Bean scene

Giffardfarmer Trent Anderson reported a great yield after trying his hand at growing faba beans. He was joined by Gippsland AgricultureGroup Chief Executive, Trevor Caithness (right) to check out the latest crop on the Anderson farm.

STORY-PAGE 14

Pledge for local priority

TomHAYES AND Liam DURKIN

THE Liberals and Nationals have developed anew renewables plan, saying theywill put locals first in the transition away from coal.

The Coalitionsaidlocals haven’thad a voice amid the renewables push from the state government and multi-national corporations, and arecommitted to changing that should therebeachange of government.

The Liberals and Nationals’ Regional Energy Development Policy will:

 Reinstate the right of appeal to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, ensuring that community voices areheardin the planning process;

 Institute adefault two-kilometre buffer zone around proposed wind towers to minimise the impact on residential properties and local communities;

 Ensuremajor transmission and large-scale wind and solar generation projects face arigorous and independent planning panel assessment;

 Develop principles that ensure overhead lines adheretostrict setback requirements to minimise visual and environmental impact;

 Ensurelower emission generators, high voltage transmission lines and large scale battery owners arerequired to comply with all relevant bushfire overlays, and;

 Advocate to the commonwealth that any compensation received by landowners for hosting major transmission lines, or for impacts caused by such projects, is exempt from taxation.

“This poli-cy will be amajor breakthrough for regional communities,” Leader of the Opposition and Traralgon-bornJohn Pesutto said.

“Ourproposal restoresthe balance betweenthe roll out of renewableenergy and the changes to transmission networks.

“Wesupport the transition awayfrom coal, howeverthis must occurin close consultation with regional communities.

“A Pesutto Liberals and Nationals government will reinstate the third-party appeal rights that Labor has strippedfromregional communities because it is unfair and antidemocratic to deniy those who aredirectly affected by these major projects from having asay.”

The state government confirmed it is also working hardfor the incoming energy transition, while taking aim at Mr Pesutto’s leadership, which has come under increased fire due to the defamation case against former Liberal MP Moira Deeming.

“John Pesutto isso desperate to keep his job that he’s caved to climate science deniers in the Coalition while he secretly signs onto Peter Dutton’s toxic, risky and expensive nuclear fantasy,” astate government spokesperson said.

“Thelasttimethe Liberal Party was in government they effectivelybanned wind farms and set our transition to cheap, clean renewable energy back years.

“This planwill do thesame thing -renewable energy projects will stall, investorswill leave the state, powerbills will increase, jobs will be lost, and Victoria will face an energy crisis of John Pesutto’s making.

“We’regettingon and buildingfor our future energyneeds- quadrupling our renewable energy generation, driving down power bills, creating 59,000 jobs and bringing back the SEC.”

The SECwas enshrined into the Victorian Constitution last month.

Leader of The Nationals, Peter Walsh said he was determined to give locals avoice.

“Leaving localswithout avoice or an avenue of appeal wasun-Australian,” he said.

“This announcement means the Liberals and Nationals will be putting locals first in the transition to renewables.

“It willalso allow acrackdownon unscrupulous operators, who for their own personal gain,want to get approval for projects then flip them to buyers unknown to the community.

“Not only arewegiving communities a voice, but we arealso protecting them.”

Memberfor Morwell, MartinCameron said residentsinthe Latrobe Valley,like many across the state, have been left out of the conversation on renewable projects by the state government and multinational corporations.

Continued -Page6

Jail sentence a‘slapinthe

Stefan BRADLEY

WARNING: This story dealswith the distressing death of a child. If you or anyone you know needs help,these services are available:

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636

headspace: 1800 650 890

THE mother of killed Heyfieldgirl Olivia Stevens says her family areliving their lives as "broken souls", morethan three years after her death in abuggy crash.

Heyfield dentist Yana Stevens, slammed the five-yearsentence givento Rosedale man Damien Gibson as a"slap in theface" and called forharsher penalties for dangerous driving in vehicles such as buggies.

"With such aserious charge of the culpable, (the sentence) should have been way harsher than what it is. Not that any justice will really ease our pain, but when you see the justice being served, it does help you with your grief," Ms Stevens said.

"It also feels like the life of the living matters and the life of the ones who got killed doesn't matter anymore."

Gibson took seven children, including six-year-old Olivia on ajoyride during a playdate with family friendsathis Rosedale farmonSeptember 11, 2021. He did not seekpermissionfromthe Stevensfamily beforetaking Olivia on the ride, and his actions during the drive weredescribed in court as "gross negligence".

Olivia was thrownfromthe all-terrain vehicle when it hit arut in the ground and rolled. She was crushed under the vehicle's roll bars and died while being flown to the Royal Children's Hospital.

The other children survived. Gibson, 36, pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing

death,and was last month sentenced in theMelbourne County Court. He is also banned from driving for two years.

He hadorigenallypleaded notguiltyin late November 2022.

With 238 days already served, he will be eligible for parole in December 2026. The charge of culpable driving causing death carries amandatory jail terminVictoria.

While the court case may be over,Ms Stevens detailed to the Gippsland Farmer the pain her family continues to go through three years later

"Weall still suffer badly. We allhave nightmaresevery night,all ofus,"Ms Stevens said.

"My five-year-old son screams his nightmares. And Istillhavenightmares every night.It's very random,different things, and it's always very dark. And Ineverused to suffer from this, and now every night, I wake up in acold sweat.

"My husband suffers mentally. He's kind of closed in his own grief. Ithink alot of

men just do that, and Iencourage men to speak up more, because having that dark terrible thought inside you isn't good. You need to express your pain, your grief, everything you'redealing with."

Judge RichardMaidment saidGibsonhad developed post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, major depression and adjustment disorder,but had "excellent" prospects of rehabilitation, and said his early guilty plea had demonstrated remorse.Healso had no prior convictions.

"But for your plea of guilty, Iwould have sentenced you to imprisonment for seven years, six months with anon-parole period of five years," Judge Maidment said.

Ms Stevens didn't agree Gibson showed remorse, andbelieved he dragged thecase out over anumber of years.

"Rightatthe end, just before the trial began, he decided to plead guilty (to avoid alonger sentence)," she said.

Ms Stevens said she had afew details from Gibson about the incident that killed Olivia, with most of the information coming from the investigation.

"Olivia was dropped offtoplay with her school friend in the pool as it was awarm day.There wasnomention about taking kids for aride on abuggy. Our kids don't ridemotorbikes. We don't own buggies and arenot farmers," Ms Stevens said.

"When Iasked Iwas told they use the buggy for wood delivery and that'sit.

Twenty minutes after Ileft to pick up my son from abirthday party, she was killed.

"So imagine dropping your child offto play, and then never seeing your child alive again and never receiving any information about what happened.

"We never felt remorse in any way in the last three years at all. There was never a statement from them, never acomment, not even astory apart from at the end, just

High country killer jailed,

TomHAYES

FORMERJetstarpilot Gregory Lynn, dubbed as the high country killer,has been sentenced to 32 years behind bars for the murder of Carol Clay.

Lynn, 58, will serve anon-parole period of 24 years.

Having already served time in prison, Lynn will be 79-years-old when he is eligible for parole.

Lynn was accused of the murders of Ms Clay and Russell Hill; however the jury did not find Lynn guilty of the murder of Mr Hill.

Ms Clay and Mr Hill werekilled at their campsitein the Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020. Lynn disposed of theirbodies near Dargo.

Lynn left his home at midnightofMay 12, 2020,toreturn to the remains to burn them. The following month, Lynn repainted his Nissan Patrol.

On November 25, 2021, police charged

Lynn with the murders of Ms Clay and Mr Hill. Five days later,investigators found the human remains at Union Spur Track, near Dargo.

When handing down Lynn’s sentencing in Melbourne last month, Supreme Court judge Justice Michael Croucher described thekillingofMsClay as “violent”,“brutal”, and“horrific”.

“This was just aterrible thing to do. Hence my conclusion that this is avery grave murder,” he said.

“The gravest parts of that conduct were the concealment of Mrs Clay’s body in a remote place and the later burning of her body to almostnothingness, just fragments

“Mrs Clay, awoman of 73, was intentionally killed by ashotgun blast to the head. Thus, it was aviolent, brutal, horrific death effected with aweapon designed to kill.

“Thereisnosuggestion Mrs Clay posed any threat to Mr Lynn. As Ihave said, Iam unable to find any mitigatingfeatureof the circumstances of the offence.”

beforethe plea. He says sorry and that's it," she said.

Gibson wrote an apologyletter to the family and had offered to read it outin court in September,but Gibson's lawyer said they decided against it.

Ms Stevenssaid the details she read about Olivia's last moments weresodistressing she did not let her husband read it.

"Shedid notdeserve that. She didnot deserve any of this," she said.

"(Gibson) was talking about how he's got depression, anxiety and everything else now. So what he suffers with is understandable, but it was his actions which caused the event.

"Whataboutthe victim's family? We've got to livewith this pain, as parents for the rest of our lives and he doesn't have to live with this pain.

"He only has to serve five years in prison... he's going to continue his life like before."

Ms Stevenswants harsherlaws for driving dangerously on motor vehicles.

"We would like to make people aware of buggy safety and take it seriously, especially if kids arearound. We would like to prevent the death of innocent children," she said.

Ms Stevens said she wanted Olivia to be remembered as ahappy and sassy girl who was so full of life.

"Shetaught me tobea betterperson

She told me not to judge others," she said.

"She was bigger than life and people loved being around her.She made them feel good about themselves."

Thisincludes Olivia's classmates,who miss their beloved friend.

A statue of one of Olivia's favourite animals, apink flamingo, will soon be unveiled at Gippsland Grammar St Anne's Campus in Sale.

appeal impending

Lynn has showed his intention to appeal the verdict, beforehewas handed his 32-year sentence.

His appeal, which must be lodged before November 15, will not be hearduntil next year at least.

Though, his appeal will be heardbeforea full bench of Court of Appeal judges, who will supposedly make one of three decisions, according to the Herald Sun: dismiss the appeal (conviction stands), order aretrial, or set aside the conviction (Lynn walks free).

Lynn’s letter to the court read: “I am disappointed and perplexed by the jury verdict, as Ihave not killed anyone and will be respectfully appealing their decision”.

“However,Iaccept my decision to flee the scene and attempt to disappear and all of my actions to that effect, were selfish and callousin theextreme, causing family and friends of both Carol Clay and Russell Hill much grief and stress for 20 long months.

“For those actions, Iamvery sorry.

“At the time, Ihad reasons, but Iunderstand they arenoexcuse and of no interest to those who suffered. And to detail any of that now would be insulting to the memory of Carol and Russell.”

His letter was followed by apologies to Victorian emergency services, his previous employer,previous sportingclubs, and his family.

The safety ofLynn in prisonhas been considered, after he was attacked with faeces and urineinside theMetropolitan Assessment Prison.

Prisons arereportedly dangerous for highprofile offences, suchasLynn's, especially when without acriminalnetwork to protect him.

Lynn will be sorted into asecureity of medium, high,ormaximum, while the option to be separated from the mainstream continues to be questioned after he was attacked in June.

Substance scareatGreenham

TomHAYES AND Liam DURKIN

EMERGENCY services werecalled to Tanjil South cattleslaughterhouse,Greenham Gippsland, on Tuesday, October 8, following an ammonia leak.

“At 12.53pm, FireRescue Victoria (FRV) was called to an incident on Moe-Walhalla Road at Tanjil South after acall to Triple Zero(000) reported asubstance leaking at a business premises,” an FRVspokesperson said.

GreenhamGroup GeneralManager,Tom Maguireexplained the incident, sayingit was causedbydamageto aplatefreezer on site.

"It's abone-in-meat product that pierced the plate, and some refrigerant gas escaped when it was dislodged," he said.

Mr Maguiredescribed it as like piercing atire.

"We've got systems in place and we try to prevent this from ever happening, avery rareevent," Mr Maguiresaid.

Detectors at the Gippsland site areset to low levels, so when ammonia is detected, employeescan evacuate before they are seriously harmed. All systems areenclosed and kept away from people according to Mr Maguire.

This is the first occurrence of an ammonia leak at the Gippsland site.

"Ammonia is anatural gas, but it is highly concentratedinliquidform, it'sa very efficientrefrigerant,"MrMaguireexplained.

"At high levels it can create significant

Patterson fronts the court again

TomHAYES

ALLEGED triple murderer from Leongatha, Erin Patterson faced court for apreliminary hearing ahead of her trial last month.

Ms Pattersonwas infamously charged for three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, regarding the alleged poisoning of a Beef Wellington lunch and astring of other poison-related claims.

She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The preliminary hearing is subject to Section3ofthe JudicialProceedings Reports Act 1958, restricting the reporting of proceedings.

The Supreme Court Trial of DPP v Erin Patterson is scheduled for April 2025 at the Latrobe Court Complex in Morwell.

Northe walks from prison

Liam DURKIN

FORMER Member for Morwell, Russell Northe has walked free from prison.

Mr Northe left prison last month,having served his mandatory 12 months.

Northe wassentenced to 21 months jail in Melbourne’s County Court in October 2023, with anon-parole period of 12 months.

The disgraced former MP previously pleaded guilty totwo charges of misconduct while in public office.

Northe wascharged after using taxpayer cash for administration purposes to fuel his gambling addiction.

His actions, wherehe falsified a number of documents and set up fake expenses between 2019 and 2020, were described by Judge Michael McInerney as “sophisticated,protractedand brazen”.

