hugely important, not just for responding to jobs, but it would also be a place where you train,” Mr Caddies said.

“It’s going to be fantastic. It will also mean that we are able to retain members for having such a state-of-the-art home to work. We really appreciate it. We can’t wait to see the end products.”

The unit, which has 60 active members, responds to a growing number of calls for help, including storm damage, floods and road accidents. It has responded to significant events such as 2020 storms and 2022 Victorian floods. It has responded to 357 requests for assistance this year so far, 403 in 2024 and 237 in 2023.

Mr Caddies said: “Today is a really significant moment for Kilmore SES and for the wider Mitchell Shire. For our members, this new unit means a safe, modern, purpose-built place to work from. You guys (members) give so much of your time and energy, often in tough conditions and at all hours.

“You really deserve a facility that supports you, encourages participation and help you train, prepare and respond (to calls for help) with confidence. This new facility will do exactly that.”

Turning back history pages, Mr Caddies said: “It’s worth reflecting on where we started. More than 40 years ago, we started in the kitchen-lounge room of the building we’re about to demolish, to build this new unit. There’s something pretty special about that. And I want to sincerely thank Kerry (De Gabrielle) and the original founding members of Kilmore (including Pat and John) who laid the foundations of everything Kilmore SES is today and what it will be when the building is complete”.

Mr Caddies thanked Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes, who, he said, along with the previous unit controller, worked hard “to make this vision for the new facility a reality”.

“(The project) is a source of pride because I’m a local and I rely on you guys if anything happens in my community, so it’s particularly special to be able to be involved in this project. It has been a bit of time coming, but the fact that we’ve got this under way, you guys would be at a new home about mid-next year, having a cornerstone landmark in the middle of Kilmore to service the broader community,” Ms Symes said.

She said the new facility would be able to attract the next generation of volunteers, with more or more people joining a tremendous organisation.

Committed to a noble cause

The North Central Review

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December 2, 2025

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By Ashok Verma

STEEPED in history, this impressive Powlett Street house was owned by founding members of the State Emergency Services’ Kilmore unit, Sam and Kerry De Gabrielle.

But after Sam’s death and their two sons moving out after getting jobs elsewhere, Kerry has sold her much-loved house of more than 40 years, but she is not sad as it is for a cause close to her heart.

The house is set to be demolished and make way for the new $6 million headquarters of the Kilmore SES unit.

“It was becoming pretty difficult to manage looking after the house and it will now serve a great purpose for the community,” Kerry said.

As a retired person, Kerry never tires to volunteer her services for the SES and remains one of the most active members of the unit.

“She has turned out to more jobs than anyone else,” said Kilmore Unit Controller Steve Caddies.

Sam, Kerry and a small group of volunteers started the Kilmore unit in 1981.

“Since its start, the Kilmore unit has become one of the busiest in the state, and we are there to help the community in need,” Kerry said.

Meeting like-minded people, helping people in need and learning new rescue skills and training are the motivating factors for Kerry’s continuous volunteering work.

“We keep training, learn skills like chain-sawing, sandbagging, first-aid, and other search and rescue operations.

“It’s sort of variety (being an SES volunteer). It’s never the same thing twice … from everything to do with storms and accidents and checking on a leak for someone … every job is different … you never get bored.”

During all these years, Kerry remembers some “funny things” like digging out some little dogs that had fallen into rabbit or wombat holes, and very bad times like attending to several floods.

“We have had several years where the floods have been quite bad, the worst being when Darraweit Guim was severely flooded (in 2022). Several areas got completely flooded out … school (Darraweit Guim Primary School) was very badly hit.”

Kerry remains undaunted by her tough job as a volunteer and remains committed to continue serving the community.

Making education history

Ian Blyth

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December 2, 2025

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WANDONG Primary School has celebrated a remarkable milestone, marking 154 years of education, community spirit and local heritage with a day of festivities that brought together families, alumni and residents from across the district.

Founded in 1871, Wandong Primary began as a modest bush school serving the children of early settlers and workers from the region’s timber and rail industries. The original timber building, warmed by pot-belly stoves in winter and cooled only by open windows in summer, was the centre of early community life. Children arrived on foot, horseback or by the early rail services that helped shape the town.

As Wandong grew through the early 20th century, the school became a social hub, hosting picnics, sports days and community gatherings. The mid-century years saw a steady expansion of facilities, with upgraded classrooms, a library and improved play spaces supporting a growing enrolment. Despite modernisation, the school retained the small-community feel and deep local involvement that have defined it for generations.

In more recent decades, Wandong Primary has embraced contemporary learning, introducing digital technologies, environmental programs and strengthened wellbeing initiatives, all while maintaining its connection to local history and community traditions.

Last week’s 154th anniversary celebrations showcased that blend of old and new. The afternoon fete transformed the school grounds, with families enjoying food and market stalls, heritage displays, and entertainment from students and local performers. Children flocked to rides and attractions, including carnival-style games and face painting, while past students spent time revisiting decades of photos and memorabilia.

Classrooms were decorated to reflect different eras of the school’s past, and the community showed strong support through raffles and fundraising stalls that will help provide new resources for students.

The milestone event not only honoured the school’s long history but also highlighted the strong community spirit that continues to underpin Wandong Primary School after 154 years.