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As the cost of living increases in Australia, headlined by inflation rising a staggering 5.1 per cent between March 2021 and March 2022, RSPCA Victoria is reminding people that there is no shame in surrendering a pet if they cannot provide adequate care. This year is proving to be a challenging one financially for many Australians. The price of petrol is at an eight-year all-time spike, the Victorian Default Offer prices applying from July 1 set to increase electricity prices by roughly five per cent, and people are forking out more than $10 for lettuce if they can find one on the shelf. In addition to rising prices of pet food, approximately 61 per cent of Australian households own pets, one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world. During the pandemic and as lifted COVID restrictions allowed for the return to office-based work, the RSPCA claim they have not experienced increased animal surrenders. However, as Australians tighten their hip-pocket as the cost of living skyrockets, the animal welfare organisation understands the current economy may impede the ability of some pet owners to care for their pets properly, and expects a spike in animal surrenders. RSPCA Victoria’s Head of Operations Tanya Drakopoulos said while the decision to surrender a pet can be extremely difficult, it means providing a loved pet with a second chance in a new home. “No one decides to bring an animal into their lives, anticipating they will need to surrender them; however, people’s circumstances can change without warning and often for reasons beyond their control,” she said. “We understand that life can be unpredictable and while it can be difficult, sometimes the decision to surrender a pet is the best outcome for both owners and pets. “RSPCA CAN ASSIST BY FINDING NEW HOMES FOR ANIMALS WHERE THEY CAN CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND LIVE HAPPY, HEALTHY LIVES.” RSPCA Victoria practices a judgment-free surrender process and will never turn away an animal that ends up at the doors of one of its five shelters across the state. If pet owners are struggling, they are encouraged to ask family and friends for help or to phone RSPCA Victoria by calling 03 9224 2222.

The availability of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) nurses has been put under the spotlight. MCH nurses are critical in ensuring the continued well-being of new mothers and babies. Usually, mothers will take their babies to an MCH nurse at 10 key stages from birth until three and a half years. MCH nurses are particularly important for first-time mothers as they cover topics including safe sleeping, safety in the home, immunisations, feeding the baby and how to encourage the baby’s learning and development through play. MCH nurses also offer vital support around family relationships and a new mother’s well-being. MCH consultations are critical in detecting such things as developmental delays in babies and post-natal depression in new mums is critical to avert long-term implications. A 2018 report two years before the pandemic found that the Victorian Parliament’s Maternal and Child Health Committee regularly heard about “skills shortages and a lack of MCH nurses” across the system. Lisa Fitzpatrick, Victorian Secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, said in the report that the system was “headed for a collision,” with rising birth rates and a shrinking workforce putting strain on the system. Despite these warnings, no action was taken to address the issue. Consequently, Child and Maternal health services have been cut across several local government areas, particularly in Melbourne’s West. Shadow Minister for Health Georgie Crozier said mothers and their babies had, and continue to be, denied the healthcare and support they deserve due to healthcare mismanagement. “New mothers, babies and families continue to pay the price of Labor’s mismanagement of the health system,” Ms Crozier said. “This isn’t a COVID issue; these services are being cut today because Daniel Andrews failed to act on warnings five years ago.” Fortunately for mothers and their babies in the Wellington Shire, Maternal and Child Health services have not been affected. Central Gippsland Health chief executive, Mark Dykgraaf said “CGH has not had specific staffing issues with Maternal and Child Health Services”. “Maternal and Child Health Services continue to operate a full-service Monday to Friday each week at six sites across the Shire,” he said. Under Victoria’s MCHS program, council-employed nurse-midwives visit families when a child first goes home from the hospital, followed by routine checks at two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks, four months, eight months, one year, 18 months, two years and three-and-a-half years. But with significant birthrate increases in Melbourne’s West, recording 17 per cent higher than other parts of Victoria, adding more strain to the Maternal and Child Health system, and practising MCH nurses stretched thin, Melton and Wyndham councils were forced to limit their MCHS to babies under four months. A spokeswoman from The Department of Health said, “Victoria’s healthcare system, including MCHS, continues to face significant demand and workforce pressures due to the COVID-19 pandemic and influenza”, but ensures they are “working closely” with councils affected by the staffing shortages to address the issue.