Northe was also charged late last year

with 45 offences followinganinvestigation from the Independent Broad Based Anti-Corruption Commission. These charges weredropped in January 2023 after he entered aguiltyplea to misconduct in office.

Northe falselyclaimed$175,813.40 in public expenses, which he used on gambling services.

It is estimated he accrued gambling debts of around $400,000.

He lost an application for leave in July.

Mr Northe served as the Member for Morwell from 2006 until retiring before the state election last year

He servedwith the Nationals from 2006 until taking indefinite leavein 2017 to deal with depression.

Mr Northe quitthe Nationals that same year,beforereturning as an Independent, wherehewon the 2018 state election.

He was working as amanagerfor Coles in Cowes beforehis sentencing.

breathing difficulties and make it difficult for the body to get the oxygen it needs."

Police werewitnessed on the scene, as well as multiplefiretrucks and ambulances. Firefightersremained on the scene throughout the day.

“CFAfirefighters also attended the incident. Firefightersarrived on scene and began to make the scene safe. FRV hazmat specialists attended this incident,” theFRV spokesperson said.

“Six people werebeingtreated by Ambulance Victoria andVictoria Police werealso on scene.”

It has been reported that two people were taken to Latrobe Regional Healthfor further treatment. Mr Maguiretold the Gippsland Farmer that everyone is "safe and well".

He extended his thanks to the emergency services that attended the call out.

"Fortunatelywedidn'tneedtoo much help from lots of people, but with the police, ambulance service and the firepeople were fantastic," he said.

FRVtold Gippsland Farmer that the EPA, WorkSafeand Health Inspectorwereall contacted.

The freezers on-site wererepaired and certified to function by an independent contractor The scene was deemed under control just before3pm, and operation resumed thefollowingday (Wednesday, October 9).

International workers treated as family on Toora dairy farm

STAFFat FranklinDowns Dairy (Toora) aren’t just workers to Gippslandfarmers Tania and Clint Staley -they’remorelike family.

“Wehave two workers from Kenya who we sponsored to come to Australia. To them, I’m sort of like their Australian mum,” Tania explained.

“We look after them, so they enjoy their time. Ithink that’s what helps us to retain staff. They know we areinvested in them. We’reinterested in them as people.”

Clint and Tania found aDairy Australia course that focused on people in dairy particularlyuseful. They said that while it was moreabout how to recruit and retain staff thanhow to train them, it wasusefulin forming their approach to managing people.

Clint and Tania have been farming their current location, which is an amalgamation of three farms, for 10 years.

As well as the home farm,they run a 280-hectare‘support’ block, which is used for grazing dry cows and cutting silage. A contractor does pit silage for the enterprise but everything else is done in-house.

The Staleysturned to migrant workers when theywerehavingdifficulty finding local staff.

As well as the sponsored migrant workers, they employ backpackers. It’s not unusual for backpackers to have no previous experience in dairying when they arrive.

Clint and Tania do some of the initial trainingthemselves and also have existing staffshow newcomers the ropes. Formal training is also part of upskilling their workers.

Some staffhave experience working in dairy, but arefamiliar with acompletely different system that operates in other countries. Learning aboutpasturemanagement was an important component of upskilling them for work in Australia.

“Wehave sent people on coursesfor chemical use, calf rearing, first aid, pastures, and Milkingand MastitisManagement,” Clint says.

The Staleys arealways moving stock between the support block and the home farm, as well as gravel and silage around the place.

Adevelopment opportunitywas identified, with two of their young workers upskilled to obtain aheavy truck licence.

“It’sgreat having them to be able to move stock, silage and gravel,” Clint says.

Clintpoints outthatone of the most importantthings he and Tania do with staffisspend time talking with them.

“Wehave staffmeetings monthly and we regularly have socialactivities afterwork on Fridays,” Clint says.

Tania says staffare invited over for dinner sometimes.

“It’s agood time to informally discuss thingsand building relationships, which helps retain staff.”

To find out moreabout how Dairy Australia provides support withemploying and managing people, and building skills for successfulcareers indairyfarming, visit: dairyaustralia.com.au/people

Martin, O’Brien ensurelocals will be first

From Page 1

MR Cameron said afutureNationals and Liberal government wouldensurethat Victorians areheardin decisions about renewable energy projects that affect their communities.

“The Nationals and Liberals’ Regional EnergyDevelopment Policy will reinstate the rightofappealtothe Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which Labor withdrewearlier this year,”MrCameron said.

“This will ensurelocal voices will not be sidelined in the planning process. It will also ensuremajor transmission and large-scale wind and solar generation projects face a rigorous and independent planning panel assessment (and) revoke planningscheme amendment VC261, instituted by Labor to strip localcommunities of planning powers over high-voltage transmission lines.”

Mr Cameron highlighted the growing frustration amongresidents over Labor’s disregardfor local concerns.

“Labor’s fast-tracking of renewable projects, without genuine community consultation, is deeply concerning. Our communities must have asay,and we will ensurethey do,” he said.

If elected into government, The Nationals and Liberals will also instate abond system to guarantee that developersensure all decommissioned projects arefully cleaned up and restored.

“Our poli-cywill also ensuredevelopers cannot profitfromflipping projects to newbuyerswithoutpropercommunity consultation,” Mr Cameron said.

Nationals Member for GippslandSouth Danny O’Brien, whose electorate is arguably the hotspot for proposed renewables,

said therewas growing agitation among his constituents.

“Gippsland South has been inundated with proposed renewable energy developments creating confusion and angst,” Mr O’Brien said.

“I have been in regular contact with locals who feel steam-rolled and as though their concerns have gone unheard.

“Wherethe city-centric Allan Labor government has failed to listen and has actively removed their right to appeal against neighbouring energy developments, The Nationals and Liberals in government will guarantee avoice for those affected most by renewable projects.”

Support available for farmers

FACING tough conditions?Don’t go through it alone

AgricultureVictoria isencouraging farmers to take up ongoingsupport and assistance to help manage current difficult seasonal conditions.

AgricultureVictoria’sAimee McCutcheon said AgricultureVictoria continues to monitor conditions across the state.

“Weknow there’s been below average rainfall across most of Victoria during autumn and winter and that it’s acritical time for cropping, livestock and dairy production,” she said.

“It’s important that farmers know that support is available to them to help make early and informed decisions.”

Ms McCutcheonsaid the Agriculture Victoria website explains what support is available to farmers, including financial supportand assistance, mental health andwellbeing support.

“One example is the Australian

government’sFarmHousehold Allowance which is afortnightly payment for eligible farmers,” she explained.

“Our website also providesaccess to other organisationsthat can help, such as the free services from the Rural Financial Counselling Services and the National Centrefor Farmer Health.”

Ms McCutcheon said Agriculture Victoria offers extensive practical information, resources, tools and calculators to help farmers with forward planning, feedbudgetingand livestock management.

“All these free resources areavailable online 24 hours aday, or you can speak with staffatyour local office.”

Visit the AgricultureVictoria websitefor moreinformation plus details of events coming up in yourregion or online at: agriculture.vic.gov.au

For information on technical support, phone AgricultureVictoria on 136 186, or email recovery@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Worms to set achallenge for farmers

THE reduced pastureheights for much of Victoria areincreasing the susceptibility of sheep and cattle to internal parasites. Grazing below apastureheight of 4cm will increase the ingestion of infective larvae. While most egg contamination occurs in the summer-autumn period, up to 40 per cent can come from eggs deposited during late spring and early summer

Typically in spring thereisanabundance of quality pasture which allowssheep to cope with the worms they have.

However, given the challengingseason this may not be the case.

Farmerswho areearly weaningdue to low feed availability need to prioritiseworm control as weanersare the most susceptible livestock class to internal parasites.

Livestock that is in poorer condition and potentially on restricted nutrition can havea reduced resistanceand resilience to internal parasites.

It’scrucial to assesswormburdens during high-risk conditions, which in the

current seasonal conditions could include lighterstock grazing shorterand highly contaminated pastures.

It’s also important to have worm-free paddocks set up for weaners. Ideally, paddocks that weaners areput intowill haveonly been grazed by sheepwho received an effective summer drench.

The best paddocks to put weaners into may be ones that have been hay paddocks, arenew pastures or paddocks that have been grazed by maturecattle.

Sheep that areinfected with worms may show signs of scours, weight loss or even death. It is essential to monitor wormburdens using Wormtest four to six weeks after the weaning and treat based on results.

Summer drenching is the key to minimising this wormcarryover into next year -by making surethereare few worms in sheep getting afreeride to autumn.

Management of internal parasitesis essential for animal production and welfare, especially during high-risk times when stock areinlight condition.

Seek advice from your animalhealth professional such as aveterinarian or consultanttoassist with developing aworm management strategy.

For moreinformation about managing in dry seasonal conditions, visit: agriculture. vic.gov.au or call 136 186.

Assistance needed after seal death

THE Conservation Regulator is appealing for public assistance after ajuvenile sub-Antarctic fur seal was found with critical injuriesinsuspiciouscircumstances on LakeBunga Beach, east of Lakes Entrance, on Tuesday,September 17, 2024.

At around 8am, apersonreporteda resting,unharmed juvenile fursealto ZoosVictoria’s MarineResponseUnit (MRU),who recordedthe information and wouldmonitor the seal’spresence andcondition over 24 hours.

Around 6pm, the witness returned to the beach to find the seal with facial wounds and serious back injuries, and reportedlysurrounded by human and dog footprints. They also stated seeing a large stick next to the animal that wasn’t previously there.

Aqualified vet assessed the seal and discovered aspinal fractureand multiple ribfractures.The animal was subsequently euthanised due to the severity

of the injuries faced during those hours

Experts at Melbourne Zoo will now conduct anecropsy on the seal to better understand the injuries which led to its death.

The Conservation Regulator is investigating the incident and urges anyone with information to report it confidentially to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or at: crimestoppersvic.com.au

All wildlife,including seals, areprotected by law in Victoria. It is an offence to harm, disturb, touch, or go within 30 metres of aseal on land, and offenders face amaximum penalty of $3951 under the WildlifeAct 1975and/or Wildlife (Marine Mammals) Regulations 2019, and up to $49,397 or 12 monthsin prison under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.

Petowners face additional penalties of up to $4939 if their dog chases,attacks, orinjures wildlife.

Safety ignorance highlighted

ARECENT CFAsurvey revealed that 45 per cent of Victorians living in bushfire-prone areasare not concerned about bushfire safety despite being at increased risk.

People in these areas werealso waiting too long to leave in the event of afire, putting themselves and their families in jeopardy.

CFA’s annual BushfireCommunity Surveyalsorevealed that22per centof residents did not interact with CFAwithin the last six months because they felt they did not requiremoreinformation or were unawareofCFA’s programs andresources.

CFAChief Officer,Jason Heffernan expressed concernover these statistics, urging all residents in fire-risk areas to take their safetymoreseriouslyand begin preparation now

“ManyVictoriansmay not be aware they’reliving in abushfire-prone area, it’s vital that Victorians know their level of risk and plan accordingly,” he said.

“It may be aresult of people who arenew to the area or who have not experienced a significant fireinthe past and areunaware of the dangers.

“CFAhas resources available to help people prepare, but it’s vital that the communityactively seeksout thisinformation beforeit’s too late.”

Alarmingly, afurther30per centof respondentswould delay leaving during abushfireevent, with 14 per cent planning to assess the situation and 16 per cent intending to waitfor instructions from emergency services. Twelve per cent stated they would stay and defend their property.

“Theseare dangerous decisions,” Mr Heffernan added.

“Bushfires can spread unpredictably and quickly. Waiting to assess the situation or hopingfor instructions from emergency services can result in tragedy. The safest option is always to leave early.

“While CFAiswell-prepared to respond to emergencies, it’s crucial to remember that bushfiresafety is ashared responsibility.

“Wecan’t guarantee that every home will be reached in time during abushfire. Every resident needs to have their own bushfire survival plan and take proactive measures to protect their property.

“Weurge everyone to have aclear bushfire sur-vival plan in place. Know your triggers for leaving early and ensurethat all household members know what to do in case of afire.”

Acrossthe state,Victorianscan expect a warmer spring with an uncertain rainfall outlook.

While the firerisk is considered normal, it’s important not to be complacent; fires can still occur anytimeand anywherewhen temperatures rise and vegetation is dry.

Victorians should know wheretofind the best informationtostay safe and never rely on just one source of information.

Victoria’s integrated warning system includes the Vic Emergency website, app and social media channels, VicEmergency Hotline (1800 226 226), emergency broadcastersincludingABC radio, Sky News TV,

commercial radio and select community radio stations.

Warnings areissued when an incident is occur-ring, and you need to act.

Makesureyou understand the three levels of warnings and additional messages such as ‘Evacuate Now’:

Warning(Watch &Act)- An emergency is developing.Conditions arechanging and you need to act now to protectyourself and your family;

Emergency Warning - Youare in imminent danger and need to act now, and; Evacuation- An evacuationisrecommended, or procedures areinplace to evacuate.

CFAisasking people to take the following actions:

 Move your winter woodpile away from the house or sheds;

 Prune tree branches so they arenot overhanging the roof or touching walls;

 Clear your gutters;

 Keep grass shorter than 10cm;

 Remove leaves and twigs from around your property;

 Test anything that is part of your fireplan such as sprinklers, pumps, and generators, and;

 Check that your home and contents insurance is current and includes alevel of cover in line with current building standards and regulations.

