FREE Don't Laugh! This Is Serious!
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FREE Issue 42 – August 2016 A community newspaper Photograph by Barbara Oehring Don’t laugh! This is serious! The young Laughing Kookaburra has Gully since the first timber-cutters set Also in this issue: found a place to perch in a foothills up their sawmills. It will continue - but Community News page 6 garden. The familiar bird is safe for now, things are happening. Victoria Day Awards page page 7 but for how long? A new Chief Executive is in place at Health & wellbeing page 10 More and more people want to live in Knox City Council. Council elections will Arts pages 12-13 the foothills of the Dandenongs but the be held in October. A group of residents Sports page page 15 roads they widen and the buildings they from across the city, advocating for Churches page 16 put up threaten the forest environment appropriate development, has formed an NAIDOC Week page 18 they love. alliance (see page 3). Schools page 19 This problem has been with Ferntree The kookaburra, perhaps, looks hopeful? What’s On pages 26-27 ...and more Free circulation to 9500 households and businesses in Ferntree Gully 2 Home Page From the editor Welcome to this winter edition of ‘life and times’ in the little world of a mountain edge suburb. As we go to Press news from the wider world becomes ever more troubling: yet another shooting in a public place, at McDonalds in Munich, so soon after the slaughter of people celebrating their national holiday in Nice. The local is the microcosm of the global and we cannot ignore the global scene. So as we pause to remember and enter into the grief of innocent lives lost, of shocked survivors and of communities’ confidence shattered, we cannot but be aware of the fragility of our own community. But the threats to our lives as community will have succeeded only if we give up on all the small things we do (and which this paper reports) to maintain the toughness of our community here. Perhaps a theme for the issue is celebrating young people’s contributions and their hope for the future. The children listening to Thomas Harrison (page 18) sharing the stories and sense of country of indigenous Australians, could well be still living The Gully News team enjoys developing new skills. Harrison, the storyteller at the library in NAIDOC in 2090. There’s also the young volunteer from Alice Collins, an energetic primary school teacher week (see page 18). Barbara Oehring, our award Interchange, talented young artists at The Hut, in an earlier life, has taken on the role of roving winning volunteer (see page 7) was there to take the Year 12 students enjoying classes in the Uniting reporter with an eye and an ear for a good story. photo. church space, the Cubs, young netball players and students from St John the Baptist primary school Here, pen poised, she puts questions to Thomas planting trees. For your diary If we ask what our place will look like by Join the Gully News Team August 2090 perhaps the Quarry Park will be returned to We now have more than 50 wonderful 12 August to 3 September bushland. And the descendants of the kookaburra volunteer walkers and an enthusiastic The Basin Theatre Group. ‘Dangerous Corner’ in the foothills garden will still be finding a place team in the office but we continue to look www.thebasintheatre.org.au (1300 784 668) to land. for more helpers. If you would like to help, 26 New Lions Club (see page 6) Once again, thank you to all those who support either with gathering or editing news, stories 26 Daffodil Day (see page 27) the paper, the volunteers who produce and deliver it and photos, managing advertisements or 26 Community Promotions (see page 27) and especially our regular sponsors and advertisers delivering the paper, contact Anne Boyd whose financial contribution makes it all possible. 9758 8278 or Jenny Ford 9758 1370, or September call in at our office at No. 8 The Avenue, 4 Upwey Country Music @ FTG Open Mic. Please support them in return. open Tuesdays 10.00am until 3.00pm or by Anne Margot Boyd appointment at other times. Enquiries to Graham 5964 8298 (see page 27) 5-9 Life Activities Club Knox. Next Getaway to Editor: Anne Margot Boyd 9758 8278 Stratford Tourist Park on the Avon River 2016 Deadlines for copy & advertising Office: Heidi Lighten, Mary Trinnie, Pam McConnell, Judy Contact Jane on 0416 362 175 or email knox. Wolff and Alice Collins [email protected] Issue Month Copy due Distribution Website: Meg Hellyer 43 October 9 Sep 26 Sep Writers: Teresa Cannon, Graham Crichton, Peter Stagg 11 Street Art on Canvas Exhibition at the Hut Gallery 44 Nov/Dec 28 Oct 18 Nov and others (see page 13) Distribution Manager: Jenny Ford 9758 1370 11 -12 The Basin Preschool 60th Anniversary. 385 2017 Book-keeping: John Ford Forest Road, The Basin. 