Police will have a major focus on impaired drivers with a statewide road policing operation set to kick off this Friday ahead of the Labour Day long weekend in Victoria.

This comes hot on the heels of a major road policing operation conducted over last weekend, during which police nabbed 49 drink drivers and 10 drug drivers on Melbourne’s Monash Freeway.

Operation Colossus, which was conducted over Friday and Saturday night, saw police conducting high volume alcohol and drug testing on the Monash Freeway, targeting impaired drivers.

Police also impounded eight vehicles, detected nine disqualified / suspended or unlicensed drivers, arrested three people for theft of motor car and issued 18 infringement notices.

Other incidents of note include:

– A 27-year-old man returning an alleged breath test reading of 0.177.

– A car detected travelling at 152km/h in a 60km/h zone on the Monash. The driver was subsequently processed for drug and unlicensed driving.

– A stolen car driving through a testing site. It was stopped a short distance away and the three occupants arrested.

– A driver being arrested in Hampton Park after failing to stop at the testing site.

This story based on a Victoria Police report

Victoria Police is issuing a warning to vehicle owners, as intelligence reveals tech savvy thieves are behind a surge in car thefts across the state.

Increasing numbers of cars are being stolen from residential streets, driveways, and other community locations, where no associated burglary, robbery, or carjacking takes place.

While there are instances where people leave their keys in their car, most commonly in these thefts, the owner reported to police they retained the keys and their car had simply vanished.

Police intelligence suggests as many as one in five Victorian cars are stolen in these circumstances.

This trend has coincided with third party electronic devices, which are capable of programming or mimicking keys, becoming increasingly available for purchase.

Once inside a vehicle, this device can be plugged into the cars on board diagnostic port to override the security system and start the engine.

Car thefts using third party electronic devices have been occurring in other countries such as the United States and United Kingdom for several years and are now becoming more prevalent locally.

Police believe this methodology is well known among criminal circles and being used extensively, hence today’s public warning.

Police intelligence suggests certain makes and models with electronic push start technology are being targeted, given no ignition key is required.

Victoria Police’s Vehicle Crime Squad has been working with impacted manufacturers on this issue, given the devices are being used to exploit car electronic security systems. Insurance companies have also been engaged as part of these discussions.

The intelligence reveals the makes and models most stolen in circumstances where police believe key reprogramming devices were used include:

• Holden thefts increased by 92.9% (+1,377) in the twelve months to January 2025, when compared to the previous 12 months. 1.7 x as many Holdens stolen in this period, when compared to the rolling five yearly average. Specifically relates to Commodores (sedans, utes, and station wagons) manufactured between 2013 and 2017.
• Toyota thefts increased by 76.4% (+1,391) in the twelve months to January 2025, when compared to the previous twelve months. 1.7 x as many Toyotas stolen in this period, when compared to the rolling five yearly average. Specifically relates to Hilux (2016 – 2023), Landcruiser (2008 – 2021), Camry (2014 – 2017), Prado (2012 – 2022), Rav4 (2019 – 2024), 86 (2012 – 2017) and C-HR (2017 – 2020).
• Subaru thefts increased by 107.8% (+402) in the twelve months to January 2025, when compared to the previous twelve months. 1.8 x as many Subarus stolen in this period, when compared to the rolling five yearly average. Specifically relates to Impreza/WRX (2015 – 2018), Outback (2015 – 2018), XV (2014 – 2018) and Levorg (2016 – 2017).

Police are urging owners of these vehicles to look at a range of preventative measures to help deter thieves, including an on board diagnostic port lock which prevents an offender connecting a reprogramming device to your vehicle. These locks are highly affordable and self-installable.

Further information about additional vehicle security measures can be found at https://www.police.vic.gov.au/preventing-motor-vehicle-theft

Other security tips include parking your vehicle off the street and always ensuring your vehicle is locked, even when at home.

As always, police urge the community to lock their cars and remove items such as garage remotes and car/house keys.

Car theft in Victoria has gradually declined over the past 20 years as vehicle security improved and cars could no longer be hotwired.

However, the proliferation of key programming devices for sale has led to levels of car theft not seen in Victoria since 2003.

In the twelve months to September 2024, 25,773 vehicles were stolen in Victoria – 6,408 more than the previous twelve months.

Without technological remedies or target hardening measures, such as the installation of on board diagnostic port locks, it’s anticipated the number of car thefts will continue to increase locally.

Anyone with information on vehicle theft is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Vehicle Crime Squad, Detective Inspector Julie MacDonald: “Modern day cars are akin to computers on wheels and while this comes with plenty of benefits, it also creates opportunity for offenders.

“Vehicle immobilisers were a technology facilitated solution at the turn of the century – the emergence of key programming devices are proving to be a technology facilitated problem.

“It was considered impossible to steal a car this way as little as two years ago.

“However, offenders are now using these devices like a modern-day screwdriver to steal cars.