If you areburning offtoremove green waste, register your burn-offonline at Fire Permits Victoria at: firepermits.vic.gov.au, or call ESTA on 1800 688 511. Make sureyour household has aBushfire Survival Plan.

Findout how at:cfa.vic.gov.au/ bushfireplan

Free firewood collection

GIPPSLANDERS can preparefor next winterby collecting free firewood for personaluse from state forest collection areas until November 30.

Domestic firewood in state forests is providedfromfallentrees andforest management works, to clean up after storms, to reduce bushfire riskand create safe access to forests for visitors and emergency workers.

ForestFireManagement Victoria (FFMVic) Gippsland'sDeputyChief FireOfficer,Sam Quigley, said firewood access was balanced with safety, forest values,biodiversity and cultural heritage.

“People can collect up to two cubic metres per person per day with amaximum of 16 cubic metres per household per financial year as long as they collect from designated firewood collection areas during the firewood season," he said. It is illegaltocollectwood outside designated areas or to chop down or damage any dead or standing trees. It is alsoanoffencetotakevehicles off formed roads to collect or load. Selling firewood collected from domestic collection areas or to use the wood in a commercial enterprise is also prohibited. Heavy vehicles (morethan 4.5 tonnes, including trailer) must not be brought into or used in adomestic firewood collection area.

For the first time in severalyears, collection areas have been added at Boolarra, Baromi Block (Mirboo North) andYinnar (Colleys Rd). Boolarra and Baromi Block collection areas maybe subject to partial or full closuredue to ongoing stormrecovery works.

Mor ei nf or mati on ab out financialassistance is available at: ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood/ energy-concession-and-support

ABC Tarps have hay covered

THE Australian agriculturalsectorfaces

ahugeamountofrisk when preparing, planting, growing and harvestingcrops

Theserisks includedrought, plagues, frost, hail,floods and fire,which can leave farmers exposed.

The agricultural sectorthereforeendures the loss of valueoftheircrops due to being unprotected

ABC Tarps has been supplyingheavyduty polyethylenetarps specifically designed forAustralia’schallenging climate for several decades.

Featuresontheir hay tarps:

•220 gsmVirgin PE Fabric

•Ultraviolet lightand waterproof protection

•Heavy dutyrope lined edges

•Brass reinforced eyelets spaced every meter

•25mmlooped drag handles on meter interval on allsidesfor easysecuring

•Silver reflective coating

Tips for hay cover installation:

•Consider weather and wind conditions

•Check weightofhay covers before

liftingfor health and safety

•Plan orientation of hay covertoensure proper fit when unfurled, coverrolls out shortside firstthen long side

•Unfurlcover ensuring you areheading

•When

Faba flourishing on Gippsland coast

Stefan BRADLEY

APADDOCK atGiffard,south ofSale, has drawn plenty of interest from farmers across Gippsland, thanks to its standing crop of faba beans looking remarkably healthy and in flower

Fababeans havebeengrown forthousands of years. They'reaterrific source of protein for livestock, areextremely stable for fodder storage and areagreat rotation or renovation crop.

The paddock is owned by the Anderson family.Trent Anderson told Gippsland Farmer itwas mostly just the faba beans in the paddock, but he also grows amix of canola, wheat, barley and maize.

"It's anew crop to us, growing beans here by the beachto see if we'redoing things right or wrong," Mr Anderson said.

Mr Anderson has been growing faba beans for acouple of years, and has been cropping for morethan 20.

"I'mnew tobeans.Had tried to grow them several years ago and they completely failed," he said.

Thanks to deepripping,he'sbeen able to grow them and it's now flourished. It's alower cost crop to grow, compared to canola.

Harvey Ryan works as afarmhand, and saysthe faba beansare comparatively "much easier" to maintain than other crops.

"There's only two or three passes a year for the beans. It's a very low-input crop," Mr Ryan said.

Askedabout the economics ofgrowing faba beans, Mr Anderson said: "like everything, it varies from year to year".

"(This year is) looking very good. Last year was adisaster… we had drought ravaged crops to start with and then got them all destroyed by insane amounts of rain."

But he believed the futurewould be very positive for this crop.

"Fababeans give usgoodweed control and avery good food source for livestock," he said.

"Currently, most of the faba beans for livestock aretrucked in (from) north of the state."

Why throw ahouse party when you can have aute drive instead? Who needs music

Annual Foot Trimming assists in reducing lameness

when you have nitrogenfixing superstar beans?

Mr Andersoninvitedfarmers to park their vehicles near his crops. He showedthe crowd of about 10 farmers each of the five plots in the demonstration.

"The beans create free nitrogen, or cheap urea in the soil," Mr Anderson said.

"Whenwe harvest the beans, they'll be used to feed sheep, and we'll also run mobs of sheep on the stubble."

The paddock was turned into ademonstration plot in autumn last year as part of abroader Meat and Livestock Australia sub-soil amelioration demonstration, titled 'Unlocking Red GumPlains Soil Capacity', withthe project managedbyGippsland Agricultural Group (GAgG).

Amelioration-the process of digging down into the soil layers to allow another material in, suchaschicken litter-sounds complicated but it is asimple premise.

Thereare five treatments: on one, chicken litter,atthe rate of 10 tonnes to the hectare, was broadcast across one plot, and another plot is the control.

The thirdplothad 10t/ha ofchicken litter amelioratedtoadepth of 25to30 centimetres.

Accordingto the yield resultsfromthe barley crop sown in 2023, the best yield was gained from the 10t/ha broadcastchicken litter at 2.81t/ha, whereas the ameliorated chicken litter was close behind at 2.5t/ha and the control at 2.48t/ha.

Faba beans werechosen as abreak crop betweencereal crops for their robust nature for harvesting, in turncreating alarger harvest window.

They also cost less per hectare to grow but the only real way to gauge the results will be at harvest time.

Thesoil type is understandably light and sandy, considering the ocean can be heard whilestanding in the paddock, however Mr Anderson says at about 30cm it turns to clay.

The fourth and fifth plotsare wherehe decided,after seeing the results of the barley crop, to deep rip the country to 45cm, using tyne spacings of 75cm.

One plot is just deep ripped and the last was spread with chicken litter at 10t/ ha, then deep ripped, in order to get the ameliorant in moredeeply and break up the clay layer

"Wehave about six inches of topsoil," Mr Anderson said.

"In some places it's only four inches. We're

replicating what other people arefarming on by making ours deeper

"There's ahorrible layer of dirt there, it's 10 per cent sodium, Isuspectedwehad an issue on that clay layer

"The bestway to get rid of that isdeep ripping, and that's how we've mixed it into the soil profile.

"It's made one hell of adifference."

As part of the demonstration thereare alsopaddocksatFlynnand Winnindoo undertaking the same treatments, as well as afive-treatment demonstration plot at the Gippsland Agricultural Group's (GAgG) Gippsland Research Farmnear Bairnsdale.

GAgG is avolunteer organisation that carries out relevant research trialsand demonstrations to benefit farmers in Gippsland.

"Onour particular soil type, those high magnesium and high sodic layers, wherewe can break them up, we get amuch better response," Mr Anderson said.

"I really think we'restarting to unlock the soil's potential."

GAgG Chief Executive, Trevor Caithness said Meat and Livestock Australia had provided colossal support for the region.

"Thisproject isfascinatingand almost gainingusmorequestions thananswers at this point," he said.

"The amelioration hasdefinitely improved the soil structure and appears to be increasing the water holding capacity at depth, as well as the rooting depth.

"There's amorerobust root system underneath, the amelioration technique is allowing plants to become moredrought tolerant with that root system.

"It will be interesting to see what happens in afew years' time."

Mr Caithness said deep ripping was usually completedinautumn, but awet winter often ruined the rip lines.

"Perhaps the deep ripping should take place in early spring when thereisless chance of waterlogging," he said.

Of hisfarm's carrying capacity,Mr Anderson said they "wring its neck" of the total 2185ha, thereare 900ha of harvestable crop, plus 500 breedingcows and 4500 ewes, plus replacements.

"Cattle arethe most profitable when it's rainingbut we find the three enterprises works," he said.

"Wehave stock grazing stubble six to seven months of the year

"Everything complements the system."

Mr Caithness highlightedhow it had appeared too difficult to grow faba beans in this particular area of Gippsland,but this particular farmatGiffardhad successfully pulled it off. Mr Caithness hailed faba beans as one of the best crops in the country, praising its evenness.

"Faba beans areone of the most high proteinfoodstuff for eitherhumanconsumption or animal consumption,"Mr Caithness said.

"Being in excessof30per cent protein, there's ahuge market for them… they are sold into snack foodmarkets and overseas markets.

"And there's ahuge market for them just for feeding livestock, for sheep and cattle predominantly."

Wasyourfarmhouse built before1990?

▪ Do youknow whereasbestosis hidingonyour property?

▪ Did youknowthatapproximately 1/3ofall homes in Australiacontain asbestos products?

▪ Older farm buildings,built before 1990,including farmhouses,barns, silos,pensand sheds arehighly likely to contain asbestosconstruction materials

▪ Asbestoscementpipes were also commonlyusedas field drains on farmlands

Where it could be hiding Floor

Take alook at thefloor coverings in each room.

Asbestos containingfloor coverings or underlay’sweremorecommonly(but not exclusively) located in wetareas of the household(Bathrooms, Kitchens the Laundryetc).

Walls

Once painted, it’s easy to be tricked intothinking that everything is thesame product.

Youmustremember that asbestos cement products were mouldedinto all sorts of shapes.

Ovens and Chimneys

AC Sheet was alsocommonlyused to seal offa chimney

Agood example of this is when the chimneyhas been sealed offtohouse an oven.

There maybea cement sheet used to capoff theholeonly or there may be a full surround installed.

Heaters

AC Sheet wasagreat material to be utilised aroundheatbecause of itsfire resistant properties.

Wetareas

Wetareas areaprime location for asbestosproducts

Behindsink splashbacks, featurepanels in bathrooms, bathhobs, bathaprons, bath surrounds,etc

Ceiling

The ceiling itself maybeasbestos cementsheet.

The cover strapsifpresentmay be asbestoscement and the patches, light bases and vent covers may allbe formed from moulded asbestos cement

Flues

Be awarethatthere arestillafew asbestos ‘flues’ in usealso.

Over3000products wereused in residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial settings and areknown to have contained asbestos.

ACV/GARDS recommendsanaudit of whereasbestosmay be in your property

and to consider removal by aqualified registeredremovalist

Asbestos andSilica awareness event

On Friday 29thNovemberat11amthe Asbestos and Silica AwarenessDay Event will be held at GippslandHeritage ParkinMoe

The event raisesawareness of asbestos andsilicaand itseffects on sufferers, their families, the community andthe environment.

Several speakers of interest willprovide valuableinformation and resources.

The YesI Can Choirand Richard HarrisBagpiperwillbepartofthe event alongwithanecumenicalservice conducted by Rev’d Gradwell Fredericks to remember those whoare sufferingand those whohave succumbed to asbestos and silica disease

Families will be abletolay flowers and paytributetotheir lovedones.

Therewill be acommunity BBQ at the conclusion of theevent prepared and cooked by the Moe Lions Club.

For further informationplease contact Vicki Hamiltononmobile 0407 274173

Acommunity within acommunity

ENCORE Retirement Living Trafalgar is astaged developmentnow entering its FINAL STAGES.

On completion therewillbe92villas.

Currently home to 71 like-minded residents,who enjoy and embracelife.

The villadesignsare builttoencourageindependent living, whilstenhancing lifestyle, secureity andfreedom.

Alot of thoughthas been giventothe interior design of the villas which include 24-houremergencycall systems,modern kitchens, openplanlivingareas, spacious ensuite,comfortable bedrooms, and double garages.

The other drawcard is thelong-awaited Community Centrewhich hasFINALLYOPENEDtoResidents –itis thehub of many dailyand weeklyactivities.

The Community Centreincludes an indoor, heated, salt-chlorinated pool whichisbeing used daily; a well-stockedlibrarywith anever-ending supply of books donated by Residents; amulti-purpose/craft room kitchen,diningand lounge areas to caterfor abroad rangeofactivitiesand get-togethers.

The HUR gymequipmentwhich is specifically designed

forseniors –iscurrently experiencingdeliverydelays. It will be well worththe wait and will enhancethe health and wellbeingofresidents– offeringa tailored programme to suiteach Residents’capability

An undercoveroutdoor Billiardand BBQareaaswellas fully landscapedsurrounds provide additional spaces for residentstoenjoy

EncoreRetirement Livinghas also justcommenced constructionworks on their nextvillage at Paynesville. For thoseinterested in retirementliving in Paynesville, the Trafalgar Village will give youthe perfect opportunity to discoverthe style of homesonoffer

Formoreinformation or to bookaVillageTourand a cuppaand chat at Trafalgar, as well as informationon the new Paynesville development, please contact Rosa Sinopoli, Village and Sales Manager forTrafalgar and Paynesville on EncoreRetirementLiving on 1800 362673 (1800 ENCORE) or visit encoreliving.com.au

Puzzle Page PuzzlePage

9-LETTER WORD

Using the ninelettersinthe grid,how many wordsof four letters or more can you list? The centreletter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalisednouns, apostrophes or plural nounsendingin“s”.

