Lazy Eye will perform in Mildura this weekend.

By VINNIE RODI

ADELAIDE blues band ‘Lazy Eye’ is a group that is on the fast track to stardom, with one of Mildura’s homegrown talents, Erica Graf, at the centre of the action.

Spending the past three years in Adelaide studying a Bachelor of Music degree, Erica has also used that time to expand her own music knowledge, helping to build Lazy Eye from the ground up.

It’s a ride that has seen the band perform just about everywhere in and around Adelaide, building a prominent fan-base in that time, while also travelling to Mildura and Loxton on several occasions.

The group will this weekend showcase its talents to Mildura audiences, performing two shows in the region.

The first of these performances will take place at The Office Wine Bar tonight from 8pm, before the band heads to McDougall Wines on Sunday afternoon from 1pm.

Erica said she was looking forward to the homecoming, and was eager to see big crowds at both shows.

“This will be the third time that we have travelled to Mildura as a band, and each time I’ve been impressed with how the crowds have grown,” she said.

“The first time Lazy Eye performed in Mildura there were mainly family and friends in the audience.

“Gradually word has gotten out about Lazy Eye, and thanks to social media like Facebook we have been able to really publicise the group.

“Our name is well and truly out there now, so I’m excited to see what kind of reception we get this weekend.”

Formed in 2011, the band – which features Erica on guitar, Evan Whetter on vocals and organ, and Mario Marino on drums – originally got its start when Evan and Erica first formed a duo while Erica was still studying.

The pair soon decided to add a drummer to the mix, with Mario – a prolific and sought-out performer in his own right – getting the nod.

Since then the trio has gone from strength to strength, wowing audiences across Adelaide with their mix of funk, blues and sophisticated music.

“Our influence is very much jazz and soul,” Erica said. “We have managed to develop a style of music that has a strong yet subtle beat, with the aim to make it nearly impossible for audiences to not dance.”

It’s taken less than a year for Lazy Eye to become one of the ‘buzz bands’ in Adelaide, with the group’s reputation continuing to grow in the wake of sold-out shows in the City of Churches.

The group’s visit to Mildura will also coincides with plans to head into the studio, with Lazy Eye to record its debut live EP at ‘The Soul Box’ (a new venue in Adelaide’s West End) on May 27.

To be released by year’s end, Erica said a live EP provided plenty of opportunities to showcase the group’s electric live style.

“We’ve spent the past few months writing original song after original song, and toyed with the idea of recording an album,” she said.

“A live EP is not only far more cost-effective, but will also allow us to showcase all elements of our performance style.

“We have Glenn Nichol (another former Mildura resident) helping us with the recording, and I’m personally excited to see how it all turns out.”

Joining Lazy Eye for their Mildura performance will be Luke Peak – who will take Mario’s place on drums.

Erica said the group would look to embark on a number of circuit tours across the country following their performance in Mildura this weekend, including heading back to Mildura in July to perform at Wentworth’s Artback Cafe.

More information about Lazy Eye is available by visiting www.reverbnation.com/lazyeyeband.

The tanned, fit and relaxed pair rode into Mildura a week ago – and liked the look of us so much they decided to stay for a while.

But as with all their extended stop-overs at places of interest, the pair go out every day to do a bit of sight-seeing…by bicycle of course.

They rode out to Wentworth one day, visited the Australian Inland Botannical Gardens near Buronga, and have had a good look around Mildura, especially the riverfront.

Despite being so far away from home, and being away for so long, Greg and Kathy say they are still enjoying their cycling holiday, so much so that haven’t made any firm plans to return to the Big Smoke any time soon…merely putting it in a mid-2013 time frame.

There’s a lot more to see and do yet, including an extended visit to Tasmania, and by the time they complete their round-Australia cycling trip they will have visited every State and Territory…and not just ‘called in,’…they are having a good look at everything, as their web blog shows.

It is virtually a blow-by-blow account of their exciting and interesting journey so far, giving precise distances covered either daily or weekly, an up to date and accurate account of the places they visit, including past history, a list of the main attractions, and the best restaurants and ‘watering holes.’

They agreed that two of the stand-outs in Mildura were the coffee at Cafe Ninety-Four, and the mother’s Day meal at Season’s. After eight days in the city, they were sad to bid us farewell on Tuesday morning, but more adventures lay ahead at Euston-Robinvale and beyond.

Greg and Kathy admit that theirs is a bike trip with a difference. When they gave up their jobs, they put their entire savings into the trip, vowing it wouldn’t be a case of surviving on $20 a day.

Instead, they stay – when possible – at cheap but comfortable budget vans in caravan parks,  see what the various restaurants have to offer, and if they are cooking ‘at home,’ wash it down with a chilled beer or nice bottle of wine.

That’s not to say they don’t rough it…there’s been many a night when they have had to camp just off the beaten track, and their bikes are loaded down with all the necessary equipment – tent, sleeping bags, a variety of summer and winter wear (although they had to buy more winter gear in Mildura), cooking utensils and other essentials. They also carry mobile phones, and a computer so they can update their blog at regular intervals.

Greg, 50, and Kathy, 57, say the trip is a welcome break from their jobs in Sydney’s financial services world. The trip was well planned, even to the extent of having two bikes purpose-built by Tim Stredwick at Velosmith. So far the sturdy bikes have coped with a lot of punishing road surfaces, and haven’t let them down.

They didn’t have many set goals…just to have fun…catch up with a few friends…and see as many places and meet as many interesting places as possible.