“We strongly encourage owners of impacted cars to consider all possible methods to improve their vehicle’s security – there are a range of auto shops and websites that stock these anti-theft products, and staff can assist with advising you on what will best suit your vehicle.

“Vehicle owners can also speak with manufacturers or their insurance agents for further advice.

“For many vehicle owners, the loss of their car will have significant impacts. It’s not just the immediate financial loss, it could also be the impact it has on their ability to undertake activities such as attending work of school, transporting family members, or performing care responsibilities.

“If you can keep thieves out of your car, then the chances of losing your car are far reduced.”

Inspector Scott Dwyer, SD2 Investigations and Response: “On the frontline, it’s become clear these devices are well understood and frequently used by offenders.

“They are showing up more and more at search warrants and offenders are admitting they are using them during arrest interviews.

“Local police continue to arrest car thieves, including several who have admitted to using these devices to start and steal cars.

“While police will continue to be out in force targeting car thieves every day and every night, we also encourage the community to take the necessary steps to prevent themselves becoming a victim of crime.”

Words: Victoria Police

Bendigo police arrested a man late last week following a series of alleged aggravated burglaries, attempted aggravated burglaries and multiple car thefts in the Maryborough, Bendigo and Melbourne areas along with an alleged home invasion in Melbourne.

It is alleged the offender armed with a meat cleaver was involved in a home invasion on Park Crescent in Fairfield about 12.30am on February 22.

Offenders allegedly entered the premises via a doggy door where they stole personal items, car keys and a Subaru.

It is alleged the offender was involved in two separate burglaries targeting massage parlours in Bendigo on February 6 and in Richmond on February 11 where 30 handbags were allegedly stolen.

Officers from Central Victoria Response Unit, Bendigo Crime Investigation Unit and the Western Region Crime Squad, Bendigo Highway Patrol officers and Bendigo police arrested a man at a California Gully property about 9.30am last Friday (February 28).

An 18-year-old California Gully man has been charged with home invasion, four counts of aggravated burglary, three counts of attempted aggravated burglary, robbery, two counts of burglary, six counts of theft of motor vehicle, six counts of theft and other related offences.

He had been remanded into custody to appear before the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court.

Detective Inspector Dan Davison said, local police working with other specialist units are dedicated, focused and will continue to work hard to hold those who offend to account.

This story based on a Victoria Police report

Happening over this Labour Day long weekend, the Newstead Open Studios art trail is a locally inspired and crafted event, held  annually since 2015 and based in and around Newstead, in the heart of  Victoria’s Goldfields region.  

Spokesperson and artist Sarah Koschak (pictured below) said every year artists opened their studios  to visitors.  

“There will be lots of beautiful and diverse art for sale at each of the studios, you might even make a purchase or two,” Sarah says.

“We can’t wait to welcome you to our studios. As well as many of our regulars, you’ll find some new artists and studios in the mix.”  

This year the lineup of 18 artists plus two group shows includes printmakers, jewellers, painters, potters, sculptors and more.  

For an overview of each individual artist’s work and for more about the art trail head to www.newsteadopenstudios.org.

As part of the event, the second Small Sculpture Exhibition and Prize will be held in the Newstead Arts Hub along with a group show at the RedShed Arts Workshop.  

The Central Goldfields town of Newstead is 10 minutes from Castlemaine and 20 minutes from Daylesford.  Participating studios will be open Friday to Monday on the 2025 Labour Day long weekend,  March 7 to 10, 10am to 4pm.  

The City of Ballarat is progressing flood mitigation projects to better protect the Miners Rest and Cardigan Village communities.

The flood mitigation projects will focus on upgrading storm water systems, improving water flow management and implementing engineered solutions to reduce the risk of flooding in these areas.

The City of Ballarat has advertised a tender for design services for the Cardigan Village Flood Mitigation project after completing flood modelling that identified several flooding hotspots within the township.

The flood study outlined several mitigation solutions, and the successful engineering consultant will be required to design four flood protection measures for assessment and consideration.

As part of the Miners Rest Drainage Plan, updated flood modelling has also been completed.

A concept design that targets interventions in key areas to provide flood protection, while minimising the impact of works on local residents and the environment, is now underway.

The City of Ballarat plans to engage a civil design consultant to further develop the concept design this year, prior to commencing construction.

The City of Ballarat 2024-25 Budget included an increased investment in drainage projects to address storm event flooding in Cardigan Village and Miners Rest communities.

The Budget allocated $6.5 million for drainage projects, including the Cardigan Village Flood Mitigation project and for the Miners Rest Drainage Plan, with additional funding proposed for future years’ budgets.

City of Ballarat North Ward Councillor Jim Rinaldi said while there is a lot of design and engineering work still to be done, once completed, the projects will help protect the two communities.

“We are committed to taking action to help reduce flood risks and provide long-term storm resilience for Cardigan Village and Miners Rest,” he said.