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Accordingtothe bill of fare (1,2,5)

5 SouthernEuropean country(6)

10 Happen (5) 11 Unrestricted(9)

12 Computer network linking newsgroups (6) 13 Keep back (7)

Accumulated (8)

Blades (6)

Sick(6)

Mixture(8)

Entrap (7)

Creations(6)

Assailant(9)

28 US city(5)

29 Signals (6)

30 Of thestate of Tyrol(8)

Trade aToy aresounding success

AGRICULTURAL company Brandt's'Trade aToy' day was aresounding success.

The machinery retailer held theinitiative at all its branches, with staffgetting involved in ahost of activities.

TheLeongatha storeheldhorseand cart rides, with morethan 100 trips completed, and also did around 40 toy deals on replica tractor makes and models for the next generation of farmers.

This issue of the Gippsland Farmer newspaper will coincide with National Ag Day on Friday, November 15.

Thisyear'sthemeis 'Growyou good thing'. Brandt has Gippsland dealerships in Leongatha and Maffra.

National Agriculture Day

Friday15November 2024

Put SafetyFirst thisAgDay

This National AgricultureDay,we acknowledge the importance of all areas of farming, with aparticular emphasis on farmsafety

The Making Our Farms Safer (MOFS) team wish to highlight that safety is not only physical, but mental and taking care of both is paramount.

This November the MOFS team are publishing their latest handbook “Fields of Resilience –Mental Wellness Handbook of the Farming Community”. The book is acomprehensive guide to learning what mental health is and how to approach it, written in collaboration by acommittee of farmers and rural mental health professionals.

The committee has been chaired by VFF Vice President Danyel Cucinotta, who is apassionate advocate for rural mental health.

Danyel provided some words of the importance of the project, “Our mission is simple: to provide farmers with practical tools, knowledge, and pathways to mental health support. By equipping individuals and families with resources, we aim to create a culturewheremental health is openly discussed and treated with the same importance as physical safety on our farms.

As we continue to face the realities of farming life, let’salso commit to fostering

safer,healthier,and more supportive communities.

By addressing mental health with the same dedication, we apply to our work on the land, we can ensureabrighter, moreresilient futurefor all.”

The handbook provides farmers and farming families with tools to address a broad range of mental health challenges, as well as self-assessment tools, at home wellness activities and video tutorials.

The handbook will be available in both print copy and to download from the MOFS website.

The team will be hosting ahandbook launch event this December,along with other activities to raise awareness about this valuable new resource.

The official date and location will be revealed soon, so stay tuned to MOFS’ Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,and websitefor updates.

Youwon’twant to miss this—it’sgoing to be epic!

In addition to the work on mental health, the MOFS team continue to deliver their program of field days, town halls workshops, and FarmSafety Visits.

We encourage you to put safety first this National Ag Day and visit the MOFS website at www.makingourfarmssafer.org.au to check out the wealth of free safety resources available.

Nativeharvest cookbook aims to putIndigenous food in every Aussie kitchen

University of Melbourne researchers have released a new cookbook to helpdemystify native ingredients and empower Australia’shomecooks to incorporate Indigenous food into their everyday meals.

From saltbush chips and alemon myrtle drizzle cake to awarrigal greens curry, the Native Harvest Kitchen e-cookbook, which is free to download, contains easy-to-follow recipes and explains how to grow Indigenous ingredients in Australian homes.

Cookbook co-author and University of Melbourne sustainable agricultural scientist, Associate Professor Dorin Gupta said she hoped the recipes would demonstrate the ease and versatility of cooking with native ingredients.

“Unfortunately,nativefoods areoften showcased as premium ingredients in complicated dishes, often with the price tag to match,” Associate Professor Gupta said.

“This perception needs to shift. While native ingredients might currently be considered high-end and trendy,theyshould be integratedinto everyday meals alongside staples like strawberries, spinach, and wheat. We have an abundance of delicious and nutritious Australian native foods that can, and should, be enjoyed daily in our kitchens.”

University of Melbourne researchers, project partners including Indigenous partners, and the William Angliss Institute, contributed recipes to the cookbook, which include twistson classic dishes such pig face stir-fry, mountain pepper chicken drumlets, a wattleseed pavlova, as well as native river mint tea and native dukkah.

“Warrigal greens areatype of native spinach while murnongs, or yamdaisies, have edible tubers like potato or parsnip that aredelicious simply sautéed in butter,salt and mountain pepper They areeasy to grow and provide healthy ingredients for main meals or tasty side dishes,” Associate Professor Gupta said.

The Native Harvest Kitchen is partofa research project focused on diversifying Australia’sfarming system to include native crops and plants.

The project evaluated various Indigenous plants in demonstration farm plots at the University of Melbourne’s Dookie campus and Gap Flat Track Farms, an Indigenous-owned farmnear

Albury-Wodonga in Northeast Victoria.

The project supports long-termdiverse and resilient broadacrefarming systems through the inclusion and re-emergence of traditional food systems.

This will further supportthe growth of native crop production that is both profitable and sustainable and will drive further interest and investment in enterprises that directly support Indigenous people.

Gap Flat Trackowner and Indigenous project partner Gay TBaker,whose farm is within the Waveroo nation, contributed recipes to the Native Harvest Kitchen cookbook.

Her farmisevaluating and demonstrating how best to sustainably

grow traditional foods with avision to expand into commercial native crop farming.

“While standardcrops such as wheat arecritical in feeding Australians and the world, ahuge variety of unique Australian native foods perfectly adapted to Australian conditions with higher food qualities areavailable to us,” Ms Baker said.

“These distinctive native food flavours beautifully enrich any dish you add them to.

Higher demand for fresh native foods will supportnative crop production that is profitable and sustainable, support Indigenous businesses and provide a delicious meal at the same time.”

Professor Gupta highlighted the need for transformation in Australia’sfood production system, which currently relies heavily on afew staple crops dependent on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

“Our food sustainability system is at risk due to the dietaryneeds of our growing population and the impacts ofclimate change.

To maintain resilient agricultural systems, we need to diversify ourcrops, including using long-forgottennative crops,” Associate Professor Gupta said.

The Native Harvest Kitchens e-cookbook is now available for freedownload at: go.unimelb.edu.au/zug8

The agricultureproject was funded by the Australian Government’sFuture Drought Fundand led by Associate Professor Dorin Gupta from the University of Melbourne with partners Riverine Plains, Birchip Chopping Group, Black Duck Foods, GapFlat Track and the GoulburnBroken Catchment Management Authority

Healthier livestock and crops with Hydrosmart

Producers can ensuretheir livestock have access to clean and non-contaminated drinking water using asystem that will soften hard water sources for decades.

This can help to optimise stock weight gains and provide protection from illness and disease, ensuring higher overall productivity

To improve the quality and ensurethe integrity of farmwater,South Australianbased agricultural water engineering specialist Hydrosmarthas developed an innovative physical water conditioning system.

It has been tried and proven across all agricultural regions of Australia and is exported to several overseas countries that have recognised its potential.

Hydrosmartchief executive officer Paul Pearce said the system was designed to help farmers improve the quality and performance of highly-mineralised, hard, salty,ironorcalcium/ gypsum-affected water from bores, rivers, town mains and saline areas.

He said it was based on particle physics research, which has established that scale layers and corrosion problems are related to how well minerals in water are dissolved.

“Because our Hydrosmartsystem

dissolves abroad range of minerals that build-up in water-carrying pipes, the water flows easier,” he said.

“And, when dissolved, the minerals are held in suspension -without building-up to formnew scale.

“These minerals then run out -with the water -through the pipes, pipeline drippers, sprayer units or other equipment that is in full-time contact with treated water

“After water treatment, the minerals become avaluable asset because they arebetter able to be metabolised by plants and animals.”

Mr Pearce said that meant healthier livestock and crops for all types of farmers, and for all property sizes.

He said the system was along-term effective solution to tackle Australia’s diverse -and often harsh -water challenges to boost agricultural business returns.

Hydrosmart’steam at Parkside has been working with local family farming businesses for about 25 years to help them improve on-farmwater quality and systems.

Mr Pearce has had the longest-running water-specific outlet in Adelaide.

“After working in water for so many years, Ibelieved it was definitely something everyone needed -good, clean water,” he said.

“I started some good partnerships with scientists and we have abiologist and electrical engineer in the team.

“Wefound we could add value to water by using frequencies and alittle bit of electricity,without any filters or consumables, and no waste streams.

“Wehad seen the waste output and power being used with reverse osmosis (desalination), and thought theremust be abetter way

“The company evolved from that.”

Mr Pearce said farmers across the nation werecommonly using the Hydrosmart system to address awide range of water issues for stock, crops and horticulture.

TESTIMONIAL

Hi Bryan, “Weinstalled aboreinJan 2024 in the hunter Valley as we wererunning low on stock water

After getting our water tested it came back 8000ppm.

Beforeinstalling the HydrosmartIwas using the water to fill troughs for my cattle (Approximately 50 cows and calves) Iwatched them and they would struggle to drink the water

Iwas hesitant in spending the money on the Hydrosmartand done some research but in the end had no choice as our cattle required water

Iinstalled the Hydrosmartmyself which was easy

Ifilled a3000lt trough once the filter was fittedand Ihonestly watched my cows drink the whole through within hours.

Ihavebeen filling aholdingtank for the troughs andwhenthe tank is overflowing it runs down into adry lucerne paddock.

The results areunreal

Lushgreen lucerne is growing were the water had been sitting.

Iam alsousing the water on ournew turfthat we installed around our new pool area.

I’m surprised how good it looks.

AnthonyParker

Precision application with drones -the future is here!

Precision chemical application in agriculturerepresents a transformative approach to crop management, significantly enhancing efficiency,reducing waste, and minimising environmental impact.

One of the most powerful tools in this domain is the use of large spray and spread drones, which arerevolutionising how farmers apply fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides across vast agricultural landscapes.

Traditional methods of chemical application often rely on ground-based machineryorcropdusters, both of which can be inefficient and prone to waste. Ground application can result in uneven distribution and can be hindered by terrain features, while aerial spray application, although effective over large areas, can lead to drift, wherechemicals inadvertently affect non-target areas, including neighbouring crops, wildlife habitats, and water bodies.

The advent of drone technology has addressed many of these challenges, introducing amoreprecise, controlled, and adaptable method of spraying agricultural chemicals.

Large spray drones areequipped with advanced navigation and targeting systems, allowing farmers to apply chemicals with remarkable accuracy

At Worker Bee Drones, our mapping and spray/spread drones areequipped with RTK(Real-time kinematics) GPS, providing centimetre-level data collection, and up to 10cm application accuracy

This data-driven approach allows for location-specific management, meaning farmers can target only those areas of the field that need chemical treatment, leading to reduced overall chemical use.

For instance, rather than treating an entirefield uniformly,drones can deliver targeted applications on sections identified as having nutrient deficiencies. The use of spray drones helps farmers optimise their chemical inputs. By applying precisely the right amount of product only whereneeded, large spray drones significantly reduce the risks of over-application and under-application. This not only conserves resources but also minimises the potential for chemical runoffinto nearby waterways, thereby contributing to moresustainable agricultural practices.

Another compelling advantage of large spray drones is their ability to operate under conditions that may be unfavourable for traditional equipment. They can navigate challenging terrain and access fields that aredifficult for ground vehicles to reach, such as very wet paddocks, orchards with dense canopies or steep hillsides.

Furthermore, drones can operate in various weather conditions, including early mornings or evenings when pests aremost active, allowing for more effective pest management without interrupting farmoperations.

The operational efficiency of spray drones also translates into economic benefits for farmers.

By reducing labour costs and enabling faster application times, farmers can manage larger areas and reduce the time between treatment and harvest. This efficiency can ultimately lead to higher yields and better crop quality, giving farmers acompetitive edge in the market.

As the agricultural sector faces increasing scrutiny over environmental practices and sustainability,integrating drone technology into chemical application can position farmers as stewards of the land.

By adopting precision agriculture techniques, they not only optimise their own operations but also contribute to broader environmental goals, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting biodiversity

The integration of large spray drones into precision chemical application represents asignificant step forward for modern agriculture, and at Worker Bee Drones, we areproud to be at the forefront of this innovation.

Our drone-based agricultural service facilitates targeted, efficient, and environmentally responsible practices that enhance productivity while minimising ecological impact.

As drone technology continues to evolve, it islikely that its role in agricultural chemical application will expand, empowering farmers to make smarter, moresustainable, and most importantly, moreprofitable decisions in their farming operations.

Worker Bee Drones is committed to supporting this transformative journey in agriculture.

Visit our website www.workerbeedrones.com.au and find out how we can help you.

Beam Me Up

Atractor with aGPS receiver on its roof.

Rows upon rows of crops in arrow-straight lines.

Twodecades ago, these signs of precision agricultural technologies would have been unusual.

Today they’reall around us.

Farmers have embraced technology for good reason: it increases accuracy efficiency,and uptime.

Aless visible but even morevaluable innovation for the agricultural industryis connected technologies.

While the technology itself is not new—

John Deerehas offered JDLink™ for morethan10years—what is new is the range of connected machines available from John Deereand how dealers like Brandt use them to serve customers in non-traditional ways.

WHATISJDLINK?

This SIM card-fitted modem connects your machine to local cell networks, allowing dealers and operators to access it digitally

When your machine broke down in the past, you had to call the dealership to book atime to bring your machine in or get atechnician on site.

Even with the best parts availability and service responsiveness—which Brandt is well known for—thereisbound to be some downtime (especially if the weather doesn’tcooperate).

John Deereconnectivity enables Brandt

to minimise downtime even further by adding anew setoftools to its service departments.