They got off to a rocky start. After setting off at 4am one morning in mid-March, 2008, they ran into a few problems trying to board the Manly Ferry…the ticket machine didn’t work… the ferry was replaced by the Shark Cat…the access lift didn’t work, so the bikes had to be manhandled up steep steps.

Apart from that it’s been pretty smooth ‘sailing,’ according to Greg, with a touch of everything…considerate truck drivers, friendly motorists, road-hogging ‘Grey Nomads’ in their touring vans, some generous accommodation houses, every type of weather conditions imaginable, steep hills, head winds, tail winds and long, desolate stretches of highway.

They don’t really have a favourite moment, but they do speak very highly of the professional truckies who ply our roads and highways on a daily basis. When there was no oncoming traffic, many of the trucks would cross to the other side of the highway to pass, eliminating as much draft as possible.

And a couple of truckies stopped to make sure they are OK, asking if they were right for food and drink. Including the bloke out in the middle of the WA outback…he slowed to a crawl on the dusty road, rolled down his window, and passed out a large bottle of icy cold water, without a word, then gave a wave, increased speed and disappeared into the distance.

“That was typical of the courtesy and hospitality we’ve been used to since we started,” Greg said. “This is a great country.”

On some days Greg and Kathy have covered only a few kilometres, cycling at speeds well under 10kph, but on other days they have covered anything up to 100kms, while still getting the chance to view some spectacular scenery.

Cycling adventures are nothing new to the pair, with both having joined bike tours in places like the United States, France and Cuba in past years, but this is by far the longest, most ambitious and interesting adventure yet.

Their blog is far too long and involved to do justice in these pages, but it makes interesting and fascinating reading if people want to go to http://www.2tyred.org/2tyred.org.htm.

EYE ON YOU: Lharn Howard with Optical Coherence Tomography machine.

By VINNIE RODI

MILDURA’S Blue Frog Optics optometrists is a practice known for embracing the latest in technology, with the group’s latest acquisition – an Optical Coherence Tomography machine – revolutionising optometrist’s ability to diagnose patients.

Currently in use at Blue Frog Optics offices in both Mildura and Broken Hill, the OCT machine allows optometrists to take a 3D image of the eye, allowing them to identify and treat retinal detachments and other serious eye conditions quickly and efficiently.

The process itself it quite simple, and takes mere minutes to complete. Patients are asked to stare into a camera lens, with an attached digital camera installed to take a simple image.

This 2D shot is then analysed by the OCT machine, and using specialised lasers, the machine constructs a 3D image showcasing the back and front of the eye – much like a MRI scanner does for the rest of the body.

The initial 2D photo – or retinal camera diagnosis – is something optometrists have been using for years, with Mildura Blue Frog Optics owner/operators, Lharn and Vern Howard, the first Sunraysia-based optometrists to introduce the retinal camera to patients.

The OCT technology takes this process an extra step, with the 3D image providing more information.

“When we first moved to town we offered retinal cameras, and over time each operator has slowly taken on this technology,” Lharn Howard said.

“There is no comparison now between a retinal camera and this next level of analysis with Optical Coherence Tomography, and ultimately it is the people of the town that will benefit from this innovation.

“The images show exceptional detail and allow us to compare a patient’s eyes over time.

“Changes can be detected immediatly that would be impossible without this new equipment, and with the OCT we can for the first time look beneath the surface to the layers below.

“We can microscopically magnify the image to ensure the eye is healthy, and by measuring and monitoring the key layers within the back of the eye, we can pick up abnormal changes which would not otherwise become apparent until much later in the development of a disease.”

Lharn said the benefits was already becoming apparent to patients, with the new technology having only been in use for three weeks.

“This type of technology is being made readily available to patients over the age of 40, or to those who develop symptoms that warrant being checked out in this fashion,” Lharn said.

Lharn said that already the OCT machine was making a difference, with one Broken Hill patient already reaping the rewards of the new technology.

“I had one patient who was suffering from poor vision, and had even lost his license as a result,” he said. “I already had a retinal image on record, and decided to use the OCT to gain a better understanding of what was happening beneath the surface.

“The great thing about the OCT is that it still takes a retinal camera image along with a 3D scan, and when I compared the new photo with the one I already had on file, there was no apparent change.

“It wasn’t until analysing the 3D image that I found the patient had suffered a detached retina, and was able to book him into surgery, and get the problem fixed.

“Without this technology that patient may have gone months before we found the cause of his problems.”

Lharn said the OCT would revolutionise optometrist’s ability to detect and treat three of the main causes of eye disease, including macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

Each OCT machine comes with a price tag of more than $80,000, with Blue Frog Optics currently the only group within the Sunraysia area to have access to a machine.

More information about OCT is available by contacting Blue Frog Optics on 5022 1126, or via email; info@bluefrogoptics.com.au.

THAT FIG-URES!: Gaye and Don with a selection of their sweet figs, plucked from the trees in their Cabarita orchard in the background.

ABOUT 20 years ago, with a growing family, Don Zappia, like many of his fellow dried fruits growers, was finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.

He started to look around for alternatives. He was keen on diversifying his horticultural operation, and spread the risk while increasing his income.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to look far. One of the features of the garden on the Cabarita property he shared with his wife, Gaye, and their three sons, was an orchard with four large, and prolifically fruiting, ‘Black Mission’ fig trees.

For the uninitiated, Don explained fig trees sucker regularly and, if you are careful, you can remove the suckers with roots intact.