“The project teams will consult with local residents throughout the process at key stages to keep them updated on developments and address any questions.”

Areas of Cardigan Village and Miners Rest have experienced flooding during storms in recent years, highlighting the need for improved drainage infrastructure and flood prevention measures.

Overland flow plays a significant role for the flooding and drainage problem in Cardigan Village, with unlined open drains conveying stormwater flows to the wetlands and detention basins.  

Areas of Miners Rest can flood via the Burrumbeet Creek during large storm events. 

This story based on a City of Ballarat media release

No matter what the weather forecasts tell us it’s officially autumn on March 1, so time to consider refreshing your spring-flowering daffodil and jonquil plants before they start their regrowth and produce  their little bulblets.  

In fact, if you have established clumps of any of the spring flowers and wish to move or thin them out, do it now, before they start their new growth cycle.  

Many of these varieties generate strong root growth before the flowers emerge, and they could suffer a setback if they are disturbed.  

A garden bed with deep friable soil or a large garden pot will do, providing the drainage is good. An open, sunny position suits daffodils best, although some protection is needed during their flowering period.  

Under normal conditions they should be planted 6 to 7cm deep. Space the  bulbs 8 to 10cm apart. They should be able to stay in the bed for three to four years without needing to be lifted.  

Now to your questions! Keep them coming.  

Q. Hi Glen, One of my friends told me he read somewhere that banana skins make a good fertiliser. Is this true? If so, how would I use them? – Curious, Kyneton  

A. Hi Curious, yes, that is correct. In fact, banana skins are an excellent source of potash, and as they are high in water content, they rot quickly and the potash soon becomes available to the plant. Up to six to nine skins can be put around each  shrub, mashed and dug in. Researchers in the United States have found that monthly applications in spring and autumn were the most beneficial.  

Q. Hi Glen, many of my plants look unhealthy, yet they receive adequate water and fertiliser, and I feel are well maintained.  One of my friends, who is a keen gardener, told me that perhaps I had a chemical deficiency in my soil. Could this be possible? If so, how could l find out what chemicals are deficient without resorting to expensive tests and equipment? – James, Woodend   

A. Hi James, tell-tale signs for detection of soil deficiencies can help you grow better plants, once you learn to read them. If the growing conditions are correct look for nutrient deficiencies such as these: Nitrogen – yellowing of the leaves – starting from the base of the plant; Phosphorous – poor root system, dull leaves, seeds fail to form, spotty leaves; Magnesium – yellow blotches between the larger veins on the leaves; and Calcium – weak growth, inadequate root systems. All of these symptoms must be considered when correcting deficiencies.

Your garden questions answered. Simply email your enquiry to: Garden queries to glenzgarden@gmail.com You should see your answer in the next edition of The Local

Don’t let a hiss-terical situation rattle you – paramedics are urging Victorians to slither safely through the remainder of snake season after attending at least 129 suspected snakebites this summer.

From December 1, 2024 to February 18, 2025, paramedics responded to 28 incidents in Hume, 24 in Loddon Mallee, 16 in Barwon South West, 33 in Metro, 21 in Gippsland and seven in Grampians.

Ambulance Victoria (AV) Director Emergency Management Dale Armstrong said of these cases, 125 people were transported to hospital.

“With hot weather continuing, the snakes are out, which means we need to be vigilant,” Dale said.

“Bites can often be avoided simply by being observant in areas that are likely to attract snakes, such as near rivers, long grass or sheds.

“Victorians can also take preventative measures around their home by keeping their property clear of rocks, logs and building materials, and keeping grass short.

“Most snakes in Victoria are venomous and a bite can be life-threatening.

“If someone is suspected to have suffered a snake bite, even if you’re not sure, you should call Triple Zero (000) immediately.”

Batesford mum Angela Malone (pictured above) knows the dangers of snakes all too well after being bitten by one on her back doorstep.

After hearing her dogs barking, Angela walked outside and was instantly bitten on the foot by a tiger snake.

“It was very unexpected as I’d never seen a snake anywhere on our property before,” she said.

“I had a snake bandage inside but wasn’t sure where. I knew the worst thing to do was move around so I sat still.

“I called Triple Zero (000) and asked my son to pass me some washing from the laundry nearby which I used as a pressure bandage.”

Angela said it was a very stressful situation for her and her five-year-old.

“My son was scared and asked if I was going to die but I reassured him I would be okay,” she said.

“I knew to keep calm and when the paramedics came, they were fantastic. I was very thankful it wasn’t my son who got bitten.

“It really shows you need to be prepared and know what to do because a snake bite can happen anywhere. I’m very vigilant around the property now.”

Snake bites may cause pain and swelling around the puncture wound, or there may be very few signs left on the skin. Symptoms that snake venom has entered your body may include dizziness, blurred vision, breathing difficulties, nausea, muscle weakness or paralysis.

Dale said there are some basic first aid steps people can take while waiting for an ambulance if they’re with someone who suffers a bite.