9762 1854 45 February 13 Jan 3 Feb Design and Formatting: Dandystripes Design Illustration: Pete Rowe Contact Sheryn c/[email protected] email to [email protected] Photography: Barbara Oehring, Gary Fevreau and others Memories or memorabilia to share? Gully News Office: 8 The Avenue, Ferntree Gully Community News: Lynn Brewster and Diana Brown 14 Fundraiser. Knox-Sherbrooke RCH Auxilliary Printed by McPherson Media at Newsprinters Open: Tuesdays 10.00am to 3.00pm 9345 5188 39th Birthday Speaker, Yvonne Cowling, or by appointment the Possum Lady Telephone 9758 3056 or contact MDLC 9758 7859 Find Ferntree Gully online 17-18 Waverley Gem Club Exhibition. Brandon ABN 20 093 868 002 The Ferntree Gully online identity is growing. Park Community Centre. 645 Ferntree Gully Road The newspaper website is ferntreegullynews.com (behind fire station). Contact Gwen on 0407 512 883 The Neighbourhood House, Mountain District Ferntree Gully News is published by the Learning Centre is mdlc.com.au Mountain District Learning Centre, Disclaimer 13-15 The Avenue, Ferntree Gully 3156, News and events: The views expressed in Ferntree Gully News are not necessarily ferntreegully.vic.au those of the supporting organisations unless acknowledged as such. (telephone 9758 7859) in collaboration with No endorsement of products and services is implied by the listing the Lower Gully Traders Inc. Ferntree Gully News lowergullytraders.com.au of advertisers and sponsors. While every effort is taken to print can be accessed on the website ferntreegullynews.com mountaingateshoppingcentre.com.au contributions accurately, the publishers take no responsibility for errors. Ferntree Gully News August 20162011 Planning Our Future 3 ‘We can do better than this’ Former Knox Citizen of the Year and long-time Development Alliance (KADA) includes residents advocate for more appropriate development in from across Knox who have separately been Ferntree Gully Village, Lynn Brewster is critical seeking better planning outcomes. of some of the recent planning decisions at Knox KADA will hold a public meeting on Tuesday Council meetings. 16 August, 7pm-9pm, at the Ferntree Gully ‘We can do better than this ‘policy on the run’, she Bowling Club, 2A Glenfern Road, Ferntree says. ‘There needs to be more respect for residents Gully. views and for the foothills environment. I welcome For information contact kadaresidents@ the present consultations, and the formation of the gmail.com or see facebook: Knox-Appropriate- residents group KADA.’ Development-Alliance. The founding group of the Knox Appropriate New voice for Knox residents concerned about inappropriate Have your say on planning scheme changes development An alliance of advocacy groups from across Knox has been formalised to provide residents with a greater say on how Knox should be developed in the future. KADA, Knox Appropriate Development Alliance, Less red tape and clearer planning rules has been formed in response to the anger expressed by many in the Knox community with development seen are the goals of an amendment being planned by Knox Council. as inappropriate and disrespectful of Knox’s unique Amendment C150 to the Knox Planning Scheme has been prepared. The Amendment proposes location at the base of the Dandenong Ranges. to substantially restructure and update policy directions in the Knox Planning Scheme. Newly appointed Chair of the group, Catherine The amendment will ensure content is relevant and contemporary, and reflects Council’s current Kruse, said the group’s mission was to provide an strategic direction for Knox. alternative voice for residents concerned with the lack of meaningful consultation and the onset of high rise The amendment proposes to replace the existing Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) with a buildings in their local neighbourhood. new MSS; introduce new local planning policies; revise and update other local policies, zone and ‘From the responses we have received, it is clear overlay schedules; update some particular provisions; and make some map changes. that the community are not being heard by the State The amendment is on public exhibition from Monday 8 August until Monday 19 September 2016. Government or our local council and people are fed up’, Ms Kruse said. ‘We intend to hold public meetings to If you would like to make a formal submission to Amendment C150, then you must do this by the give people a legitimate voice, document their concerns closing date and time of 5pm, Monday 19 September 2016. You can find out more information and to advocate for them to other levels of government about the amendment or making a formal submission by: on what is appropriate development for Knox’. Council’s website: www.knox.vic.gov.au/C150 ‘We will be holding our first round of public meetings in August and are seeking a venue’.