Voila!  A young fig tree.

Or, you can achieve a similar result by carefully propagating a cutting.

Those original four trees are the ‘parents’ of the now 1300-plus trees the Zappias have in the ground, ranging in age from 20 to two-years-old.

How those trees came to be growing on the property originally is a story in itself. Don says they were planted by the previous owner who had been given suckers or cuttings from a property in Robinvale in the 1950s. A property, mind you, that belonged to a relative of Don’s! Talk about keeping it in the family.

The four original trees were part of an old orchard at Cabarita that used to include a large mulberry tree, and still boasts a couple of very large, and healthy-looking loquat trees.

Loquats are indigenous to China, while figs are a Mediterranean native. Just how both species made it to our shores is lost in the mists of time, but historically figs were first recorded as cultivated plants in southern Arabia in 2900 BC.

Figs were either eaten fresh or preserved by drying.

The fruit was popular in ancient times, and became a prominent symbol in ancient history.

It is widely believed that the ‘apple’ eaten by Adam in the bible was in fact a fig.

Fast forward quite a few centuries, and commercial fig growing in Australia dates back to early last century. However, when Don started two decades ago he was a bit of a Lone Ranger, in Sunraysia at least.

He would never claim to be the region’s first fig grower, but he was unaware of any others growing figs commercially when he started establishing his first trees.

In fact, he copped his fair share of derision when others found out about his plan to diversify and crop this ancient fruit.

But Don pushed ahead, learning as he went, and experimenting all the time.

He takes great pride in his achievements, and says his foresight has been vindicated with others having followed his lead in recent years.

“There are now many more figs being grown in Sunraysia commercially, and people putting some large plantings in the ground,” he said. “50 and 100 acres.”

But, he said, it will be some time before the trees start producing to their full potential.

It takes about five years, Don said, for a fig tree to mature and crop fully.

“We have about 700 mature trees at the moment,” he said.

The Zappia’s remaining, less mature trees, are set to ‘come on line’ in years to come.

The couple’s oldest trees sit squatly on a hectare of the couple’s Cabarita property. They are smaller than expected for being 20 years old, but Don explained that he has learned to prune them hard to get the best out of them.

The remainder of the Zappia’s trees are planted on former sultana producing ground on another property at Mildura South.

Unlike just about any other horticultural crop you care to name, figs have two fruiting seasons. The first in late November/early December produces what are referred to as ‘breba’ fruit. They are traditionally larger and fewer in number, sprouting forth on last season’s growth. This fruiting season traditionally lasts about three weeks.

The second crop of smaller, more numerous fruit, is borne on a tree’s new growth, and is often referred to as the ‘main crop.’ The main crop season starts in January, and has been known to run through to as late as June, but the Zappias say that May “usually sees us out.”

“Once the weather starts to turn cool, the figs don’t ripen anymore,” Don said.

There are still green fruit on the Zappia’s trees now, but Don doubts they will ripen.

During the fruiting months, the trees are picked daily. The picking stimulates the tree to produce more fruit, and so the cycle goes on.

The Zappia’s pickers look for the coveted dark purple, soft, but not too soft, ripe examples with no blemishes.

The figs are taken directly from the orchard to the on-site packing shed. They are placed carefully into plastic trays that line a shallow cardboard box, anywhere from 20 to 40 in a box depending on size.

They leave for the market in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Newcastle or Brisbane within hours of being plucked from the tree.

Figs don’t keep, Don explained, and there are no coolroom facilities on their farm.

“They have to be picked, packed and on their way as soon as possible,” he said.

And they can’t be left on the tree either, lest they over-ripen. That makes harvest timing critical, and provides, Don acknowledges, a very narrow window of opportunity to tap into the premium market.

As with all market-orientated fruit operations there is always some fruit left over…some of it is too ripe, some of it has blemishes that the market will not tolerate these days.

There is, Don contends, nothing wrong with the fruit, it is just that people now expect their fruit to be perfect in every way.

So, what to do with that spare fruit?

That’s when his number one fig packer, wife and keen cook, Gaye took over.

She began using the fruit and experimenting in the kitchen. It wasn’t long before she started turning out a small range of fig products for family and friends, including glace figs and fig jam.

They were, without exception, well received and more than one person remarked: “You should make this and sell it.”

So the Zappia’s ‘Just Figs’ cottage operation was born.

“I am in my second season,” Gaye said, “And the product range has grown substantially.”

The fig jam and glace fruit has been joined by fig and ginger jam, fig chutney, fig paste, fig syrup, fig roll-ups, figs in chocolate, both white and milk, fig and pistachio biscotti (Italian biscuit), and fig muffins.

Now a regular at the hugely popular Farmer’s Market, and the monthly Red Cliffs Country Market, Gaye has seen the demand for her products soar.

“I just cannot believe how many people love figs,” she said.

Her time in the kitchen is up, in step with increasing demand, and because she likes to use as fresh a product as possible, she faces the same challenge that she and Don do when harvesting their fruit and packing it.

“To get the best from the fruit I have to use it fresh,” she said. “That has meant packing for market during the day, and cooking into the night,” Gaye said.

And it’s a seven days a week job too. Fresh figs wait for no man, or woman!

Demand has been such that Gaye has flagged her intention to give up packing next season to concentrate on her ‘Just Figs’ product range.

And she has Don’s wholehearted support. He sees Gaye’s efforts in gthe kitchen as value-adding their primary fruit-growing operation.