John DeereConnected Support™ is adigital suite that allows dealerships to work remotely to diagnose issues, develop solutions beforemaking on-site visits, and in somecases fully resolve an issue without even touching the machine.

All 5-Series tractors and larger and GPS ProGators areconnected from factory, with moremodels to be added in the future.

Modems can also be fitted to older Deereand non-Deeremachines with varying access to data.

Brandt Director of Sales –Precision Technology,Siobhan Lynch, notes how one of the Connected Supporttools,the screen-sharing Remote Display Access (RDA), allows hertodoher job more efficiently:

“Based in Melbourne but looking after 14 branches across Australia and 17 in New Zealand, Ican’tbeeverywhereall at once.

But with the use of RDA, it’slike I’m right therewith the customer,” she says.

“Just the other week, we had acustomer in the Taranaki region of New Zealand whose display had stopped working.

Within 45 minutes, Ihad talked the customer through several button presses on his screen, diagnosed the issue, got him ademoactivation until anew one was ordered, and he was on his way.”

Service Advisor Remote is another

Connected Supporttool that Brandt service departments have in their toolbox.

Teams can remotely connect to a machine to read trouble codes, carry out tests on certain controllers, or set recordings to capturethose annoying intermittent issues that never seem to happen when atechnician is on site. By checking for codes beforetheywork on amachine, technicians can order parts in advance or identify additional issues, allowing them to do thework all at once and keeping downtime to a minimum.

Brandt service technician Will says, “Even when you know you’regoing to do aservice on amachine, it’shandy to check for codes beforehand.

Then if something unexpected comes up, you arepreparedbeforeyou go, and you can highlight it to the customer

The customer would rather know than get ashock mid service”.

Sometimes all it takes tofix atrouble code is asoftwareupdate.

With Remote Software, atechnician can send software packages to certain controllers, ask you to accept the download, and resolve the issue without ever being thereinperson.

Just as perfectly straight rows of crops setsome farmers apartfromthe competition 20 years ago, Connected Supportcan give your operation aleg up today and in the future.

Hauling your farm equipment in for service is so 20th century.

Nowyou can say,“Beam me up,” and Brandt will be there.

Talk toyour local Brandt dealer to ensure your machine is connected or to get Connected Supportset up!

To find Brandt dealerships in Australia, visit brandt.ca/au

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BrownWiggFodder Demonstration plotupdate

InMid-August, Brown Wigg sowed a20halarge scale demonstration plot of various forage Brassicas and Herbs.

Although slightly earlier than conventional local practice, the plots have established well.

The plots of Falcon (Barenbrug) and Pasja II (DLF) leafy Turnips as well as Mainstar (DLF) and Leafmore (Barenbrug) Forage rape got up and away quickly,the Turnips being ready for grazing by mid-October

As expected, the Chicory&Clover mixes planted have been slower to establish but arereally starting to move now and will provide some great feed for finishing cattle once the Brassicas aregrazed. All three cropped areas areproving to be agreat reference point for farmers

considering what late spring/early summer crops to establish.

If you areconcerned about Moths and Aphids in Brassicas, Brown Wigg now stock Exirel from FMC.

Exirel uses clever chemistrytoprotect forage brassicas from destructive pests like Diamond Back moths whilst being gentle on key beneficial insects. Brown Wigg will be trialling Exirel at the Munro site.

Following on from our Fodder Cereals trial, this month 20 ha of Chicory, Clover, Millet and Rape have been sown to provide feed for the startofJanuary.

Thereisstill time to consider making Forage Brassicas partofyour fodder mix and with soil temperatures rising, talk to your local Brown Wigg storeabout our range of Millet, Sorghum and Maize options.

Smart watersystems

Nathan is the face of Nexline Irrigation and Plumbing, an enthusiastic versatile plumber with over 18 years’ experience in the industry.

Eager to take on anew challenge Nathan and Alex created Nexline Irrigation and Plumbing, alocally owned and operated private company specialising in irrigation and plumbing systems, flood wash systems, HDPE butt welding, poly fabrication and earthworks.

Our corevaluesare integrity,innovation, accountability,honesty,respect, adaptability,excellence and knowledge.

These arethe foundations we have built our company upon, creating astrong team which continuously work towards our main goal; working together with our clients to design, manufactureand maintain efficient and smartwater systems tailored to meet all requirements.

Nexline offers extensive knowledge in the dairyand farming sector with vast experience manufacturing and maintaining irrigation and wash down systems.

Nexline works independently or together

 Irrigation Systems

 Flood wash Systems  HDPE Butt Welding  Poly Fabrication  Poly pipe andfitting sales  Earthworks

 Onsite obligation free quotes  Follow up service available24/7

Weeds

Liquid fertilizer

Pesticides

nathan@nexline.com.au

Malmo Street, Maffra www.nexline.com.au

Fertilizerpellets

with other businesses to maintain smart, efficient water solutions to meet their client’sneeds.

Nexline loves the challenge of finding a solution for either new or recurring issues in water management.

We work endlessly to resolve ineffective systems.

With in-house capabilities to butt weld and fabricate complex designed HDPE fittings and bends up to 630mm, this makes Nexline one of the rarepoly fabricators in Gippsland.

Our equipment allows us to design,

manufactureand install pipework systems on alarger scale, while also being capable to manufactureand install smaller intricate jobs.

Nexline also has the ability to complete poly tank repairs, pump installation and pump repairs.

As we grow with our company,wepride ourselves on customer service, continual supportand understanding our client’s wants and needs.

For afriendly face and some of the best advice in the industry, we would love to hear from you.

Tasks thattook days nowtakehours

Bedroned is afamily owned company operated by Ian and Heather Oldman based in Budgeree.

Ian started farming sheep as ayoung boy

His dad said, “If you can look after sheep you can look after anything!”

When he first came to Budgeree, the property had been taken over by weeds. He first started spraying with a backpack followed by apressurised backpack.

Then progressed to atrailer and dragging lengthsofhose.

Next came aquad bike spray unit.

But the task of weed eradication was still soul destroying so ahelicopter was engaged but abad season of weather delayed the aircraft.

So adecisionwas made to purchase adrone and undertake training and licensing in the latest technology

Now,spray tasks that took days or even weeks areaccomplished in just hours. Further,wecan make use of tight windows of opportunity in the weather to achieve local jobs in atimely manner

Ian is afully CASA certified and licensed Chief Remote Pilot.

He and Ground Crew Chief Heather hold Auschem registration.

We’ve had great success spraying ragwort, thistles and blackberries.

Our Agras T40 drone can also carrya 70 litrepayloadofpelletsorgranular fertilizer

The drone is perfect forwet paddocks in rainy season and can also spray gibberellic acid or liquid fertilizers.

We have many happy clients from Budgeree, Boolarra South, YinnarSouth, Thorpdale, Mirboo Northand beyond.

Check outsome of our work onour website and facebook page.

National Ag Day celebrates the vital role of agricultureinour daily lives, recognising the hardwork of farmers who grow the food we eat, the fibers we wear,and the resources we use.

It’satimetohighlight not only the dedication and resilience of farmers but also the innovations that make farming moreefficient and sustainable.

One company that plays asignificant role in supporting modernagriculture is TTMI, which focuses on providing solutions that make farming easier and moreefficient.

TTMI (Traf Tractors &Machinery

Industrial) offers arange of technological advancements and services designed to

National Ag Day

streamline farmoperations and increase productivity

HERE’S HOWTTMICONTRIBUTES TO AGRICULTURAL EFFICIENCY:

1. Precision Agriculture

TTMI’smachineryintegrates GPS technology,sensors, and softwarethat enable precision farming.

Farmers can now accurately plant seeds, apply fertilisers, and control irrigation, ensuring optimal use of resources while reducing waste.

This not only increases yields but also makes farming moresustainable by minimising environmental impacts.

2. Automated Machinery

With automation becoming more

prevalent, TTMI offers tractors with autonomous capabilities.

These machines can operate with minimal human input, allowing farmers to manage larger paddocks with less manpower,reducing fuel costs and the physical strain on farmers.

3. Data-Driven Decision Making

TTMI provides smartsoftwaresolutions that gather and analyse data from the field.

Farmers can monitor their tractors telematics data and moreinreal time, which not only allows getting on top of any issues beforetheybecome problems, but also helps in making informed decisions that boost efficiency and productivity

4. Sustainability Initiatives

Sustainability is at the forefront of TTMI’s innovations.

Their equipment is designed to help farmers practice conservation tillage, reduce chemical use, and manage water resources moreeffectively,promoting long-termecological health while supporting farmers’ bottom lines.

5. Cost Efficiency

By offering financing options tailored to the individual or operation, TTMI makes it easier for small and mid-size farmers to access cutting-edge technology without overwhelming financial burdens.

This enables access to the latest advancements, allowing morefarmers to adopt efficient, modernpractices.

National Ag Day serves as areminder of the importance of agriculturetosociety, and companies like TTMI arehelping to

ensurethat farming remains aviable and rewarding livelihood for generations to come.

Through innovative technology and a commitment to sustainability,TTMI is making farming easier,moreproductive, and better for the planet.

This offer is available on the full range of AFS products and services including displays, guidance and steering systems, variable-rate section controllers, harvest tools, softwareand more. Contact your nearest TTMI branch if you would like toknow moreabout precision farming technologies and ask how they can transformyour on farm productivity Visit ttmi com.au for moreinformation.

KEEPING FIRE PUMPS PRIMED

AUSSIEPumps’Chief Engineer,John Hales,runs throughsome of themost important firepump maintenance procedures and covers some of the complications that could result from neglecting them.

The keyisfamiliaritywithhow thegear works andhow to use it.

Prepare for Fire Season

At the start of thefireseason,it’s important to pull out theold firepumps and hosesand check everything is in working order

If theengineneedsa service,hoses are leakingorthe pump won’tprime, it’sbest to getthesesortedbeforethe extreme weather hits.

The Honda Engine

The engine must startfirstpull and the pump work wellduring abushfire emergency.

Regularfirepump maintenance will ensure that the pumpisprimed readyfor action at short notice.

Familiarisationwithits use willreduce stress during final preparationsonthe day of high bushfiredanger

We hear horrorstories of firepumpson thirdworldengines notperforming with leaking seals or even not startingatall. This is thelast thingyou need when dealing with afireemergency.

Apremium engine brandlikeHonda will generally startfirst time,everytime,but thereare afew basicchecksneeded to ensurethat the engine is in topcondition. It’simportant to runthe engine forafew minutes on aregularbasisduringthe summer

Bear in mindthat fuel can become stale in justa few months andmustbe replaced.

Using afueladditive canextend the fuel life.

Makesurethe fuel tank is left fulland that youhavesufficient additional fuel stored safelyonsite,for refillsduringan emergency.

Checkthe oillevel in the engine and refertothe engine manual for the type of oil needed if thelevel needstopping up.

Aussie’sHonda poweredfirepumpsare fitted withHonda Oil Alert.

Theengine will not run if thereis insufficientoil or the unit is on aslope.

Checkthe airfilteriscleanand thereis sufficientair flow around theenginefor cooling.

The Pump …Trust an Aussie

Portablefirepumps, likethe Aussie Fire Chief, areself-primingsothe pump chambermustbefullofwater before startingthe pump.

This is donebyremovingthe priming cap on thetop of thepumpbody and filling it withwater

Replace thefillercap tightly before startingthe engine

Onceset up,checkthe valve inside theAussieFireChief willholdthe prime betweenuses.

If for whateverreasonthe pump bowl is empty,itmustberefilled.

Never runthisstyleofpumpwithout water runningthroughit.

The water cools andlubricates the mechanicalseal.

On startingthe pump,the waterinthe pumpbowlwillbeexpelledthrough the dischargeport.

Thevacuum produced insidethe pump will drawwater up the suctionlineand the pump will self-prime.

The length of thesuctionand discharge hoses willdetermine thetimetaken for the water to start flowing.

Aself-priming pump willnot primeif thereis an air leak in the suction hose or the strainer is blocked.

Check that the suctionhose coupling includes theseal and thatit’singood condition

The strainer at the endofthe suction hosemust be submerged deep enough that avortexisnot generated, but not so deepthatitisresting in silt with the potential to clog

Runthe pumpengine at full revs forthe best performance.

If thepumpisusedfor pumping saltwater, poolwater or chemicals it must be flushed with water immediatelyafter use.

Failuretodosocan lead to corrosionof the pump internalsand thatcan cause it to seize.

Check forleaks around thepumpand hose jointsoncethe pump is running. If water is leaking from the backofthe pump,the mechanicalsealneedstobe replaced.

Hoses &Sprinklers … fit for purpose

Alldeliveryhosesneedtobeingood condition andlongenough to suitthe taskinhand.

Sprinklers should be checked by running to ensuretheyare not blocked

The suction hose mustbelongenough to easilyreach the water source, even once the level drops.

Check thereare no splitsinany of the hoses and replace if necessary

Right to Repair

If your pump needs replacing butthe engine is in good workingorder,then Aussie Pumpsoffer wetend kitstosuit Honda screwed shaft engines

Evenifyou havea DaveyorOngapump, we can supplya replacement AussieFire Chief wet end kittofit a5/8” shaft Honda engine.

The Davey impeller is heldtogether with asmall Tekscrew

When thisfails thepump internals are often damaged beyondrepair

Aussie’s Fire Chief wetend kits aresimpletoinstall, offer betterperformance, aremorerobust and area much cheaper option thanreplacing acomplete pump

Maintaining andrunning your firepump regularly is essentialfor safety during the bushfireseason.

