Motocross titles return to Broadford

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January 21, 2020

By Jackson Russell

Once playing host to the World Motocross Championships, the sport returns to Broadford’s State Motorcycle Sport Complex for the first round of the revamped Victorian Motocross Championship on March 28-29.

The event is being made possible, in part, by a $1500 sponsorship from Broadford Bendigo Bank, which was announced by the bank and Motorcycling Victoria at the motocross track on Friday.

Motorcycling Victoria chief executive Robert Mestrom said the sponsorship helped the volunteer committee organise the series.

“This helps do the extra things to make the series special,” he said.

“We have to have decent medical at these events and having that grant just helps to cover costs and make it a really good experience for all the riders and spectators.”

Bendigo Bank Broadford branch customer relationship manager Leanne Paice said it was great to support a series that promotes safe riding.

“They’re concerned about promoting safety and young riders learning more about safety, awareness and being on the bikes to make them better riders,” she said.

“It’s just great for the bank to be involved and help support with prizes on the day and ongoing activities too. We look forward to the start of a wonderful relationship.”

With free entry, Motorcycling Victoria is hoping to draw crowds to watch the action across the weekend.

“It would be great to have a few people come along. It’s another event people can come to so if you’ve got a Saturday and Sunday where you’re not doing anything, come along,” Mr Mestrom said.

“This is where Motorcycling Victoria’s based and it’s good to utilise the complex and give the locals an opportunity to come and have a look.”

Kilmore riders Joel Green and Jack Bray will be among the field racing across two classes in 250cc and 450cc.

Green finished second in the 250cc and third in the 450cc last year and hopes to get off to a good start to 2020 at home.

“Riding in Broadford is grouse for me because I live in Kilmore so it’s home race for me. It’ll be good,” he said.

“With the new committee and a few new people on the board, it seems like they’re pretty motivated to try and build the series up and try a few new things.”

Eight seconds or less

The North Central Review

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January 21, 2020

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By Jackson Russell

Three young Broadford men have taken up a hobby a little different to most, travelling across Victoria every weekend to compete on the rodeo circuit.

Corbin Mundy and brothers Kaya and Jake Burge are only in the early stages of their rodeo careers but all have dreams of competing on the Professional Bull Riders circuit in the United States.

Fifteen-year-old Jake was dared to give the sport a go by his friend Corbin last March and fell in love with it immediately.

Jake competes in the junior bull and steer riding events and made his debut in the second division senior bull event at Yarra Valley Rodeo on Saturday night.

Older brother Kaya, 18, quickly followed Jake into the sport and only had a couple of rides in the junior divisions before turning 18 and going up to the bulls.

Sixteen-year-old Corbin is the most experienced of the three, and has already started riding in the second division saddle bronc as well as junior steer and bull events.

Corbin said rodeo was a natural fit for him and he enjoyed the community that came with it.

“I’ve always been into it. I’ve been around horses all my life as it’s just the thing for me to do,” he said.

“Everyone’s nice and helps you out so it’s a good place to be around.”

It doesn’t come without its dangers though, as they attempt to stay on a disgruntled 1000kg bull for eight seconds.

“They’re crashing around the chute and trying to get you with their horns and all that. It psyches you up a bit. You eventually calm down and it becomes a normal thing,” Corbin said.

Kaya recently had a rough fall off his bull, getting slammed into a metal gate.

“I was on a pretty big bull and came out of the gate, I had two and a bit bucks and my hand got stuck in the rope and he swung me around and the bull slammed me right into the gate and stepped on my legs,” he said.

Fortunately, Kaya was able to walk away from the fall unscathed but a little sore.

Jake and Kaya’s father Anthony Burge said he was proud of his boys.

“It is scary, especially on the bigger bulls. It’s very daunting but they love it and look forward to it every week,” he said.

“I’m happy because it gets them out of the house, off the Xbox and out into the fresh air doing some sport.”

The three will compete at theWhittlesea Pro Rodeo at the end of February in front of a home crowd and are hoping to receive some sponsorship from businesses to help further their careers.

“It gives the boys a bit more confidence and makes them strive to do their best,” Mr Burge said.