And the passionate cook promises there will be more products added to the ‘Just Figs’ range in the future.

“I am experimenting all the time,” she said.

The Zappia’s are proud that their products are made from a very natural product. Don uses no sprays on his trees, so his figs are as God intended…. naturally delicious!

You’ll find Gaye and her ‘Just Figs’ product range at tomorrow’s Farmer’s Market on Mildura’s riverfront.

A SHARP increase in traffic – combined with excessive speeds – on a narrow, winding gravel road leading into Hattah-Kulkyne National Park at Colignan are ingredients for crashes that could lead to death or serious injury, residents have warned.

Nangiloc-Colignan residents have been trying for four years to get something done about road safety in their region…and it appears their pleas are falling on deaf ears.

With heavier-than-usual vehicular activity in and out of the park in recent weeks due to the $32 million Hattah Lakes environmental project, residents say it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.

There have already been at least two angry confrontations between residents and contractors working on the Hattah project.

But the problem is not a recent one. Colignan residents have been urging action from council and VicRoads since mid-2009, and despite promises of action, nothing has been done.

It is astounding that some sections of the busy gravel road leading to the park are less than four metres wide!

It is just as astounding that despite the road being loose gravel, narrow, winding and with blind corners, the speed limit is still 100kph!

And trucks, utes, cars and four-wheel drives are taking full advantage as they travel to and from work inside the park, which has been closed to all other traffic.

School children regularly use the road, either waiting for the school bus, or for recreational use on foot or on bicycles, and the area has a popular river walking track which crosses the major road, Kulkyne Way.

Marion and Geoff Peters have three school-age children and live just off Kulkyne Way, and they fear for the safety of their kids, and others, if something isn’t done – and soon.

Marion recalled attending a Mildura Rural City Council roads maintenance meeting at the workshop of Groves Engineering in May, 2009, attended by other concerned parents, and which was attended by three council representatives.

Marion kept notes on the meeting, which residents were informed was to inform them of upcoming works on council roads, and to give them a chance to advise council of road maintenance issues they felt needed attention.

Marion said she and fellow residents left council in no doubt as to their concerns over safety concerns around Colignan, including overhanging bushes by the roadside, narrow, blind corners on bitumen and gravel roads, erosion of sealed and gravel surfaces, corrugations, lack of warning signs, speed limits and other problems.

These roads are used by district farmers and residents, itinerant workers, Hattah Parks contractors, fishing groups, and when the park is open – cars, caravans and camper vans accessing the park’s scenic areas.

Geoff Peters says he has already had one ‘near-miss’ on the road in recent weeks, has witnessed cars travelling at unsafe speeds, raising clouds of dust that caused further concerns, and knows of at least one other Colignan resident who had a confrontation with a contractor who had to ‘lock up’ his vehicle’s brakes to avoid a crash because he was travelling too fast.

Geoff agrees with several other concerned Colignan residents that the area is a potential death-trap. He was a long-time member of Nangiloc-Colignan CERT, the first-aid trained Community Emergency Response Team, which has been called to multiple accidents along Kulkyne Way in recent years.

“The gravel section of Kulkyne Way, from Mansell Farms to the park entrance, is a shocker,” Geoff said.

“Two sections of the road are just 3.8 metres wide, bush to bush, and yet some trucks and cars zip along it as though it’s a major highway.

“Passing of vehicles on one bend requires the inside driver to get off into the scrub if they can see the oncoming driver ahead of time, resulting in damage to the car’s paintwork or denting of panels from roadside bushes. This road is frequently used by local farmers to access river pumps, and fishermen towing boats, and we would like to see this bend repaired and sealed to the same width as the rest of the road.”

District police, particularly those based at Red Cliffs, are well aware of the problem of speeding cars and trucks in the region, and police cars from the station, along with marked and unmarked cars from the local Traffic Management Unit, do regular patrols. Red Cliffs police Sergeant Col Robson said recent patrols had resulted in several fines for speeding motorists, and patrols would continue. He agreed that sections of the road were extremely dangerous if vehicles didn’t slow down.

But residents say while police are doing the best they can, it’s not their problem…it’s up to council and VicRoads to put their heads together – as a matter of urgency – to put up 50-60kph signs on the gravel section, widen the road, and do something about the blind corners.

Marion Peters, secretary of the Nangiloc-Colignan and district Community Association, said she was almost at wit’s end on how to get action from authorities. She told about another meeting, a year on from the first one at Groves Engineering, and which was attended by a council Infrastructure Services representative, who was presented with written concerns, backed by photographic evidence. More information was later emailed at his request, but to date, nothing had eventuated as a result.

Marion said the problem had been exacerbated because of the Hattah Parks works, and many of the residents living along the gravel section of Kulkyne Way had experienced near misses with contractor workers travelling at unsafe speeds along the road.

The concerns have also been raised with a council road safety officer, who was asked if council could make the road wider, trim overhanging growth, and place adequate signage.

The council officer advised residents that he sent a road crew to inspect the road and give him feedback, but residents were given no feedback, except that the council representative told them the road was the responsibility of VicRoads.

But residents – and the Mildura Weekly- have since discovered that this is not the case. VicRoads says the road is definitely under the direct control of council, and this was confirmed yesterday by Council’s manager for development, Gary Healy, who also said there had been “significant vegetation regrowth” along the sides of the road in recent years, from factors including higher rainfall, which had narrowed the road.