“If a snake bite victim is unresponsive and not breathing normally, you should begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR),” he said.

“If the patient is conscious, it is important to keep them still and reassured while waiting for help – only move them if it is too unsafe to stay put.

“Snake bites commonly occur on hands, feet or limbs, so applying a pressure immobilisation bandage to the affected limb can also make a big difference to the treatment and outcome of a snake bite incident.”

The Australian Resuscitation Council recommends applying a pressure immobilisation bandage (snakebite bandage) starting at the fingers or toes and working up the arm or leg as far as possible, ensuring that the bite site is covered. If a bandage has already been applied to the bite, or if the bite is covered with clothing, the pressure immobilisation bandage should be applied over this.

If you don’t have a pressure immobilisation bandage, use a firmly applied regular bandage or an item of clothing at least 10-15cm wide.

Keep the patient as still as possible and, if able, use a splint of some kind to prevent movement of the affected limb. Do not remove the pressure immobilisation bandage until the patient gets to hospital.

People should not wash the site of the bite, as venom left on the skin can be used to help identify the type of snake and the anti-venom required.

Snake bite prevention and tips:

• Always give snakes a wide berth and allow them the opportunity to flee
• All snake bites should be considered a medical emergency
• Most (but not all) Victorian snakes are venomous
• Do not attempt to catch or kill a snake yourself
• Bite marks may not be obvious – seek help immediately and call Triple Zero (000) if you suspect you have been bitten.

If you or someone you’re with is bitten:

• Remember DRSABC (Dangers? Responsive? Send for help. Open airway. Check for breathing. Start CPR if required)
• Call Triple Zero (000)
• Keep patient still and reassure them
• Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage
• Splint the limb to prevent movement
• Wait with the patient until help arrives

Words & Image: Supplied, Ambulance Victoria

Victoria Police has issued a refreshed warning about a scam that continues to target the Mandarin-speaking community via phone and social media networks such as WeChat and WhatsApp.

The scam, which operates worldwide, has seen victims in Victoria and across Australia, lose significant sums of money after speaking to callers who pretend to be officials from courier services, government officials and police.

Victoria Police first received reports of the scam in July 2017, with scammers predominantly targeting Chinese nations who come to Victoria to attend university.

However recently police have seen scammers broaden their scheme to target an increasing number of victims who are not part of the Chinese student population.

Detectives now estimate at least 20 per cent of victims are from outside the student population, with police now urging people across the broader Chinese community to be aware they may be targeted.

In 2024, police received almost 200 reports of this scam in Victoria with victims suffering an estimated financial loss of over $7M.

These sophisticated scams generally include a message or call claiming to be a courier service, Chinese police or Chinese official with the purpose of extorting money.

The scam can include:

• An intercepted parcel addressed to you, containing compromised documents;

• Your personal details being known;

• A threat of charges or arrest warrant against you or your family;

• Direction to go to a website purporting to be a Chinese authority to obtain a phone number;

• Production of apparent Chinese authority documents including an arrest warrant;

• Communication and monitoring maintained via online apps; and

• A request to transfer money into Chinese bank account/s to avoid prosecution.

Scammers have also provided direction to victims which including gagging and binding themselves and creating a fake crime scene.

Criminals instruct the students to photograph and / or record themselves and to send the photographs / footage to them via an encrypted application.

The scammers then convince students to contact their parents, either directly or through a third party, to inform them that they are being held hostage and demanding money be transferred into a bank account.

In two recent cases involving victims who were not a Chinese student, police identified the following:

• A 19-year-old Carlton woman was contacted by a scammer saying her personal information was leaked on the internet. She was transferred to the public security of a Chinese district and then spoke to a person purporting to be a public official who informed her identification was linked to a money laundering investigation.

She was told a warrant had been issued for her arrest and to ask for a reprieve from the prosecutor. The victim was asked to have her parents transfer $50,000 under the pretext of student fees in order to have the arrest warrant cancelled. Money was subsequently transferred to the scammers banks account/s in China.

• A 41-year-old West Melbourne woman was contacted by a scammer purporting to be from Vodafone, saying a phone number in her name was sending false information and to report it to police. She was told the number was purchased at Beijing Airport and she was transferred directly to the Beijing Chaoyang Police.

Scammers impersonating police told her she had been implicated in a money laundering case by a bank account in her name. She was threatened to be arrested and sent back to China if she didn’t pay a prosecutor pending trial. She subsequently transferred $57,000 into a Hong Kong bank account.

These scams are aggressive and elaborate, leaving victims feeling frightened and intimidated. Scammers aim to instill fear in their victims when by claiming to be government officials, exploiting victims’ trust in authority.

Many of these scams involve offenders stealing hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, of dollars from their victims and their families with this money never recovered.

Importantly, visitors or Chinese students who find themselves a victim of this scam should understand that reporting the scam to Victoria Police will not have any impact on their Visa.