Broadford looks back to its school days

The North Central Review

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January 21, 2020

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A new exhibition depicting the life and times of Broadford Primary School will open on Australia Day.

For many visiting Broadford and District Historical Society’s exhibition on Sunday January 26, it will be a walk down memory lane as they see the many photographs, historic items, books and games on display.

The exhibition follows the success of last year’s Australia Day display of Broadford’s Australian Paper Mill.

The already-established link between the historical society and the primary school helped members come up with the idea for next exhibition to feature the school.

A call-out via social media soon sparked a strong contribution of photographs and items from people who had been associated with the school over the years.

Historical society member Marg Inness said the primary school began as Broadford State School in 1873.

“The earliest photo on display at the exhibition is from some time in the 1880s,” she said.

The earliest photographs depict some school children dressed quite formally, while others are in bare feet.

Ms Inness has also collated a book of information, facts and stories throughout the school’s history, gathering information from the internet and from various former students and teachers.

“Sandy and Barry Withers, former teachers at the school, have been amazing with their contribution,” she said.

“The school has also been extremely helpful, especially with printing the book.”

Items such as a Gestetner printer, scales and a portable writing desk have also been donated or loaned for the exhibition.

“The small writing desk belonged to long-time residents George and Shirley Bilton, and its from the 1900s,” Ms Inness said.

There are also marbles, toy guns, satchels, a grammar phone, uniforms and readers from yesteryear.

Society member John Brissett, and former Broadford Primary School teacher, has also helped out with collating the exhibition.

Mr Brissett was librarian at the school for 17 years, and helped with a library upgrade in 1999.

He said the primary school had undergone many changes with buildings coming and going over the years.

The building the historical society calls home was formerly a primary school building, moved to the High Street location in 1995.

The exhibition will open from 10am to 5pm on Sunday at 120 High Street Broadford, opposite the memorial park.

Watching out for commuters’ safety

The North Central Review

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January 21, 2020

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By Jackson Russell

South Mitchell Neighbourhood Watch is expanding its anti-theft licence plate screw program to include commuters at Wandong Railway Station on Friday, January 31.

The new system will see commuters sign up to have anti-theft screws installed on their vehicles throughout the week leading up to the event.

For an encouraged donation, commuters will receive a docket to place on their dashboard to indicate that screws are to be fitted on their car while they’re at work.

The system was previously trialled at Coles in Kilmore with some success.

If the success continues in Wandong, the program could expand to include every train station in the Mitchell Shire.

South Mitchell Neighbourhood Watch events co-ordinator Carol van der Ree said stolen plates could be used for all sorts of illegal activity.

“When the plates are taken off cars, they can be used for other crimes like speeding or fuel theft,” she said.

“Our aim is to get the preventable crime in the community to make people more aware of what they can do themselves to prevent crime.”

Police officers will also be in attendance to speak to commuters and answer any questions.

“We’ll be there to speak to commuters and just really encourage people to get their anti-theft screws fitted,” Mitchell Proactive Police Unit Senior Constable Heidi Twining said.

“It’s that extra layer of deterrent for criminals and the taking of number plates for vehicles.”

South Mitchell Neighbourhood Watch volunteers will be at Wandong Railway Station from 10am on January 31 and president Paul Lloyd said everyone was welcome.

“They don’t have to be a commuter, if they want to come on the day then we’ll change the screws for them and if they have got more than one vehicle, we can give them the screws to install themselves as well,” he said.

South Mitchell Neighbourhood Watch’s next Safe Plate Sausage Sizzle will be on Saturday, February 15 outside Coles in Wallan.

Former Kilmore teacher mourned

The North Central Review

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January 21, 2020

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The Kilmore Primary School community is mourning the loss of former teacher Jess West, who died in a crash in western Victoria last month.

The crash on December 29 also claimed the life of Ms West’s five-year-old son Deighton.
Ms West’s vehicle collided with a truck at the intersection of Kingston Road and Church Parade, 25 kilometres north of Ballarat.

Both passengers died at the scene. Ms West’s husband Anthony and nine-year-old son Oakley were also injured.

Police have charged the truck driver, a 59-year-old man from Western Australia, with two counts of dangerous driving causing death.