He said the road had been identified on Council’s program for tree-trimming, which would increase its width to about five or six metres – the width it was designed to be. This was due to be carried out in June or July, and in Mr Healy’s opinion, would “open up the sight lines on the corners” which would address residents’ concerns in relation to blind corners.

He said there were some larger trees that could not be removed as part of the tree-trimming program, however they would have hazard markers placed on or near them as part of the maintenance works.

Mr Healy said that in terms of residents’ concerns in relation to speeding it was a matter for police to enforce, and it was council’s general policy not to put speed limits on gravel roads.

“This is because people need to drive to the conditions that they’re experiencing,” Mr Healy said.

“For instance, if we put a 60km/h limit on it, at any point in time it might not be suitable to drive at that speed.” He said this would mean the road would fall under the State limit of 100km/h.

“The rider that goes with speed limits is that they are an upper limit only,” Mr Healy said.

“We have an ongoing dialogue with police about trouble spots, and it’s up to police discretion as to when and how they respond,” he said.

Mr Healy said that while there was increased activity on the road at the moment due to environmental works in the park, they were short-term works and did not necessitate upgrading the road in terms of having it sealed or widened. However he said Council staff would monitor the road.

Marion and Geoff Peters say they are other residents are not satisfied that enough is being done to improve safety along that stretch of road. They believed it would be simple enough for council to place some sort of warning signs on the gravel section. But in their four years of campaigning, there have been no warning signs, no speed restriction signs, no grading, no widening, and overhanging roadside vegetation hadn’t been trimmed.

Residents were notified, however, that council had spoken to Goulburn Murray Water of the dangers of contractor vehicles driving at unsafe speeds, and as a result, workers would be told to drive according to the condition of the road. Police have also spoken to contractors.

Marion said the council spokesman told residents that the contracting company would use a speed detection unit to monitor vehicles, and anyone caught driving at an unsafe speed would be dismissed. This was scoffed at by some residents as being “absolutely unrealistic,” and merely an attempt to appease them.

Marion summed it up by saying the real problems of the road had never been dealt with…residents were frustrated at council and others simply ‘passing the buck’…the dangers of the road were being under-estimated…locals were at the end of their patience, and it appeared that authorities just didn’t realise the seriousness of the situation.

“This has all the ingredients for a potential fatality, and we don’t want to be in the situation of saying ‘we told you so,” Marion said.

CAN-DO ATTITUDE: Mildura Bottle Recyclers owner, Ross Phillips, wants action to see the introduction of a container deposit scheme.

By BEN PISCIONERI

THE clamour of voices calling for the introduction of a container deposit scheme on both sides of the Murray River here is growing louder and been joined  by one of Mildura’s largest private recyclers.

Mildura Bottle Exchange owner, Ross Phillips, claims  a container deposit scheme, similar to that used in South Australia for almost 40 years would have a raft of benefits for Sunraysia.

Under the current South Australian scheme, which was introduced in 1977, people can collect a  10-cent deposit for each “beverage container” they return to a recycling depot.

Mr Phillips said a similar scheme in Victoria would ease the burden on Mildura Rural City Council’s waste collection, lead to cleaner streets and shopping areas and more money for people who collected cans or bottles.

Using aluminium cans as an example, people who bring aluminium cans to MBE are paid $1 per kilogram. It takes about 54 cans to make up a kilogram.

For the same quantity of cans in South Australia, people would receive $5.40 per kilogram due to the container deposit scheme.

Mr Phillips said local sporting clubs would also stand to benefit, as drinks were often consumed during and after games at most sporting venues. He said these empty cans or bottles could be easily collected and become an income stream for clubs.

Mr Phillips has been a long-time campaigner for a container deposit scheme in Sunraysia, dating back to the days when Russell Savage was the Independent Member for Mildura.

He said money from such a scheme could pay for the sorting of recyclable items handled by MBE, which it performs for Mildura Rural City Council.

“The fact is, for what it would cost Council to run this recycling service, the sorting, which is the part that we do, I believe it could be funded out of a container deposit scheme instead of the Council having to pay us, and the ratepayers in turn footing the bill,” Mr Phillips said.

He predicted that under a container deposit scheme, half of recyclable containers eligible for a refund would be brought in by the public, while the remainder would come from the existing curb-side recycling system, from which council could claim the 10c deposit.

Mr Phillips said container deposit schemes gained attention each year about the time of Clean Up Australia Day, which was almost two months ago, but nothing was ever done and the issue was allowed to die off again until the following year.

In a bid to ensure this doesn’t happen again, he has canvassed support on both sides of the Murray River at both State and Federal Government level, resulting in petitions in both states.

And if public support in the week since the petitions were distributed within the Wentworth Shire is anything to go by, Mr Phillips’ plight has certainly gained some attention.

In just one week more than 2000 people in the Wentworth Shire have signed petitions.

He’s hoping for a similar reaction on the Victorian side of the river and aims to get 20,000 signatures, split between the two states in a push to get government – State or Federal – support.

It’s an initiative backed by at least two Mildura Rural City Councillors – Portfolio Councillor for the Environment, Glenn Milne, and long time container deposit legislation advocate Councillor Fiona Hilton-Wood.

Cr Hilton-Wood said investigations were under way to determine if a trial program would be feasible in Mildura.

“What we’ve done recently is asked council officers to investigate the feasibility of running a trial scheme, similar to a trial run in the Northern Territory, to see if it would work,” she said.