While most cases involve scammers operating overseas, Victoria Police have also charged people operating the scam in Victoria.

If you are approached by someone in these circumstances or who you believe to be a scammer:

• Do not continue any conversations that you suspect are scams;

• Do not send any money to people who say they are Chinese police or government officials; and

• Do not reveal any personal information such as your address, bank accounts or other contact details.

If you are unsure:

• Report any suspicious scam or behaviour to Victoria Police and ReportCyber;

• Speak with friends and family about the scam for support and guidance; and

• Contact the Chinese consulate for advice and further assistance with reporting.

Anyone who believes they have been a victim of this scam is encouraged to submit an initial report via the ReportCyber website. This will collect your details and send them to police for further assessment.

To help with the investigation, police encourage the community to keep records of the conversations by taking screen shots of messages and retain phone call records.

Anyone who believes they are in danger and needs immediate police assistance should call triple zero (000).

For advice on scams, visit the Scamwatch website, which has information about current scams in Chinese languages.

Victoria Police has also developed a fact sheet about these scams, which is available in both English and Mandarin, on the Victoria Police website: https://www.police.vic.gov.au/scams-targeting-mandarin-speaking-communi…

If you have any other information about this scam and wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential online report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Detective Inspector Damien Jones, Financial Crime Squad:

“If you are contacted by anyone claiming to be a Chinese government official, do not comply with their demands and never transfer money or provide personal details to anyone who requests it over the phone unless you made the call yourself.”

“If you are unsure, then talk it over with someone you trust, or the police, before taking any action.”

“Victoria Police is urging the community to be vigilant and to have conversations with their friends and family so everyone is aware that this is a current and very common scam.”

“We understand that victims may be hesitant to report these crimes to police, however Victoria Police will assist anyone who is being subjected to these scams.

“Victoria Police is treating these offences as extremely serious, and we understand that overseas visitors or international students may not be familiar with the services available to them in Victoria.

“We urge all of you, do not be embarrassed to speak to police. In reporting these crimes to police, you are also helping us form intelligence to investigate, catch those responsible and prevent this from happening to others in future.”

This story based on a Victoria Police report

The Mount Players held its AGM on February 14 with a huge turnout and four members received Life Memberships on the evening, two of them the first canines to be honoured with the award.  

Reg and Millie Taranto, above, who never missed a set build, working bee or social occasion put their best paws forward and stepped on to the stage to receive their trophies.  

On a more standard note, David Runnalls and Karen Hunt were humbled at receiving their honours after many years of dedicated service to the theatre.  

The Mount Players say that thanks to an abundance of nominees, all roles on the 2025 committee were filled,  ensuring the ongoing success for the Mountview Theatre. 

By Donna Kelly

“You should have never started it,” Trump said. “You” being Ukraine and “it” being the war that Russia clearly started when it launched a full-scale  invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, having annexed Crimea in 2014.  

The world has gone nuts. And the sad thing is some people, perhaps mostly MAGA idiots, will believe it. And history is rewritten. Much like the Gulf of America with Google maps already showing the new title – almost before the ink was dry on the presidential order.  

Then there’s the renaming of Denali, the highest mountain in North America, to Mount McKinley. Denali is based on the Koyukon name of the mountain, with the Koyukon a people of Alaskan Athabaskans.

The McKinley bit happened in 1896  when a gold prospector came upon it and thought he would randomly commemorate former US president William McKinley. Of course, McKinley never stepped foot in Alaska.  

Anyway, enough about that. I am just glad I got to Europe before Covid and then America last year. I love Australia and I think I will just do a bit more wandering around this great nation – which doesn’t need to be made great again, no matter what Clive Palmer thinks. Good grief.  

New Zealand is also wonderful and I hear the Chinese are buying up land there in droves in readiness for climate change. Along with southern Australia. Smart  buggers.  

We popped over the ditch a couple of weeks back for a family catch-up. Had a  great time, well apart from the B&B which you can read about over on the left in Kyle’s Rant.

The family was fun, food was great, scenery (Kaikoura) was absolutely breathtaking and Kyle and his 80-year-old dad and a few others even went ziplining.  

Came back a little worse for wear but obviously had the time of their lives. Not my thing so I went shopping with the 11-year-old great niece who was so cute I couldn’t resist buying things for her. Mind you, she loves op-shopping so it wasn’t too onerous on my credit card.

Charlie ended up with a present to give her grandmother, another one for her mum, a stuffed alpaca, lip gloss, strawberry fudge, a tin of marshmallow, some chocolate biscuits, Kiwi biscuits including Shrewsberries and Ginger Nuts to give to Kyle, an orange slushie and a can of Dr Pepper – yuk.  

Kyle’s sister’s family used to live in Christchurch, until that massive earthquake, with Sharlene working just across from the CTV building that collapsed. She ran all the way through the city, through liquefaction, to her son’s school.