Ms West taught at Kilmore Primary School when she was Miss Shearer before moving to Strathfieldsaye Primary School in Bendigo, where she had taught for the past 10 years.

In a joint public statement, Ms West’s family described her as an exceptional woman.

“Jess West was an exceptional, generous and caring woman with a bubbly personality… Jess will be greatly missed by family, friends, her school community and sporting and recreational bodies in the Bendigo region,” the statement said.

“Jess was a devoted loving wife of Anthony West and mum of Oakley who is 9 years old. Jess was and always will be the love of Anthony’s life. She would walk into a room and instantly make the vibe of the room better like no other. There aren’t enough words to use to express how much he will miss Jess.”

In a letter sent to the North Central Review, Ms West was described as full of life and being born to teach.

“She had bright, bubbly, vibrant personality which was often matched by her vivid hair colours and styles,” Ms Avery said.

“Jess made teaching fun. Her passion for teaching her students and life shone through on a daily basis.

“She was respected and loved by her peers and students alike at KPS so much so that when she told her students that she was marrying the love of her life Anthony, some of her students and families headed up to Bendigo to see her get married.”

Kilmore Primary School was contacted for comment but did not respond before the Review’s deadline.

Running bins for farmers

The North Central Review

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January 21, 2020

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By Jackson Russell

A young Hidden Valley resident has been doing his bit to help struggling farmers, raising nearly $1000 by running his neighbours’ bins.

Twelve-year-old Ethan Liddy has donated a total of $869.20 for Buy a Bale by charging his neighbours 50 cents to ride to their house and put their bins out every Thursday night.

Ethan’s parents Jo and Paul Liddy also match every $100 that Ethan donates.

Ethan said he came up with the idea after watching the Hay Mate fundraising concert in 2018.

“I realised how much the farmers needed help with the drought so I asked myself, ‘What if I do a bin run in my street to raise money to donate to help them?’” he said.

Many of his neighbours have generously donated more than the 50 cents, with some contributing $30 or $50 at times.

Ethan started with three neighbours but it has quickly expanded to six and he hopes to do his bin run for the whole street.

“Now I’ve got six on board and I’m hoping to get pretty much the whole street on-board so I can raise as much money as possible,” Ethan said.

“Five of the houses have given me an extra $3 every time and one of the houses didn’t ask me to do their bins but they donated $30 to it.

“Next door actually gave me an extra $50 because they thought the farmers might need a little extra help.”

Ethan’s next goal is to raise a total of $5700, which is the cost to send a full semi-trailer of hay to farmers suffering from drought.

Mr Liddy said he and his wife were proud of what Ethan’s accomplished.

Ethan hopes to start more fundraising projects, including starting a food bank, busking and a charity concert.

Smoky weather causes concern

The North Central Review

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January 21, 2020

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By Evelyn Leckie

HAZARDOUS smoke that covered most of Victoria last week caused several services in the region to shut shop in order to protect residents’ health and safety.

As air quality levels dropped to the worst-rated on Wednesday, Mitchell and Macedon Ranges shire councils and the City of Whittlesea made immediate statements to change services.

Whittlesea Swim Centre closed its doors on Wednesday and Thursday, with council urging residents to stay inside.

City of Whittlesea acting corporate services manager Amy Montalti said council worked with outdoor staff during the week to minimise the time spent outdoors in smoky conditions in accordance with EPA advice.

“Due to the poor air quality, hard waste collections scheduled for Wednesday were rescheduled to Saturday,” Ms Montalti said.

Macedon Ranges closed its outdoor swimming pools in Woodend and Lancefield on Wednesday.

Mitchell Shire Council also closed its outdoor pools, citing the State Government’s Better Health Channel for further advice.

Connect Kids childcare centre in Kilmore was also forced to make changes its timetable for a week to prevent any health issues.

“We didn’t want to take any chances, we brought outdoor activities inside so the children were still able to keep active,” Connect Kids owner Rajesh Sharma said.

Smoke contains particles called ‘PM2.5’ which can cause short or long-term effects on respiratory or cardiovascular systems.

Children up to 14, adults over 65, smokers, pregnant women and people with pre-existing medical conditions are more vulnerable to the PM2.5 particle.