She said the Northern Territory trial scheme required about $635,000 in start-up costs and expected a similar trial in Mildura would require about $800,000.

“Now obviously council can’t find that money for a trial, but if we could get $400,000 from State and Federal Governments we would be able to get the trial running,” Cr Hilton-Wood said.

“We could be the leaders in the field of environmental sustainability by providing updated data and empirical  evidence that we could take to the State and Federal governments to say that the community supported it, council benefited, the community benefitted.

“But on the other side of the coin, I’m equally prepared to accept the result if it proved a complete failure and lost money. At least the State and Federal Government would have updated data to make an informed decision.”

Cr Hilton-Wood echoed Mr Phillips’ comments in relation to the benefit a successful container deposit scheme would offer to smaller sporting and community groups.

She said a quick walk around the oval at most smaller football grounds on weekends would reveal regular fund raising activities as communities try to raise money for facilities and other expenses.

“When you live in a small town like Werrimull for example – mum’s in the local netball club, dad’s in the local football club, the kids are constantly doing the rounds with raffle books and other fund raising activities,” Cr Hilton Wood said.

“These areas could have a one-stop drop-off for cans and bottles. This month it could be Murrayville’s turn to take a trailer-load to Mildura for recycling and they could get funded for a certain purchase. The next month it could be the Murrayville kinder and so on.”

She said a container deposit scheme would also benefit council’s curbside recycling system.

“We all only have one big bin for recycling and it’s often full before the next collection day,” Cr Hilton-Wood said.

“Now if you’re saving bottles and cans in a separate container to get some money back, at the end of the day that’s leaving more room for additional recyclable items, increasing the capacity of the curbside recycling system.”

Cr Milne was similarly supportive, saying it would not only help community groups but help clean up Sunraysia.

“Absolutely I think it should happen,” he said.

“You would clean up the roadside for a start. When you look at the edge of the roadway, such as after a fire has gone through or burning-off, you have a look at all the glass and rubbish left behind. It’s just amazing the amount of rubbish that is out there.

“What we could actually do with a container deposit system is make money out of the multinationals.

“It would be a win/win for everyone and money would go back into local groups and kids would actually be able to learn something out of working together to help their organisation instead of money coming out of their parents’ pockets.”

Cr Milne the lack of a container deposit scheme in Victoria, particularly in areas like Mildura, which is close to the South Australian border, had led to people collecting large quantities of containers in Mildura and taking them across to South Australia to get a deposit.

As momentum builds for a container deposit scheme in Mildura, supporters are looking to State and Federal Governments for a decision.

A spokesperson for Victorian Environment Minister, Ryan Smith, said this week he supported the concept of container deposit legislation but backed the creation of a national scheme rather than a Victorian scheme “in the interests of cohesiveness between States.”

The spokesperson said Sunraysia’s location so close to the borders of three States was an example of the need for a national scheme.

Former Australian netballer Liz Ellis – with mum Margaret – on the lookout for Victoria’s top netball mum.

The title will be awarded as part of a national search, which was launched last week, with central Victoria and Sunraysia locals encouraged to nominate mums in their community who are dedicated to the game of netball.

First prize will consist of a trip to watch the 2012 ANZ Netball Championship grand final, plus a host of other prizes.

Ellis – who herself is a new mum to seven-month-old daughter Evelyn – said it was the support and encouragement of her own mother that was instrumental in developing her professional netball career, with the Telstra NetMum Title aimed at rewarding mothers with similar qualities.

“I remember my mum would rise at the crack of dawn on cold mornings, transport me to representative carnivals armed with nutritious home-cooked food, which was the fuel that got me through the day throughout my junior career,” she said.

“I’m looking for a mum who is dedicated to her family, her club and her sport – someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty to help netball be the great sport that it is.

Telstra Local Area General Manager for Central Victoria and Sunraysia, Ray Pratt, urged Sunraysia’s netball fraternity to nominate mums who deserve to be celebrated and recognised for their contributions.

“Mums are the backbone of netball, whether they play the game themselves or support a local team or club,” he said.

“We want to give something back to the mums who dedicate so much time and energy to this great game.”

Finalists will be chosen from every State and Territory across the country, with the ultimate Telstra NetMum to receive a VIP experience at the 2012 ANZ Championship grand final – which includes return flights and accommodation, a day spa pamper pack, and the chance to meet Liz Ellis.

All finalists will receive a $500 Westfield shopping spree, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 4G phone, and signed merchandise.

Entry is available via Facebook – www.facebook.com/telstranetboys – with all entrants asked to explain to judges in 100 words or less why their mum is special and deserves to be rewarded.

Entries close on Sunday, June 3, with finalists to be announced on Friday, June 15, and the Telstra NetMum Title to be awarded on Friday, June 22.

CHAMPIONS: San Williams, Natalie Pay and Ryan Samaras (back row) and Darren Williams and Demi Samaras with their winnings from last weekend’s South Australian Open Taekwondo event.

Close to 60 Taekwondo enthusiasts from across Victoria, South Australia and even Western Australia competed at the event, with San and Darren Williams, Demi and Ryan Samaras, and Natalie Pay amongst Sunraysia’s strong group of representatives.

Darren and Demi Samaras proved the standouts at the tournament, named the overall male and female competitors of the event.

It was reward for considerable effort, with Darren adding three gold medals to his name in the Sparring, Power Side Kick, and Special Technique categories.