I always  remember thinking she was fitter than I realised.  So they moved to Kaikoura just in time for the earthquake there that lifted the sea level by three metres.

They were living by the beach, heard the tsunami warning,  got to the grandchild staying with them and then drove off up the hill – pulling up only to unhitch the boat that was being towed behind them.

I have asked them not to move to Hepburn Shire – just in case.  

Anyway, back home now, with summer slowly coming to an end which means it’s time for fun with festivals – like ChillOut.  The Local has been a proud media partner for 11 years now and I must admit I do love being in the parade. This year is no  different.

The theme is circus which, as  Kyle says, suits us perfectly. We are pretty much a three-ringed circus most of the time, just keeping the balls in the air. And the general manager is a bit of a clown at  times. Just sayin’.  

The Victorian state government has accepted all recommendations from the independent review into Australia’s first voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws and has announced it will make further reforms to make them fairer.

Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas last month tabled the review into the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017, which has given Victorians with a life limiting illness, dignified and compassionate choices since 2019.

The review found there was strong community support for VAD, with the service often accessed at the same time as palliative care. It also found that it is operating safely – with no reports of ineligible people gaining access to VAD.

Despite this, the review found areas for improvement including further guidance for health practitioners on how to deal with patients that want to access VAD.

It also found that the Victorian Government needs to continue to advocate to the Commonwealth Government for greater support to ensure VAD remains accessible, viable and sustainable into the future. 

In response to this important review, feedback from the community and the recommendations made by the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board, the state government will rewrite legislation to improve access to VAD, bringing it in line with other jurisdictions.

Subject to consultation– the government will legislate to allow health practitioners to initiate discussions about VAD – acknowledging sentiments from stakeholders that it stops doctors from having important conversations with patients about end-of-life care and limits informed decision-making.

Changes may also require health practitioners who conscientiously object to VAD to provide minimum information to patients – with the review stating that such obstruction was inconsistent with person-centered care. 

For Victorians with neurodegenerative conditions, many of whom are house or bed-bound at the time of application, proposed changes include removing the requirement for a third assessment – making the process easier and less complicated, as well as reducing demand on doctors who make these assessments.

Since 2019, 1,282 Victorians have accessed VAD services as a safe and dignified end of life choice.

The state government will now begin work on this reform, starting with stakeholder consultation on how to improve the experience for those choosing to access VAD.

The full review is publicly available at health.vic.gov.au/voluntary-assisted-dying/five-year-review.

Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas: “While our Australian-first voluntary assisted dying laws are giving Victorians the dignity of making their own decisions about the timing and manner of their death – we know we need to update them to ensure they remain fair.”

“Reforming our VAD laws to bring them in line with other states is critical to maintaining a service that is accessible to all Victorians, no matter where they live.”

This story based on a state government media release

Reuben Fisher is a happy, healthy baby, but in October last year he was fighting for his life.

It was a normal day at home when, without warning, 10-week-old Reuben suddenly became unresponsive during a feed.

His mother, Amy, immediately called Triple Zero (000) and used her nursing background to start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

“Instinctively I knew something serious was wrong,” she said.

“Thankfully, the response from Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) and the paramedics was so quick and they were able to take over and care for Reuben.”

Within about five minutes both FRV and Ambulance Victoria (AV) crews were on scene with firefighters performing chest compressions and ALS paramedics monitoring Reuben’s airways and vital signs.

After about 14 minutes Reuben’s heartbeat returned and paramedics transported him to Warrnambool Base Hospital where he was stabilised before being transported by fixed-wing plane to the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Little Reuben stayed in the Royal Children’s Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for a week and spent an additional two weeks in hospital after that before returning home.

Every day, around 21 Victorians will suffer a cardiac arrest and only one in 10 survive.

This can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any age, health or fitness level, and often without symptoms.

Early CPR and a shock from a defibrillator before emergency services arrive more than doubles the chance of survival.

Amy said she counts her blessings every day that her little boy is now back at home and reaching his milestones.

“When the emergency services arrived and took over it was a huge relief,” she said.

“It was amazing knowing they had Reuben’s best intentions at the forefront of their minds.

“Now, Reuben is doing amazing and is meeting his milestones and developments. He’s rolling, he’s starting to smile and giggle and it’s really lovely.”

AV Southern Grampians Clinical Support Officer Sam Uren responded to Reuben’s case and said it was fantastic to hear he’s made a full recovery.

“It was all hands on deck to help Reuben have the best chance of a positive outcome,” he said.

“FRV continued with compressions allowing paramedics to focus on advanced airway interventions and administering essential medications.

“We’re really fortunate to have played a part in this positive outcome and it shows the exceptional care provided by those involved, including Amy.”

In February, Reuben and his family reunited with the emergency service workers who helped save him last year.

“It was good to say thank you and remind them they did an exceptional job helping to save Reuben,” Amy said.

“We’re so lucky to have Reuben and he’s doing so much better than we expected or could have hoped for.”