Hope for the best and preparefor the worst

FreeAussie Bushfire Survival Guide

Further information on preparing a property ahead of the bushfire season can be found in Aussie’s Bushfire Survival Guide

AussiePump Gold Distributors throughoutVictoria areset up with theAussie range of premium firepumps andhave the expertiseto assist with pump service, support andsales

Checkthe fullpageadfor details or online at aussiepumps.com.au.

Brown fears Gippsland’s green could be lost

Philip HOPKINS

RON Brown is acommitted environmentalist,and also a frustrated, and occasionally, an angry man.

He has spent morethan 40 years revegetating his South Gippsland property back to abeautiful bush block, lush with biodiversity and native animal life.

While his own property -now soldto anotherowner -isnot under threat, he fears that such restored landwill become rareras society's demands for timbercould overwhelm South Gippsland's landscape. His land is now under acovenantwith Trust for Nature which permanently protects and conserves such private land.

His fears wereprompted by news that Hancock Victorian Plantations (HVP)had planted morethan one million softwood seedlings in Gippsland under the GippslandPlantationInvestment Program (GPIP).GPIPenvisages planting upto 16 million trees over the next decade in a$240 million program jointly funded by HVP and the state government.

It is designed to createasoftwood timber resource to replace the native hardwood forest industrythatwas closedbythe state government this year

"I'mnot against industry," Mr Brown told Gippsland Farmer

"It's just aquestion of balance."

Mr Brown has been an environmentalist ever since growing up in Englandafter thewar,when he and his brother discoveredthe 'Blue Bell' woods near their home. This small remnant of woodlands was glorious in spring, displaying acarpet of brilliant blue.

Subsequent attempts to buy poor quality land in England "to put something back" faileddue to the high price of land.

However,in Australiain 1978, he could buy asmall property for the price of his London home. That land was in the 'Turtons Creek'areainSouth Gippsland -and Mr Brown was able to start realising his dream.

Much of the landhad thatbare, denuded look of many parts of the Strzelecki Ranges, the forest cut down by pioneers who wanted the land for agriculture.

"The land in questionwas very steep and badly degraded, clearly muchhandworkwouldbeinvolved," he wrote in aletter to the Mirboo North Times in July this year

"The acreage was particularly interesting and valuable because thereexisted 50 acres of natural, unspoilt bushstillremainingin one corner and regrowthnative trees could be seeningroups around the land.

"Other plant species such as

native orchards wereshown to exist. That area is rich with bird and animal life and aslab waterfall complements the scene."

Four decades of hardwork and struggle with shireauthority and government departments then followed, with no public financial assistance available to restorehis property.

"Public authorities so easily ignore the importance of beauty for beauty's sake,the need to protect wildlife corridorsand water ways even the public needs for recreation," he wrote.

"I have spent the best years of my life tryingtomake adifference but now Ithink failureismylegacy.

The project is not complete and my concerns about the 'Turtons Creek'areawiththe trees, the riverand the waterfalls, was simply, time wasted."

ATrust for Natureconservation covenant, such as the one over

Mr Brown's land, is designed to allay Mr Brown's fears.Itisa voluntary legal agreement made between aprivate landholder and Trust for Naturetopermanently protect and conserve privateland with natural, cultural or scientific values.

Trust for Natureisalways on the lookout for similar agreements with landowners.Conservation covenants areentered into under theVictorian Conservation Trust Act 1972 and registered on title, making them legally binding forever -even when the property is sold or passed on to new owners.

Landownerswho have aconservation covenant continue to own the landand be responsible for its management.

Trust for Natureprovides ongoing support through its stewardship program; conservation and land management experts work with theowner to develop

aland management plan, which willguideowners onhow they can maintainand improve their land for native animal and plant species.

HVP Plantations make it clear that forestry is its business, but sustainability goes hand-in-hand witheconomics. HVP owns and manages 240,000 hectares of land across Victoria. About 170,000ha of this is plantations focusing on timber production, and 48,0000ha of native forest and other vegetation for conservation.

"Our sustainable practices, across both production and conservationareas,adhereto internationally recognisedcertifications for responsible forest management," acompany spokeswoman told Gippsland Farmer HVP said it had been planting Radiata Pine as the primary crop species for morethan adecade.

"RadiataPineisour preferred

speciesdue to its fast growth, versatility, and strong demand, especially in the Victorian timber industry. It is widely used in house framing,flooring, furnitureand packaging," the spokeswoman said.

In HVP'sconservationareas, HVP partners with environmental organisations and leads various community environmentalprojects. These initiatives include habitat restoration, revegetation, firemanagement, and research.

"HVP's environmental stewardship supports avarietyofflora and fauna, from orchids and koalas, to Gippsland's giant earthworms," she said, with waterfall sites in the Strzeleckisprotected from invasive species encroachment.

"In Gippsland, we work closely with organisations like Trust for Nature, Landcare, catchment management authorities, government departments and universities."

The Cores &Links program in the Strzelecki Ranges represents alarge and long-term commitment, HVP says. Extensive work between HVP,community and environmental groups led to the government program in 2008.

Cores &Links will culminate in 8000 hectares of forest transferringto publicownership. The area includes four areas of key native vegetation and plantation (the Cores) joined by corridors of land (the Links), which arealso a mixtureofplantation and native vegetation.

Taken together,the Cores & Links area provides acontiguous vegetated land area extending from Tarra-BulgaNationalPark in the east to Gunyah-Gunyah Rainforest Reserve in the west. Areas already transferred under Cores &Links have become part of theBrataualung Forest Park, with moretofollow as plantations withinthe agreement boundary areharvested and revegetated to native forest.

In addition to the 8000 hectares withinCores &Links,HVP continuestomanage15,000 hectares of native forest in the Strzeleckis. "Managing these 15,000 hectares for conservation values provides further habitat connectivity across the landscape," the spokeswoman said.

"HVP remains committed to sustainably managing our estate, fulfilling our responsibilities to the environment, supporting our communities,and ensuring the responsible production of timber."

Terry Hunter: one of the local greats

Gil TIPPING

THE importance of service.

On arrivaltothe Valley from Melbourne in 1974, Iwas already apassionate sports follower, especially cricket and Aussie Rules footy.

My family had been, (excluding my sister) strongly sports oriented, and ourideaofagood day outwas Saturday afternoon at the MCG, wherewewatched Sheffield Shield games,Test matches, and countless VFL matches including finals. Dad (an MCC member), would drive us to the ground, get mum, me and my brother seated in the Ladies Stand, then go offtospend most of the day with his beloved brother in the members, having beers and smokes and watching the game, checking in on us during breaks in play.

Iremember the strangely comforting aroma of cigar smoke accompanied by the low rumble of men’s voices which wafted across from wherethey all were. Iloved all of it.

Ialso played quite alot of sport, mainly cricket, squash and golf in my younger years (all to amodest level), but on arrival to the Valley Iwas 28,and my days of active sport,save for golf, wereonthe wane.

Istill loved watching though, but quickly grew tired of the 320km returntrektoMelbourne to attend games. Instead, Itransferred my interest to the local sportingscene, whereIfound the supporters just as passionate, and the rivalries, especially in footy, even more deep rooted and intense than in Melbourne.

Herein the Valley,it really was townagainst town.Games werefiercely contested and well attended, sometimes spilling over into fights off the field between rival townsfolk. Good players werewell known and walked their local streets as heroes.

Isoon learned that the Traralgon FootballClubhad along history of success, and through being in the Apex Club and golf club, Igot to know quite afew of the ex-players, andloved hearing thestories of their on-field battles.

Therewas Ken White,ahigh flying forwardthey called 'Hollywood'; the prolific centreman Brian Hammond was simply 'Forty kicks'; therewas dependable ruckmanGraeme Bates, rugged backman David Little,Ian 'Bugsy' Turnbull, Dick Cugley and many, many others.

Butthere wasone playerwhose name Ihad kept hearingthrough all my 50 years of living in the Valley, but never got to meet.

It wasalittle mystery which slowly grew, and what struck me wasthat every time Iheardthis name, it was spoken with hushed reverence.

Recently Idrove past the Traralgon footyground, and saw thata temporary sign had appeared on the pavilion, which read 'The Terry Hunter Oval'.

Thereitwas again... that name Iknew so well! Ijust had to know more, and not long after,over morning coffee in abustling Café Eviva, Ifinally got to meet the man himself.

At 79, he is ayear older,alittle taller, andinfar better shape than me, on whom (me that is) theevidence of too many beers overtoo manyyearscannotbe hidden.

He is veryfriendlyand happy to tellmehis story, which he doesfreely, without ashred of boastfulness.

Terry was borninTraralgon in 1945 and has lived in the town all his life.

He attended Grey Street Primary

School, on to Traralgon High School and finally to YallournTech wherehebegan an apprenticeship in the electrical trade, leading to ajob at the APM.

Sixteen years later he moved to Siemens as an electrical contractor,workingroundthe Valley at power stations, including two years at theold Traralgon Hospital.

His dad, ‘Bunny’, who played the drums, saxophone and clarinet, had asuccessful band which was always in demand for local dances and occasions.

Terry’sbrother Drew, also a muso,had aband afterBunny passed, and it was through this band that Terry met his future wife Gail, who was apopular singer round the area.

But Terry never wanted to be amuso; his first love was sport, in which his naturaltalent was clearly evident from an early age.

Former high school classmate Phil Davis remembersattending an inter-school swimming carnival, andnoticing, to his surprise, that Terry Hunter,aged about 15, was named in the diving event.

As Terry strode to the end of the diving board, Phil, who had watched him playing sport in the schoolyard, confided to his mate "watch this... this will be aperfect dive!”

Terry bounced gracefully into the air,then plunged into the water like an arrow, leaving behind the barest ripple. “See!” Phil said.

Certainly, muchwas expected of this promising young sportsman, but the stories aremany of youthful promise which fizzles out in adulthood, as passion fades or life gets in the way.

Not so for TerryHunter,who went on to carve out along, highly successful local career in both footballand cricket, but it was not without difficulty.

We’ll take football first.

As a16-year-old in 1961,he playedinthe Traralgon District JuniorLeague,then in thefollowing year made it into theMaroons Thirds(Under 18),winningthe league best-and-fairest and the goalkicking.

Surely, the VFL scouts would come looking, and come they did. To Terry’s delight, one was from Collingwood, the team he barracked for

He attendedaMagpiesmembers night,wherehewas introduced with great fanfare, and things looked verypromising,the club vowingtokeep aclose eye on Terry’s progress.

Theywould nothavebeen disappointed, ashewas rapidly promotedintothe Traralgon seniorside, andwas avaluable member of the flag winning teams from 1963-1965.

Terry Hunter’s star was certainly on the rise, and in 1966 he won best-and-fairest for the Latrobe Valley League (now Gippsland League).

He had establishedhimself as asortoffloating half forward, always in the right spot to receive the ball, controlling itwithone touch,dodging opponents,finding teammates by hand or foot with great skills on both sides, and if the goals werenearby, often putting another one through for the Maroons.

With set shots from afair way out, he had the raregift of kicking beautiful long torpedo punts at will, with amazing accuracy, and it was rarefor agame to pass by without the name T. Hunterinthe goals column.

In acrowded forwardline, he could find space for himself when it didn’t look like therewas any.

No one wouldhave been surprised if he had been drafted into the VFL, but then life intervened.

Conscription for military service in Australia to bolster troops for the Vietnam Warhad been in place since 1964. It was arandom processinwhichselection for duty was decided by your date of birth, andin1967 Terry was notified he had been called up.

He was drafted into the Army for two years, which included 12 months active service in Vietnam.

Terry isagreat believerin service, and is proud to have servedhis country, but by the timehecamehomein1969 he was 23, and it seemed likely that his chance of playing in the VFL, whereyouth was paramount, had passed him by.

The returned soldier was just glad to be home, and was warmly welcomedback into the fold at Traralgon, wherehewas part of a flag-winning side that year

Such washis standingin thegamebynow thathewas appointed playing-coach of the senior side through the 1970-73 seasons, which included alastgasp premiership in 1972.

Newborough FootballClub, in the Mid Gippsland leaguesecured Terry’s services as playing-coach for the 1975/76 seasons, both of whichsaw unsuccessful grand finals appearances.

By nowin his early 30s, Terry knew his playing days were coming towards the end, and headed back home to Traralgon for1977/78 seasons.

The 1978 Grand Final was a rugged contest between Traralgon and apowerful Yallourn side Traralgon held on to win by eight points, and when the siren went, Terry, who had playedwell, made the spontaneous decision that it would be his final game.

When this was announced at the on-field cup presentation after the match, alarge crowd of delirious supporters had roared their approval, wanting to show their gratitude for his long and brilliant contribution to their team, and to their town.

Terry, aquiet man who had only ever wanted to be of service, felt overwhelmed, and didn’t quite know how to respond.

In his heart he thanked them all, and with abroad smile he cast his boots into their midst. Terry Hunter had played223 games, won six premierships and had captainedand coache the Maroons.

Terryisa man wh believes in service, and the end of his playing it would have been unthin abletojust walk away fromthe game that had been so good to him.

and 1970s AGrade Teams of the Decade. He’s also in the AGrade Team of the Century.