Demi’s South Australian title campaign netted four medals – two gold and two silver – taking out the Power Knife Hand and Special Technique sections, while finishing second in the Sparring and Patterns categories.

San Williams capped off a strong showing at the tournament with a silver in Sparring, while Ryan Samaras netted a silver in the Patterns section.

Natalie Pay also returned home with two medals – one gold and one silver – performing well in the Sparring and Patterns sections.

For Ryan and Natalie, the tournament marked their first outing representing Sunraysia’s Ataru Taekwondo Do-Jang at a State-based event, with the duo coping well under pressure.

San, Darren and Demi are no stranger to State, national and even international competition, with the trio set to travel to Ottawa, Canada in August to compete at the World Taekwondo Championships.

They will represent the Australian United International Taekwondo team, with all three competitors saying nerves and excitement were starting to build.

“It’s getting closer now,” Darren said. “And it’s certainly starting to get exciting.”
Darren and older brother San are no stranger to international competition, after competing at last year’s World Championships in South Korea.

Demi will be making her international debut at the World Championships, saying she would dedicate the next few months to her training – a sentiment echoed by San and Darren.

San said that the South Australian Open had proved a great way for all three competitors to gauge how they were travelling ahead of the World’s.

“It was great to compete, and to get an idea personally where I am at, and what I need to work on,” he said.

All five young Taekwondo enthusiasts will now set their sights on the Australian Taekwondo Titles, which will be held in Melbourne on June 9, with close to 150 competitors expected to take part.

More information about the Ataru Taekwondo Do-Jang is available by contacting 5022 1521.

THE FACE OF BOWLS: David Allen, one of the nation’s most respected bowls writers, and a lifelong supporter of the game.

And he’s quietly adding to the ‘list,’ thanks to an association with Sunraysia bowling that dates back almost to when he first started his career.

David has been a welcome guest at the last 11 Dot Jenkinson ladies pairs, and as a journo, makes sure it always gets a good run…at least a double-page spread and often up to four pages…in his publications.

That valuable publicity over a long period has ensured that the Dot Jenkinson Pairs is now the best-known ladies non-title event in Australia, and last year Bowls Sunraysia acknowledged David’s contribution at the awards function, presenting him with an engraved decanter and glasses set, which he says now sits proudly – when not being emptied – on his bar at home.

It is during some of these regular visits that David is able to catch up with an old friend, lifelong journalist, publisher and broadcaster Max Thorburn.

As he recalled this week, he and his mates were probably the first cricketers from outside Sunraysia to play in the original Sunraysia Christmas-New Year Carnival, which dates back to around 1970.

This was the year the talented Pooncarie side had to pull out of the competition at the last minute because of a huge grass fire in south-west NSW, prompting a call from organisers for any visiting cricketers to help fill the void.

David and his mates obliged…and had such a great time they ended coming back to the carnival for another 10 years.

“It was great, but I felt it eventually got too big,” David said. “I was impressed with the late Bill Haeusler, who ran it like an army field operation in those days.

“That’s when I first ran into Max Thorburn…because of our similar vocations…and one day I asked if I could come with him to the TV station to see him present the sports news.

“I arrived at the agreed time, but he was nowhere to be seen, eventually coming in typically late, with only a few minutes to spare. He caked on a bit of make-up, and suddenly remembered that he hadn’t done the trotting tips.

“So he picked up a piece of paper towelling, found the form guide and quickly jotted down a few of the horse’s names – almost blindfolded.

“Next thing I know he’s in the studio, giving out his tips in front of the camera as if he had studied the form intently. I remember thinking ‘I’ll never trust Rollo Roylance and Jack Elliott (experienced metro racing writers and tipsters) again’.

“But you wouldn’t believe it, when I checked the results the next morning, he’d actually tipped four winners!”

David said that the following year, when he returned for another carnival, he was bowling at the Imps ground, when umpire Ron Salter called him for throwing.

“Unbelievably, within an hour, Max was standing on the boundary line with a grin from ear to ear,” he said. “Next morning the back page sports headline caught my attention…’Carnival Chucker’ …in big, bold type….we laughed about it for years.

“Max cut short my fast bowling career, but like many people, I have a great deal of respect for him as a country sports journo. I made sure I let him know I went on to become a pretty handy leg spinner…you can’t chuck out of the back of your hand… and won several association bowling average trophies.”

David was responsible for the popular Bowls In Focus magazine up till late last year, when he announced his retirement, only to be snapped up to head the new on-line national bowls magazine www.insidebowls.com which has taken the bowls world by storm, and which is attracting interest from around the world…including 17 subscribers in Japan.

Accomplished publisher, self-confessed bowls tragic and web design guru Graham Davies was ecstatic to get David on board, complementing what he says is one of the most knowledgeable   teams of bowls writers and promoters ever.

It had been Graham’s idea to create a reader-friendly on-line magazine dedicated to his beloved sport of bowls for years, and he says he devised the perfect application after seeing an on-line magazine concept that had been developed in France, gradually adding some refinements.

“I had kept it under wraps until I read on the Bowls Victoria website that David had decided to retire,” he said. “I’ve been enjoying his work for more than a decade and immediately contacted him. It is my opinion that David raised the bowls journalism bar in Australia and around the world years ago, and I convinced him that he was the man to take coverage of the sport to its most exciting phase yet.”

Another renowned sports journalist, Di Gatehouse, wrote a growing tribute to David on his ‘retirement,’ describing him as one of the most accomplished and respected editors and writers she had known.