For more information on checking air quality, visit the Environment Protection Authority website at www.epa.vic.gov.au/about-epa/what-we-do/emergency-information-and-support

Veteran chef feeds army of volunteers

The North Central Review

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January 21, 2020

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By Jackson Russell

One Kilmore veteran is part of a 94-strong group helping veterans affected by the bushfires that decimated East Gippsland.

Retired Sergeant Gary ‘Gazza’ Sturdy was a chef in the Australian Army for 22 years and took it upon himself to feed volunteers, veterans and current soldiers in East Gippsland as part of Operation Veteran Assist.

Mr Sturdy, a Kilmore Wallan RSL member, called in a favour and borrowed a mobile field kitchen from an army base in Albury-Wodonga to feed about 250 people on the ground every day.

“I said I would take full control of feeding the boys. I didn’t have the capacity to do that with the equipment I have,” he said.

Mainfreight helped Mr Sturdy ship the kitchen from Albury-Wodonga to Orbost and threw in a 1200-litre fridge for good measure, while Bunyip Fire Brigade transported 19 pallets of water to support the cause.

Along with his team of volunteers, Mr Sturdy has been in Orbost since January 10 and has served up 750 meals every day from food donated from across Victoria.

“I put the call out to the Wallan and Kilmore communities to help me get some food and whatever they could to help me out. The response was outstanding,” Mr Sturdy said.

They have not just fed volunteer veterans, but active soldiers from the Royal Australian Regiment Taskforce B Squadron sent to aid the recovery efforts, and who had been surviving on ration packs since arriving in East Gippsland.

Through Operation Veteran Assist, veterans have used their years of training, skills and experience to help communities in need in Orbost and Bruthen.

Kilmore Wallan RSL president Rod Dally said veterans have helped clear blocks of land, fallen trees and had helped a flower farmer get back on his feet by planting new seeds in his fields.

“They got their hands on all the seeds they need, they cleared all his land and planted all his seeds so he can get going again,” he said.

“It’s something that’s arranged outside the whole system and it’s worked. They’ve got chainsaw operators, plumbers, carpenters, all these old skills from the army.”

“The work that Gary did as far as organising logistics and feeding 300 people a day was his baby. He’s just a go-getter.”

Study options open

The North Central Review

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January 21, 2020

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TAFE courses in business, health and community services, hair and beauty and tourism will be study options available in Wallan for the first time this year.

The Wallan GOTAFE campus announced its course list last week, with prospective students able to study varying levels of certificates, as well as short courses.

The TAFE will host public information sessions today, Tuesday, from 1pm to 4pm, and 5pm to 8pm at Wallan Neighbourhood House.

The team at GOTAFE undertook extensive community consultation throughout the shire and will now host 10 qualification courses and six short courses.

The campus is set to open in Wallan’s new Bendigo Bank building in February, allowing students in the region to access a range of educational opportunities to set them up for a pathway into a career.

GOTAFE chief executive Travis Heeney said the team was excited to offer a range of courses.

“The courses offered through GOTAFE will lead to real jobs in the region and help to meet industry demand for Wallan and surrounding areas as the population grows throughout the region,” he said.

“We are excited to be offering a great range of courses with highly qualified trainers and flexible learning options available for students.”

Mr Heeney said the focus of the courses would be integral to the growth of the region’s economy.

The Wallan campus will provide the following courses:

Business and IT courses:

Certificate IV in Human Resources
Diploma of Project Management

Teaching and Training:

Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
Certificate III in Early Childhood Education
Care and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
Health and

Community Services:

Certificate IV in Community Services
Certificate IV in Disability

Sport and Recreation:

Certificate III in Aquatics and Community Recreation

Hair and Beauty:

Certificate II in Salon Assistant

Animal Studies:

Certificate II in Animal Studies

Tourism:

Certificate III in Tourism.

Short-courses available include

Introduction to Computers
Level 1; Introduction to Project Management
Prepare to Work Safely in the Construction Industry, White Card;
Responsible Service of Alcohol
Food Safety Supervisor Short Course
Food Hygiene Short Course

For more information on the courses or to register for a session.

WR (2020-01-21)

Whittlesea Review

The North Central Review

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January 21, 2020

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