With around 80 per cent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring at home, Amy said she hopes to encourage other parents to learn the skills that saved her baby.

“Doing CPR training and a first aid course while you’re pregnant is very worthwhile,” she said.

“There are so many easy to access options out there and you never know when you might need it.”

Victoria’s cardiac survival rates are one of the best in the world, thanks to high rates of early intervention.

Emergency Medical Response (EMR) is a collaborative program between AV and FRV designed to improve survival from cardiac arrest.

When you call Triple Zero (000) for an unconscious, non-breathing or pulseless patient, firefighters are co-responded with the nearest ambulance.

Alongside the existing GoodSAM app and other initiatives, EMR complements AV’s world-class service and further enhances patient outcomes in the community.

Words & Images: Supplied, Ambulance Victoria

Regular readers of my rhetoric will  know that I have been in a battle with Hepburn Shire Council over my subdivision that has taken around three years. (You may have read my latest rant in the last edition.)  

But it transpires that all you need is a newspaper for a soapbox and you can get a bit done around the place. With the final bits of sign-off emerging before the ink had dried on our last newspaper – the power of the press.  

Speaking of press and advertising, puffery is a legal term used when advertisers say something about their product that’s immeasurable; it can’t be about a measurable fact.  

For example, a business can say they are one of the most respected in the world or they have the best steak that money can buy – this cannot be measured due to the number of contingencies in the statement.  

However, if a business misrepresents itself by saying they serve the cheapest steak in the district (and it’s not) or an accommodation provider shows a photo of a view that is clearly not obtained from the lounge room, this becomes illegal puffery.

You are welcome.  

My tale about the wrong kind of puffery begins on last week’s post-Christmas family holiday in the sleepy New Zealand hamlet of Kaikoura, now pronounced Kaikouda, which means to eat crayfish. Which is one of the many activities this place provides, with its 2800-metre mountains only a couple of kilometres from the sea and the sea bottom plunging to below 300 metres only a mile or so offshore.

This place is spectacular and requires no puffery.  

In 2016 an earthquake struck the town, two people died and it was estimated that the seabed rose as much as three metres, forever changing the landscape.  

A lot of the houses were written off and a lot more owners were given money to repair their homes by the government. And there are some amazing residences.  

Unfortunately, the house that we picked for our small break which talked of beautiful bay views and an amazing location wasn’t one of them. It was the filled-in bottom half of a house tucked down a street with no views and when the owners moved around upstairs it felt like the ceiling was going to collapse.

And the creaking!  It was so bad that we felt that had an earthquake hit that weekend we would end up in a pile of rubble as the house collapsed on top of us.  

I asked the owner for a refund based simply on the noise, we only stayed there three of our seven nights, and she said her hands were tied, so we are now in an arm wrestle with Airbnb because apparently, we are covered by AirCover, an insurance policy they offer.  

Their first offer of support we have already refused. A refund of $100 against the $1600 we had already dropped on the place.  As we do, we’ll keep pushing for a better result. Let you know how that goes.  

Puffery rant over…  

by Jeff Glorfeld

Christmas 2024 in the Glorfeld home was a subdued affair. My father, Bill, a room-filling character in life, died the previous February and this was our first Christmas without him, and my mother had recently moved into an assisted-living facility – what we in our young ignorance used to call an old folks home – and wasn’t adjusting well.  

Nevertheless, Carol and I tried to have some fun with the holiday spirit – I put up strings of coloured lights outside, and we decorated a tree, a little potted pine.

We cooked a turkey and all the necessary side dishes, and made merry with my mum and brother, and Carol’s younger sister.  

Another change this Christmas was in our gift giving. Apart from hanging stockings on the fireplace mantle, stuffed with geegaws and gimcracks and chocolates, we didn’t go overboard with presents. I must’ve been very good last year, though, because Santa (it was really Carol but I don’t want her to know I know it wasn’t really from Santa) surprised me with a copy of Paul Kelly’s book How to Make Gravy.  

Published in 2010, I could’ve used it on my daily Kyneton to Melbourne round trip on the Bendigo V-Line – as entertainment and for the physical workout – my paperback edition weighs in at 568 pages, including photographs and the index.  

Carol and I are Paul Kelly fans and not embarrassed to say so. In 1986 we’d settled into a flat in St Kilda and had discovered the thriving music scene in the pubs and clubs along the Esplanade and Fitzroy Street.  

One of the first shows that really captured our hearts was Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls, at The Venue, the old Earls Court, showing every one of its decades as a bayside pleasure palace.

Kelly and his band had recently released their  breakthrough album, Gossip, four vinyl sides, 24 songs, each one a well-polished gem. It was a band with the wind in its sails, a future so bright, they needed to wear sunglasses.  

After that show we became a Paul Kelly version of Deadheads, travelling around Victoria to hear the magic.