“I was well aware of his background in sporting magazines, and his mainstream media experience on Fleet Street in the 1970s, when he was one of the young Turks who revamped the historic and now defunct News Of The World,” Di wrote.

She echoed the words of Bowls Victoria boss Peter Hanlon, who described David as the man behind the best bowls magazine in the world, a publication that allowed bowlers to sit down in their clubs or homes and soak up the stories with which they could all identify…to revisit the scenes of triumphs and disasters, to hear the quirky stories, and celebrate the unique moments when a bowler, a team or club did something worthy of re-telling.

Di Gatehouse said she and many others admired David for his ability to connect with people, and his respect for them. “He’s a knockabout bloke who is always the life of the party, yet makes everyone believe they are unique and special, because to him they are,” she wrote. “The years of experience have given him the ability to be icy cool is in a crisis, while like most giants in their field, he makes an extremely demanding occupation appear as if there’s nothing much to it. He will be missed at the helm of this magazine – more than most people will ever understand.”

She was happy to pass on some typical David Allen memories, including one from 2004, when  Joyce Mitchell from Daylesford (who he was sure had overdosed on coffee that morning),  hammered all the top-liners on her way to the VLBA state singles final at Colac.

After she had won the title and been presented with the silverware, the then State selection chairman told her in a somewhat condescending manner: ‘Of course by winning the championship you have gained automatic selection to the state squad.’

But Joyce looked her straight in the eye and replied: ‘No thanks, I’m not the slightest bit interested in being involved with that bunch of big-heads.’

EMMA Scott is knocking on the stable door of Olympic selection.

Former Balranald and now Sydeny-based equestrian, Emma Scott, is close to achieving an Olympic dream after being named alongside several riders pushing for Australian selection for this year’s London Olympics.

She’ll find out next month, on the 18th to be precise, whether or not she will represent her country in London.

She is nervous and anxious and so too is her mother, Wyn, who told the Mildura Weekly this week that she and her daughter were not alone.

“Just about everyone in Balranald is feeling the same way,” Wyn said of Emma’s hometown.

“It’s a waiting game,” Wyn said, “And the whole town is waiting with us.”

Emma’s bid to ride in London is the talk of the small Murray River community, and her mother is asked at least several times a day “How’s Emma?” and “Have you heard anything?”

“There’ll be a street party here for sure if she is going to the Olympics,” Wyn said.
25-year-old Emma now lives in Sydney but still calls Balranald home.

She says being given  the opportunity to compete at the upcoming London Olympics would be  the proverbial “dream come true.”

“This is what I have been working towards for the past four years,” the plucky rider said.

The promising young rider performed exceptionally well at the recent Sydney International three-day event, placing third overall against vastly more experienced, quality opposition.

Emma has officially qualified for the Olympics, what she is waiting for now is selection and a call up to the team.

She is realistic about her chances, well aware that the competition for a place on the Australian equestrian team is fierce.

Emma specialises in eventing – an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country and show jumping.

She achieved a personal best in dressage Sydney International three-day event, and after jumping clear and under time on the cross-county course moved into second place.

Incurring a penalty after knocking down a rail in the show jumping, Emma placed third overall.

“Being selected for London would mean everything to me,” Emma said. “This has been my goal, and ambition, to get to these Olympics.”

Emma started with the Balranald Pony Club at the tender age of four, but she first sat astride her own pony at the tender age of just two.

“She would sit on her pony and I would lead her around on my horse,” Wyn recalls.
“My parents grew up on big stations and were surrounded by horses,” Emma said.

Falling in love with riding for both pleasure and sport, Emma made her way through the junior ranks, and went on to compete at a senior level on her beloved home-bred mount ‘Mustang.’

“I just love the adrenalin and achievement of getting the horse to do different tasks,” she said.

Emma was the June winner of the 2007 Horseland Mildura/Mildura Weekly Young Equestrian of the Year Award, and even then had set her sights on Olympic Gold.

Qualifying for the Olympics has required dedication, and a huge commitment to a hectic training schedule. Her day job involves training race horses, and when she’s not hard at work on the track, she’s fine-tuning her eventing skills.

Emma travels to Dural a couple of times a week from Sydney to attend dressage training.

She also participates in monthly squad training clinics with the NSW Institute of Sport.

At 25, Emma was one of the youngest riders to compete at the Sydney International three-day event, and following continuous improvement, she is considered to be one of the top up-and-coming event riders in Australia.

Relatively new to the sport, Emma is listed on the Eventing Australia National A Squad and placed seventh in her first four-star competition at the Australian International three-day event which was held in Adelaide in late 2011.

Her efforts resulted in an HSBC Training Bursary ù, a unique award that is presented to the highest placed rider never to have competed in a four-star level event prior to January 1, 2011.

Having shown great potential, there’s little more Emma can do, but sit back and wait for selectors to name the team.

Emma said 13 riders will be selected to represent Australia, with eight taking part in a training camp in the United Kingdom prior to the games.

“I’m extremely excited by the possibility that one of them could be me, and would feel very proud putting Balranald on the international map,” she said.

While the local community has been very supportive of her endeavours over the years, encouraging her to fulfil her lifelong dream, Emma said she owed much of her success to her mum.

“Mum has been so supportive over the years, taking me to different events when I was a junior,” she said. “She’s been there for the whole journey.”

And will Wyn be jumping on a plane if her girl makes the team?

You betcha! She’ll be there with bells on.

“I’ve come this far with her. I want to be there when she rides for her country.”