As we enter the year’s colder months, turning to our heaters to combat the arctic temperatures, Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) and Country Fire Authority (CFA) are reminding the public to remain vigilant, with residential fire risks at the highest throughout the winter period. The number of Victorians killed in house fires significantly increased in 2020, totalling 22, the state’s highest residential fire death toll in 10 years. According to FRV and CFA data, autumn and winter are the highest risk seasons for residential fires in Victoria, owing to the increased use of home heating. When we reach for the heater remote or snuggle in front of open fires this winter, firefighters from FRV and the CFA are urging people to be aware of the fire risks inside their homes. In a recent statement from the CFA, Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook expressed the importance of fire safety. More than 70 per cent of fatal house fires start in bedrooms or lounge rooms, with a significant number caused by heating systems, appliances, and equipment such as open fires, wood heaters, fixed electrical or gas-powered appliances, and portable electrical, gas, or kerosene heaters. “Never leave portable heaters and fireplaces unattended and turn off heaters before leaving the room,” Mr Cook said. “Ensure fireplace embers are extinguished before leaving your house or going to bed. “Ideally, gas heaters should be professionally serviced every two years.” On average, Victoria’s fire services respond to more than 3000 house fires across the state each year, and many could be prevented by taking simple precautions. “While fire threats are very real, there are several things you can take to safeguard your family, your home, and yourself,” Deputy Commissioner of Fire Rescue Victoria Michelle Young said. “Poorly maintained gas fires can cause deadly carbon monoxide poisoning, and we have seen tragic consequences of this in the past. “There should be no greater reason to have your gas heater inspected and serviced than to ensure the safety of loved ones. “Another dangerous yet common mistake people make is drying clothes too close to heaters and fireplaces. Clothes should be kept at least one metre from the heat source. “Every household should consider their fire safety practices and work to reduce the potential risks around their home, particularly when winter hits.” For you and your family’s safety this winter, Fire Rescue Victoria and Country Fire Authority recommend that all home heating, including flues and chimneys, be regularly cleaned and serviced by a certified technician. It is imperative that you switch off or extinguish all heating devices before leaving home or going to sleep. Always keep youngsters under adult supervision and at a safe distance from all sources of heating. If you are in the market for portable heating appliances, choose models with automatic safety switches that turn the heater off if tipped over. Electric heaters and wet areas do not mix. The results are shocking. Keeping portable electric heaters away from wet areas avoids the possibility of electrocution. And last but certainly not least, smoke alarms are essential and in the event of a fire, they may be the only thing to save your life. Consider smoke alarms in the same category as your new woolen throw – a bedroom essential. The FVA and CFA recommend installing smoke alarms in every living area and bedroom.

On June 26, 1972, a 17-year-old Alan Croft appeared in the Adelaide Defence Force Recruiting Centre, wearing his best pressed suit and shoes shined. Here, he took the Australian Defence Force oath and affirmation to well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Her Heirs and Successors, according to law, as a member of the Royal Australian Air Force. Five decades on, Squadron Leader Croft will celebrates 50 years of service in the Royal Australian Air Force on Sunday. Squadron Leader Croft always harboured an inquisitive fascination for aeroplanes and aircraft. So, at the age of 17, with no intention of furthering his schooling, young Alan began researching careers in the Australian Defence Force. “My father was in the Royal Australian Air Force,” Squadron Leader Croft said. “And I have always been impressed by aeroplanes, aircraft and ships. “So it was a case of, at the age of 17, I didn’t seem to be going anywhere at school, and when I looked at joining up, it was a toss-up between the Air Force and the Navy. “The reason I joined the Air Force, initially, was because I was under the age of 18; I needed parental consent. “Neither my mother nor father would let me join the Navy, so it was the Air Force.” So to follow in his father’s footsteps, Alan Croft enlisted non-commissioned into the Royal Australian Air Force as an aircraft electrician. HE NEVER LOOKED BACK. Squadron Leader Croft has called many places home following postings to Wagga Wagga, Laverton, Richmond, East Sale, and Adelaide. Even though he has spent most of his career, over 15 years, at RAAF Base Edinburgh in Adelaide and where he currently owns a home, when asked where his favourite posting is, Squadron Leader Croft says he “really likes Gippsland”. “I’d say I have spent about 13-14 years total in Sale,” he told the Gippsland Times. “So, I am a reservist at the moment, and I prefer to work in Sale for the Aviation Academy. “It’s what I know, I know the area, I’ve got a lot of friends here, and I actually really like Gippsland.” While having never been deployed overseas operationally with the RAAF, Squadron Leader Croft spent a month in the Philippines teaching trained development to the armed forces at the Philippine Army Staff College in 2001. During a posting here in Sale, Squadron Leader Croft also spent time in New Zealand on an HS748. In his early 20s, Squadron Leader Croft spent his time flying across Australia, working on aeroplanes as an electrician. On one occasion, during a flight from Laverton to Edinburgh, Alan said, “about 15 minutes out of Laverton, we heard a noise that sounded the same as a piece of cardboard placed in the spokes of a pushbike”. “The pilot looked out of the window and noticed smoke and sparks coming out of the starboard engine. Much swearing and radio transmissions took place. “The engine was shut down, and we returned to Laverton”. After landing safely on the tarmac, Squadron Leader Croft said, “I was the first out and almost kissed the runway; I