It seemed unfortunate when the Coloured Girls became the Messengers, reportedly because non-Australians (Americans?) would not see the connection between the band’s name and lyrics in the Lou Reed song Walk On the Wild Side, but we were truly disappointed when Kelly broke up the band in the early 1990s.

We went to hear his new groups a few times but his legend outgrew pubs and clubs and we didn’t feel the love in the big theatres and stadiums.  

In the book he talks about touring in the US, trying to become established in that massive, lucrative market. He describes having a day off in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2002, and taking a guided tour of the Stephen Foster Memorial, a museum devoted to the early American songwriter, author of such standards as Oh! Susanna, Camptown Races, Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair and Beautiful Dreamer.  

“Touring is often a grind,” Kelly writes, “touring in America in particular – the absence of family, the endless interstates, the queues at airports, the  incomprehensibility of the sports pages in the newspapers, the indifference of sound checks. But every once in a while, unbidden and unforeseen, a golden day or hour bowls up to you.”

Turns out, the Stephen Foster Memorial in Pittsburgh provided just such a golden day.  When I unwrapped the book on Christmas day I declared that I wouldn’t sit down and read it from start to finish – it was too massive.

It seemed like a book that you’d open at random, or search out a time or place or person or song from the index and read what Kelly had to say.  

A few days ago I looked up Steve Connolly, the older brother of one of my  friends at The Age, Rohan Connolly, one of Australia’s foremost AFL journalists. Steve Connolly was the guitarist in Coloured Girls and Messengers and was one of the chief architects of their sound.

He went on to produce records for Archie Roach, Kev Carmody, and others, before his tragic death in 1995, from a heart infection.  

Scattered among Kelly’s stories and reminiscences are lyrics to some of his songs.  As a fan of his music, I’ve known that he’s as much a storyteller as a musician, and these lyrical interludes help the stories flow from one to the next.

It’s February now and, true to my prediction, the book has become a treasured companion in troubled and trying times. It sits on the corner of my desk, from where I can open it at random, and disappear into a world that’s real but somehow, from far away northern California, slightly magical.

I reckon I’ve still only read about half of it. On my weekly radio program, The Down Under Hour, on tiny community station 88.5FM, broadcasting from a studio in Round Mountain, with a tower on Hatchet Mountain, I often find myself reaching for Paul Kelly records.

They can be from the 1980s all the way into the 2000s, and I can always find something to fit the mood.  My listeners think so too – I’ve had more good feedback about Paul Kelly’s music than any other artist.

I’ve just flipped open the book and found these lyrics to the song, Gathering Storm, from his 1995 album Deeper Water.  

I rise up and turn on the light  

Now it’s shining in my window  

My walls are strong  

My chimney’s smoking  

God speed you in the gathering storm  

After many happy years living in Victoria and working at The Age, journalist and former Wheatsheaf resident Jeff Glorfeld, and his wife Carol, went back  to California, the land of his birth, where in the past seven years he has survived bushfires, snowstorms and drought. And Trump. And Covid. And Trump again. The cicadas and locusts didn’t arrive. Well, not yet.   

Victoria has recorded a record year for Solar Homes with more than 78,000 solar panels, hot water systems and batteries installed in 2024 – the largest year on record.

That’s more families than ever saving $1,000 each year on their energy bills by powering their homes with solar, the state’s Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said, announcing the record in recent days.

When combined with a hot water heat pump, families can save up to $1,400 a year or at least $1,600 with a battery, the state government also highlighted in a media release announcing the state’s latest stats on the shift to household solar.

More than 300,000 solar panels have been installed through the program. That’s more than 2,100 megawatts of solar power that can be generated from Victorian rooftops – the equivalent of Loy Yang A, one of the largest coal fired power stations in Victoria. 

More than 31,000 energy-efficient hot water systems we’re installed in 2024. That’s a 151 percent increase in installations on the previous year, the highest increase across all Solar Homes incentives.    

The majority of installations occurred in Melbourne’s outer suburbs with Tarneit, Craigieburn, Point Cook, Clyde North and Truganina accessing the most solar rebates.

In regional Victoria sunny Midura leads the charge followed by Shepparton, Wangaratta, Traralgon and Wodonga.

Eligible households can access a $1,400 rebate to install solar panels, a further $1,400 interest free loan and a further rebate of up to $1,000 to replace their hot water system – cutting $3,800 from upfront installation costs.

Today, 30 per cent of Victorian homes now have solar installed. That’s more than double the number of homes that had solar when the Solar Homes program began in 2018. 

The saving doesn’t stop with Solar Homes, the Victorian Energy Upgrades also delivers discounts on appliances ranging from heat pumps to cooktops. The program has saved Victorians $440 million on energy efficient appliances. 

Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio: “We’re helping busy families slash their energy bills by making is cheaper to install solar, so they can power their homes with free electricity from the sun and slash $1,000 off their bill each and every year.

“The huge uptake of solar in Victoria has helped push daytime wholesale prices to historic lows – meaning lower power bills for everyone.”

This story based on a state government media release.