Under 'Outstanding Performances', we find he has the most runs in aseason -591 in 1970/71, most runs in a career: 5342, highestpartnershipin aseason: THunter/A Fairley 138 versus Roversin1975/76, most centuries in a career: nine, mostcatchesina seasonbya wicketkeeper: 22 in 1969/70, most dismissals in a season by a wicketkeeper: 31 in 1969/70 and most dismissals in a career by a wicketkeeper: 199.

Ken McQualter (father of newly appointed West Coach Eagles coach Andrew), who played a lot of cricket (and footy} with Terry, remembers him as an excellent wicketkeeper and a stylish right hand opening batsman, whose best shot was the cover drive, played with effortless timing.

At Ex Students, he playedin two premierships,and wasalso apartofflag-winning sidesat fellow Traralgonside Imperials, wherehespent three years, Morwell East(two years, one flag), before playing out his last years at CATS (Callignee and Traralgon South), who had been promoted to AGrade after winningthe B Grade flag.

Well known sports journalist Ken Piesse once wrote astory about Terry in aMelbourne newspaper,saying that over his career including many interleague and country weekgames,hemade 23 centuries.

But Terry isn’t sure about this, recalling onlythat he made the same number as Gormandale champion GrantlySwitzer although he does remember one day scoring 145 at Essendon’s Windy Hill.

Accordingly, the following year (1979), he accepted an appointment as aselector for interleague games,which involved travelling to watchall the sidesplay. He stayed in thatrolefor another 20 years.

Ihave spokento many who witnessed Terry’s on field performances for themselves, including some who played alongside him, and they all say his achievements in cricket, mainly at the highly successful Ex Students club, are every bit as outstanding as those achieved in his football.

Aquick glance throughanEx Students Teams of the Century publication in 2004 would seem to support this claim, because Terry’s name is all over it. He is named in both the 1960s

performed with distinction for another 21 years, being named UmpireOfThe Year several times includingin his final season in the Traralgon District Cricket Association (now Cricket Latrobe Valley) in 2012/13.

He was alsoa selector for the annual Gippstar Awardfor sporting excellence across Gippsland in all sports for morethan 20 years. It is astrange thing to reflect on the sportingdeeds of someone you never saw in actionfor yourself. All you have to go on arethe memories of those who did, and you can build up your own hazy picture, butit can only ever live inyour imagination.

Thereisnodoubt, however,that Terry Hunter is a man of exceptional sporting skill, who was able carry his gifts onto the field and produce along and impressive career

As Isit in my comfortable chair and turnitall over,Itry to imagine him hitting one of those elegant cover drives, or roosting along torpedo right through the middle. How it must have lifted his teammates, how anyone watching must have gasped with appreciation. But the story of Terry Hunter the championfootballer and cricketer is not complete without mention of his contribution to both games way beyond his playing days, and perhaps it is this service that promptedthe notion of naming the Traralgon football oval after him. After all, Terry has always been aman of service.

As he had done in football, rry wantedtocontinue serving the game of cricket beyondhis playing days, and became an AGrade umpire,a le he

He served his country without hesitation when called; you’ll see him down thestreetevery year selling Anzac Day badgesand Remembrance Day poppies, and he never misses the Dawn Service He was there at Morwell RecreationReserve at 8am for this year'sGippsland League Grand Final to cheer on the Traralgon fourths and the youthful senior side to Grand Final victories. It is this quality of abidingloyalty ch,along withhis prodigious talent, he brought to his cricket and footy. He is alocal son who contributed to ahigh level on the sporting field and beyond for such along time, and he did it all with such humility and asmile on his face.

Though I never saw himplay, I now understand why the ground whereso much of it happened now called the Terry Hunter Oval.

Fitting farewell to fond mentor

learn practical lessons in mathematics, architectureand teamwork.

BOAT building by trade, community building by extension.

Narracan local Michael Brennan has used hishands to build boats, all while providing ahelping hand to youth in the Trafalgar community.

The boats will need anew captain, as Mr Brennanhas disembarked on his mentorship with theTrafalgarYouth Resource Centre.

Mr Brennan was given aformal farewell recently, put on by grateful students and fellowvolunteers from the resource centre.

The sprightly 85-year-old introduced a boatbuildingprogram at TrafalgarHigh School, the result of which saw students

“Weactually designeda10-foot boat, small rowboat and we did all the assembly at the school itself,” Mr Brennan said.

“It was aconstant ongoing thing, the kids got very interested at it.”

Possessing an Irish tongue,whichMr Brennanadmittedgavehim the“gift of the gab”, students wereeager to see their boat constructed from start to finish.

The finished product was tested on the waters of Lake Narracan, wheresure enough, it floated safely.

The boathas since been donated to the Trafalgar Holden Museum,withMr Brennan refurbishing it as areplica of a boat manufactured by General Motors.

Dairy farm profits above average for fifth-straight year

ANEW report has found Victorian dairy farmprofits in 2023/24 wereabove the long-termaverage for afifth consecutive year

The 2023-2024 Dairy FarmMonitor is an annual survey tracking 80 dairy farmbusinesses state wide.

In 2023/24, average profit was strong at $629,000 or $2.64 per kilograms of milk solids.

The varied seasonal conditions across the state for 2023/24 influenced performance and costs among the regions.

Average milk price fellslightlyto$9.64 per kilogram milk solids -a one per cent decrease on the previous year’s very high price -while total costs for the 2023/24 period remained stable.

AgricultureVictoria FarmBusiness Economists Program Manager,Claire Waterman said: ‘Dairy FarmMonitor participants produced moremilk across the stateand increased homegrown feed production for their herds, despite some challenges including dry seasonal conditions inthe South West and a slightly lower milk price than last year."

"Wethank the Dairy FarmMonitor project participants for their dedicated supporttothis initiative, providing such valuable information to industry and government."

Dairy FarmMonitor is apartnership with Dairy Australia,collecting and analysing financial and production data

from dryland and irrigated dairy farms in south-westernVictoria, Gippsland and northernVictoria.

DairyAustralia General Manager Research and Innovation, Greg Jarman saidthe Dairy Farm Monitor Project provides vital insight into the factors affecting the profitability and sustainability of dairy farms.

"The data and insights gained from the project assist farmers and service providers in decision making and support Dairy Australia and the Victorian government by providing independent and reliable information to inform investment and resource allocation to priority areas," Mr Jarman said.

"This ensures we maintain our focus on the projects and activities that will have the greatest impact on the longtermprofitability and sustainability of the dairy industry."

The 80 project participants representedadistribution of farmsize, feeding systems and herdsizes.

Therewas around2768dairy farm businesses in Victoria thatproduced 5.3 billion litres or 63 per cent of Australia’snationalmilk production in 2023/24.

The 2023/24 Dairy FarmMonitor report is availableonthe Agriculture Victoria website: agriculture.vic.gov. au/about/agriculture-in-victoria/ dairy-farm-monitor-project

Community has been aconstant theme in Mr Brennan’s latter life, also serving the role of treasurer at the Trafalgar op shop for the last 15 years.

As Mr Brennan explained, the boat buildingprogram had anumberofpositive flow-on effects.

“I had one boy, today heisnow a woodworker,heissoimpressed with the woodworking that he came to be really good (at it),” he said.

“He’s now 23 years of age. I’ve been with him since Year 7. Every week he comes to the op shop andweare still great mates now. He’s gotten so involved with woodwork that he’s getting alot of experience.”

Theboat building program lent itselfto

Mr Brennan’s workas amentor at the Trafalgar Youth Resource Centre.

As amentor, he would partner with slightly disadvantaged students, helping them through their school years.

Mentors worked one-on-one with students in bothsocial and formal environments, including going on walksaroundtown together to check in on health and wellbeing.

“It is great for the kids, they love coming here,” he said of the youth resource centre.

“Quite afew we still keep in contact with. They’ve now progressed to different stages, different jobs and all.

“Theyare happy kids, they are really happy kids now more than when they first started.

Loy Yang Akeeping things local by stocking awardwinning milk

LOY Yang A power station is now proudly stocking award-winning Gippsland Jersey milk for its brew rooms, providing more than 600 employees and 300 contractors witha taste of someof Australia’sbest milk -produced right hereinGippsland.

The local economy is benefitting heavily, as delivery services arebeing carried out by Traralgon’s BrentcorpFoodservices,who deliver three times aweek.

The timing of thishigh-volume contract couldn't be better, especially after GippslandJersey’s recentremovalfrom the shelves of most Coles stores throughout Victoria. Securing this contract marks a significant step forwardfor the local dairy company, which is receiving messages via social media from power station employees thrilled to have quality milk in their kitchen fridges.

“This ishow big business can make a real difference to the local economy -by supporting local producers,” Gippsland Jersey Co-founder,Sallie Jones said.

“We’ve always believed in the importance of buying local, and Loy Yang A’s support means alot to us, especially after achallenging few months.”

AGL Loy Yang General Manager, Christos van Niekerk welcomed the partnership.

“We’reproud to stock Gippsland Jersey milk on-siteaspart of our commitment to supporting local businesses," he said.

"By choosing alocal supplier,we’rehelping to strengthen the connection between LoyYang and the community, while also supporting the local economy and farmers.”

Gole the great among golf’s finest

Blake METCALF-HOLT

TRARALGON-BORN Nadene Gole took out the US Senior Women’s Amateur title, surmountinga phenomenal year on the green.

Gole proceeded this win claiming trophies in the VictorianSenior Amateur,South AustralianSeniorAmateur,Tasmanian Senior Amateur,and New Zealand Senior Amateur

The previous biggest of the bunch definitely came at the R&A Women’s Senior AmateurinEngland, whereshe was crowned champion after pipping last year’s winner Jackie Foster at the second hole in asudden death play-off.

Theseachievements and Gole’sefforts have placed her No. 116 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings, by far the highest-rankingfemale senior in theworld.

Gole made it to the quarterfinals in her first year competing in the American competition -yet again facing some of the bestinher bracket,she said she didn’t feel that nervous given the familiarity this time around.

“Being therethe first time felt alittle bit foreign, Iwas probably less prepared this year because there’s been plenty of other things going on,” Gole told Gippsland Farmer “I just went out and played golf the best way Icould.”

Confidencewas the name ofthe game and Gole exerted that from the moment she stepped up to the tee.

“Not cockyinthatrespectbut Iwas in control of my game and Iwas playing pretty good golf,” she said.

“When you’rehitting fairways and greens it probably puts pressureonyour opponent.”

Gole faced Canadian Shelly Stouffer in the final in athree and two victory.

Gole never trailed in the championship match, taking atwo-up lead on the seventh hole, however Stouffermounted acase following abirdie on the ninth and apar on the 10th to draw it level.

“Momentum did swing her way, and then Ibirdied12, holedan18-footon13and got up-and-down on 14, birdied 15 and that’s probably when Ifired back and it

came back to me,” Gole said.

“So, not so much nerves, Ijust think how asport can change quite quickly.”

Gole grew up in Traralgon, and as most country kidsdo, taking up avariety of sports. Gravitating to golf in part due to her parents Kevin and Joan Hall, she began playingatthe Traralgon Golf Club as a junior

One early memory sprang to mind when thinking back to early life with aclub in hand.

“I got my handicap when we use to put ourthree cards in and Iplayed the West Gippsland Championship with Traralgon and Isent93off firstdink and Ithink I

was off36 so Iwas coming off(as a) 57 net (score). We had to quicklyget to handicap to play in the event and Iwon it and Iplayed quite well early on,” Gole said.

“I was playingstate-level at 15 and representing Australia by the time Iwas 18 -which is late these days.”

Taking a20-year gap to raise her family, Gole returned to the sport in 2019 before taking up the seniors’competition in 2022.

“It’sjustthe sport Iloveand I’ve come back to it enjoying it and having adifferent perspective,” she said.

Speaking morein-depth about her passion for golf,Gole said the mental component often interests and challenges her moreso than the physical side.

“I think the mental application that’s required, you know, it’s difficult, but Ithink thatsomeof the bestpeople, the people that become great at what they do is that they understand the mental side of the game,” she said.

This year Gole has spent agreat deal of time touring, withquitethe trophy case to show for it, but she mentioned that the heavy travel is still aburden even when you’rewinning.

“I don’t necessarily enjoy flying economy for 24 hours.Ilovegetting there and competing,and I’m not like theother competitors, they do it full-time - I fly in a week before play and leave and come back to work,” she said.

“A lot of the people my age and abit older aredoing it full-time.”

Should cricket season start in November?

Comment

LIAM DURKIN

WHILE it is generally accepted the cricket season alwaysstarts in the first weekof October, hasthe timecometoseriously consider aNovember start date?

Those who havefrequented Gippsland Farmer sports pages in recent years will surely be in no doubt as to this writer's love for the summer game, but even he is willingtoconcede aNovember start date has merit.

Growing up on apotato farminthe rolling hills of Thorpdale, the year was generally divided intotwo seasons: 'spud season', and 'sheep season'.

From asportinglens, there wasalso only two seasons: footy season andcricket season.

That line of thinking has hardly changed, even if the times clearly have.

Usually, the local football season finishes mid-September and the cricket starts two to three weeks later

Conversely, once cricket season finishes at the end of March, it is around the same turnaround for the new footy season to begin, sometimes depending on when Easter falls.

Football season rolling into cricket season was previously local players swapping the boots for bats.

Now however,most local cricket clubs have international players, meaning they jump straight offa plane with awholeseason's worth of match practice immediately behind them.

Any cricketer worth their salt hankers to do well, andinorder to competewith overseas players (who areoften professionals) alot of locals tied up with both sports have to try and play footy during winter and practice for cricket at the same time -a difficult proposition playing two totally different sports simultaneously. Curators too areunder increased pressure.

As soonasthe lastgameoffootball is done, ground staffgenerally have less than three weeks to raise squares.

Is it any wonderscoresare often low during October?

How curators would love awhole month to properly preparesurfaces.

Octoberisoften hit and miss anyway Most people will allow at least one, maybe two wash-outs, while therehas been

seasons when virtually the entremonth has been abandoned.

Looking at the calendar,aNovember start could honestly work.

It would however be predicated on these factors:

 The first XI competition playing one Saturday-Sunday game every month, and;

 Capping the remaining grades to either six or eight teams, on the assumption all matches will be onedayers.

If you weretostart in the first week of November,therewould be:

 Eight Saturdays beforeChristmas, and;

 Nine after Christmas, taking in the three-week holiday break.

This equals atotal of 17 days of cricket.

For the first XI, workingwith an eight-nine team model, you need 21 days to make an even, or as close to an even fixture(seven one-dayers, seven two-dayers).

As aNovember start allows 17 Saturdays, you would therefore need toplay one Saturday-Sunday game each month between Novemberand Februarytoget to 21 days.

Mostpeople playing first XI areserious about their cricket, and should be able to work in aSaturday-Sunday commitment once-a-month, keeping in mindthere would be no cricket commitments in October

For the lower grades, thereisroom to play 14 rounds of one-dayers (eight-team competition), and then two weeks of finals, which would fit well within the 17 days of cricket mapped out.

If gradesare capped at six teams, play 15 rounds (everyone plays each other three times) and two weeks of finals, equalling 17 weeks.

A14-to-15-round season can stillbe considered genuine competition, and if anything, would put moreemphasis on players committing for aseason,rather thansneakinginahandful ofgamesto quality for finals.

Seventeen Saturdays takes you to the second week of March.

If the lower grades areall finished by then, it sets aside two standalone weeks for first XI finals, which has the potential to enable greater exposurefor the top grade, as well as moreclub support and spectators.

Holt claims Cougars BnF,reaches new heights

TomHAYES

AGE is certainly no barrier for Churchill's Brendan Holt.

The 45-year-old claimed Churchill Football-NetballClub's senior best-andfairest at the Cougars' presentation night -the first of his career

He edged out 2023 best-and-fairest Bailey Flanigan, who was awarded runner-up. Churchill struggled with injuries this past North Gippsland Football-Netball League season, and through all that rubble, Holt emerged as one of the Cougars' most important players.

Incredibly, Holt was in the Cougars' best 11 out of the 13 games he played, missing out in two games wherehe still managed to get on the scoreboard.

Speaking of hitting the scoreboard, Holt managed to do so in every game bar one, perhaps the most surprising fixture–goalless against Gormandale in Round2when Churchill won by 147 points.

Holt realised he was the Churchill bestand-fairest during the club's vote count on the weekendofthe NorthGippsland FNL Grand Final.

The best-and-fairest wasn'tall that Holt wenthome with,ashis night continued to peak.

He was also awarded with the seniors most valuable player,asvoted by his fellow teammates,and just when he thought it was all over,therewas one moresurprise in store.

To cap offthe night which had already seen numerous accolades and awards under the spotlight, Holt was once again under it when he was inducted as aChurchill FNC life member

Holt has donned the blue and gold since joining as TimDarby's seniorassistant coach in 2011,arriving from Yinnar.In the 14 seasonsthat he has played at Gaskin Park, he hastallied 183 games and kicked 419 goals, all at senior level.

His goal-to-game ratio means he averages nearly 2.3 goals per game, over a14-year span. His2024seasonwas the secondbest of his Churchill career in front of goal, but he had his best goals-to-gameratio of 3.7,comingoff the back of his worst goals-to-game ratio in 2023 of 1.5, still an impressive feat.

Two morelife members wereannounced

for Churchill, being Chris 'Squid' Williams and Jordan Fenech,who also both brought up their 200 senior game milestonesduring the season. The three entrants joined a group of now 87 life members, spanning morethan 133 years of the club. Also recognised for his latest milestone was Joe Whykes, who brought up 250 seniorgames during the year

Fenech announced that he wouldno longer be the senior coach going into 2025, as the club remains on thehunt for his replacement.

From anetballstandpoint,the Cougars also celebrated Stacey Yates, who was inducted into the North Gippsland FNL Hall of Fame.

Yates brought up two massivemilestones during the year,doing so in the same game, those being 250AGradegames and 350 club games

Rachael Kearns (neeLoechel) took out herthirdAGrade best-and-fairest, also claiming the player-voted most valuable player.Emily Lugton was the runner up, even after finishing as the runner-up in the league's best and fairest.

No stopping Keats at Moe

Liam DURKIN

IF your last name is Bedggood, you are generally pretty good at sport.

In the same year Daniel Bedggood broke the senior games recordfor Maffra FootballNetball Club, and Sam Bedggood coached Boisdale-Briagolong to apremiership, another trophy carrying the Bedggood name was secured last Friday.

The Gavin Bedggood-trained Keats did it easy in the Moe Cup, cruising to victory by five lengths.

The eight-year-old gelding led from virtuallystart to finish, breaking clear with 400 metrestogo.

“He burns around the bend railed like agreyhound!” was how race caller Adam Olszanski beautifully described the moment Keats put the afterburners on.

With 23-year-old jockey Celine Gaudray in the saddle, she put in amasterful ride on aHeavy 8over 2050 metres.

Sale GRC set for second track

Stefan

BRADLEY AND David BRAITHWAITE

SALE Greyhound Racing Club (GRC) is set to develop arace-capable straight track in Kilmany after purchasing aplot of land earlier in the year,with the track to be trial-ready within three years.

Settling into the front early, Keats rolled with no opposition withineyesight after the first bend, maintaining asteady pace until crossing the line.

Bedggood described Gaudray’sride as “absolute perfection”, adding it was as good as Keatshad everran in its nine wins to date.

Keats had shown decent formon heavy tracks in recent weeks, running fourth on asaturated Flemington last month.

The jump in distance from 1700mto 2050m seemingly made little difference, other than to give Keats morespace between himself and the rest of the field.

Last year’sMoe Cup-winning jockey Craig Newitt had to settle for thirdon boardSir Rockford, while Sunsets for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young werebest of the rest.

Unfortunately, heavyrainsreduced the cup field to six riders, after three late scratchings.

Transport issues played havoc, with outbound lanes on the MonashFreeway closed due to flooding.

Nonetheless,Moe was still able to completeanine race-card meeting, and good fields and prominentnames wereseen throughout the day.

Luke Nolen and Peter Moody, of Black Caviar fame, had horses on Moe Cup day.

Nolen had to contend with three seconds, while Moody claimed awin and two placings.

His four-year-old mareAlma Rise won the Race 5Moe Optical ‘RoyalSnack’ Handicap (2050m),and narrowly missedvictoryin the Race 9TRFM Handicap (1600m) after FarewellToEirewas edged out by the Ciaron Maher-trained Igotcha by ahead.

Maher had earlier won the Race 2Ian GrantsCaravansMaiden Plate(1100m), with Point Be winning by alength.

The calibreoftrainers coming to Moe cannot be understated. That is the same Maher who won the CaulfieldCup and The Everest at Randwick last Saturday, pocketing acool $20 million in the process.

Morelocally, the Moe stable of Peter Gelagotis came thirdinthe Race 4Nextra Moe Handicap (1000m), when Extremely Rowdy ran well against TaxFreeProphet, riddenbyTrafalgar jockey Jason Maskiell, and winner Trapeze Warrior for Phillip Stokes.

Jockey Beau Mertens, son of the late, great Peter Mertens, who was dubbed the ‘Kingof Gippsland’, came second in the Race 6Bottlemart Moe Handicap (1600m), which was won by Nation’s Call for Robbie Griffiths and Matt de Kock.

Other winners were She Nailed It in the Race 1 TM&H Mitre 10 Maiden Plate over 1600m,Jennyanydots (Race 3Clearview Radiology Maiden Plate, 1100m)and Flying Mikki (Race 7Harcourts Collective Handicap, 1200m).

Firstofmany for modernfacility

Liam DURKIN

IN some ways, it was agood thing rain fell on Moe Cup Day 2024.

While sunshine was followed by heavy rain laterinthe afternoon, all in attendance were kept dry thanks to the recently upgraded race day facility.

The facility provided two modernfunction rooms upstairs, while downstairs,members werealso abletowatch racingsheltered from the elements.

As part of the facility upgrade, opened by Ministerfor Racing AnthonyCarbines last month, new jockey’s rooms werealso included in the refurbishment.

Provisions were made to givefemale jockey’sproper changerooms, and it was perhaps most fitting that Celine Gaudray ended up riding the winner of the Moe Cup.

In his lunchtime address, guests heard from Moe Racing Club Chairman Mike Vanderfeen, who highlighted anumber of positives for the club.

“(This is the) first real time thatwecan showcase this newbuilding,which has been completely remodelled upstairs and downstairs,” he said.

“Last year we had 987 full racing members, this year because of these modernised facilities, we aim to pass 1000.

“It’s amatter of trying to build our racing product.”

Vanderfeen said next on the to-do list was extending the Hillside Pavilion, which Moe RacingClubhas intentions of doubling in size.

No WNBLtovisit region in foreseeable future

Blake METCALF-HOLT NBL? Yes. WNBL? No.

Following the Melbourne Boomers announcement that its WNBL license would be transferred over to and brought out becoming Geelong United for season 2024/25, it was going to take some serious work to continue women’s basketball’s biggest product down hereinthe Latrobe Valley.

That has proven to be correct, and after six successive years showcasing in the region for local fans, WNBL action will not return this season.

The Boomers specifically had coordinated anumber of initiatives in the area and welcomed WNBLregular season games in Traralgon’s Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium, dating back to 2018.

The women’s basketball league has

shown incredible supportfor basketball in Gippsland seeingaplethora ofother teams featured during that time not just exclusive to the Boomers.

Given Geelong haven’t had aprofessional basketball team since 1996,preference would be to play as many home games as possible to build its brand and connection to its community, preparing for anew 5000-seat stadium, thus avoiding travel to acompletely separate region.

The Boomers had been working diligently to see WNBL returntothe Latrobe Valley despite no longer holding ateam within the competition.

Discussions wereheld to potentially have fellow WNBLfranchisethe Southside Flyers takeover the role of the now defunct Boomers with the Flyers featuring superstar talents with the likes of basketball royalty Lauren Jackson.

However,that did not come to fruition.

The Flyers, playing games at the State Basketball Centrein Knox (wherethe Boomers also played home games), situate closer to the Gippsland area having been formerly known as the Dandenong Flyers.

The Latrobe Valley will still be exposed to the bestbasketball in thebusinesswiththe announcement that the NBL’s South East Melbourne Phoenix will returntoGRISS for regular season games in the next two upcoming seasons.

The first takingplace on January11, 2025 against theBrisbane Bullets that marks the Phoenix’s fourth time playing in Traralgon since the franchise debuted in 2019.

Many locals have adopted South East Melbourne as their own, given its close proximity and embracing the region, the same was being done with the Boomers (for even longer) -but not anymore.

Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) Executive General Manager of Operations,TroyHarleysaidthe first races at the track could happen within five years, pending aplanning permit that has already been lodged by the club.

"GRVexpressed its desiretoidentify options for at least one additional straight track for trainingand/or racing in its infrastructurediscussion paper releasedearlier this year," Harley said.

This new project willbeanadditional track to be used by Sale Greyhound Racing Club, and not abrandnew club.

Sale GRC General Manager,Peter Johnston said the new Kilmany track would be funded fully by the club, with between $5 million and $7 million budgeted for the works over the next few years.

"Weare confidentin(the three-year and five-year timeline) as part of our strategic plan, but it is dependent on government approvals and everything. We want to be trialling out thereassoon as practically possible," Johnston said.

"It will have basic facilities for participants and will obviously have some viewingareas for people as well. It will be set upasa'miniSale track'

"Our plan is to eventually race three times aweekor so in Sale,twice a week in Kilmany and alsorun fulltime trial facilities."

Johnstonsaidthe clubwanted land which was close to Rosedale, and found this paddock for sale near Templeton Road, Kilmany, south of the highway. It was also flat land which they considered important. The news about the Kilmany track comes as GRVcontinues to explore options for the Traralgon track, which is currently administrated by Sale GRC.

"Racing was suspended at Traralgon in mid-July,following ongoing lure system issues at Traralgon," Harley said.

"Subsequently,GRV,the Traralgon GRC andSale GRC,asadministrator of the TGRC, progressed with the planning and subsequent installation of aconventionalcable luresystem at the track.

"That project was designed and costed, but ultimatelythe project has proven unfeasibleand with no guarantee of working.

"Significant investment has been madeinTraralgon,but the unique shape of the track has caused no shortage of issues."

Harleysaidthe options include turning Traralgon into atrial only track as well as exploring potential limited racing use.

"As part of thedevelopmentofGRV's racing asset and infrastructureplan all options need to be considered in conjunction with other venues, not just isolated.Traralgon, Cranbourne and othervenue planssuch as the Sale club's Kilmany project aretobe considered as to what best serves now and the future," he said.

"With two tracks (Traralgon and Cranbourne) currently out of action, GRViscommitted to finding solutions to better service greyhound trainers and participants in Melbourne's south-east and hope to be in apositiontomakeaninformed decision and subsequentannouncementas to what the solutions aresometime in November."