was so relieved”. Hanging up the flying goggles and keeping both feet firmly on the ground, Squadron Leader Croft was posted to the RAAF research unit in Adelaide, then to Wagga Wagga as an instructor at the RAAF School of Technical Training. During his five years as an instructor at Wagga, Squadron Leader Croft discovered a love for teaching, which led him to complete a Bachelor of Teaching and Education, qualifying to commission as an Education Officer. At 46 years of age, Alan Croft attended Officer Training School at East Sale RAAF base, graduating as a commissioned officer on September 6, 2001. He has been a Training Systems Officer for 21 years. Commissioning and reaching the rank of Squadron Leader has been Alan’s greatest personal achievement in his 50 years with the RAAF. Transferring from an Airman to Officer wasn’t without its challenges, primarily due to the different roles of the Officer force compared to those of the Airman force. “I commissioned from Flight Sergent, and I was in charge of a section of 90 people,” Squadron Leader Croft said. “As an Officer, there is a different strategic level of supervision. “You are actually operating at a different strategic role than you are as an Airman.” “It was also difficult at OTS at 46 having to deal with 18-year-olds,” he added while laughing. In 50 years, Squadron Leader Croft has collected a myriad of colourful, treasured memories, cheekily grinning from ear to ear, telling, “many he cannot say.” “One moment I treasure was in 1978 when I saw Sir Richard Williams, the father of the Air Force,” he said. “He was to parade here in Sale to watch the Central Flying School and the School of Air Navigation receive their Queen’s colours. “I saw the Queen’s aeroplane out in Adelaide; we had to tow the stairs away from her aeroplane. “I also saw Prince Charles and Princess Diana come into Adelaide.” Reminiscing and sharing treasured memories from the past 50 years, Squadron Leader Croft expressed his shock at “just how small the Queen is.” “When the Queen was out here in 1977, I was on a Dakota from Sale, and we flew to Canberra, and we had the opportunity to stand on the hanger roofs and watch the Queen depart,” he said. “She was with then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and then opposition leader Gough Whitlam, both of who were over six foot three. “So the Queen was this tiny figure between two giants of men.” The Australian Defence Force has endured an inordinate amount of change over the past 50 years, and Squadron Leader Croft has, as required, adapted, learned and grown. Squadron Leader Croft has continued to well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Her Heirs and Successors, according to law, as a member of the Royal Australian Air Force, as promised, as a boy of 17.

After 52 years of dedicating his life to his patients and delivering over 1000 babies in Sale, Dr Simon Williams provided his final patient consultation on Wednesday, June 29, retiring as one of the longest-serving General Practitioners in Clocktower Medical Centre’s history. Fifty years ago, the world was a very different place, and so was the world of medicine. In 1970, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists still considered homosexuality a mental illness. The contraceptive pill had only been accessible in Australia for nine years, and the first pharmacological treatment for Major Depressive Disorder was developed. Dr Simon Williams has devoted his life to serving patients and the community with incredible care and dedication. Through his work as a general practitioner, with a major interest in midwifery and obstetrics and interest in psychiatry, Dr Williams has helped shape the society we recognise and live in today. “In psychiatry, there has been a major development in terms of medications for one thing,” Dr Williams said. “But there has also been a flourishing of the use of counselling and referral to psychologists and social workers and so on, which I think has made a big difference. “THE OVERALL TREATMENT FOR MENTAL ILLNESS AND OTHER CONDITIONS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY HAS IMPROVED A GREAT DEAL AS A RESULT OF THE DRUGS AND COUNSELLING WITH THOSE TWO THINGS NOW GOING SIDE BY SIDE. “In obstetrics, there has been a fantastic change in focus from it being a structured command where you have the patient and the family and the midwife, then you have the GP and the consultant, to now it is really a team thing. “Everyone is in the team, the mother and baby are the main focus, and after that, it is a team including any family members that may be there, the midwife, the doctors, and they all make sure they focus on the patient. “In the past, it was more or less a top-down military sort of style where if the midwives couldn’t do it, the GP would come along and do his bit, then comes the consultant who would say ‘we are doing a cesarean section and that’s it.’ “Now it is all thoroughly discussed, the patient and family must understand what is going on; otherwise, it can’t go ahead. So that is really a big change. “ON TOP OF THAT, THE USE OF EPIDURAL AND ANESTHESIA HAS BEEN A BIG DEVELOPMENT TOO. “It has made a big difference to people’s willingness to go through the procedure again and again,” Dr Williams chuckled softly. “We no longer have women going for six or eight or 10 or 12 children. I had a family in the 70s and 80s that went to 11 children, but now, it just doesn’t happen. “That brings up contraception which is another magnificent advance, but it is still not perfect,” Dr Williams remarked. “But I do think it has made a huge difference to society and to people’s attitudes.” Working, learning and teaching within the medical profession over the past 50 years, Dr Williams has been part of the most significant advances and changes in medical history, serving as the foundation of medicine today. “It is allied to the changes in sexuality and the changes in people having more power, particularly women,” Dr Williams said. “Women are getting a much better life now, rather than just continually getting pregnant. “It must have been terrible for women to be continually pregnant! “NOW WOMEN HAVE GOT MORE FREEDOM. SOCIETY HAS IMPROVED. “I should add another major change in my time has been abortion.” Abortion was illegal in Victoria until the Victorian Parliament passed the Abortion Law Reform Act in 2008, amending the Victorian Crimes Act and codifying common law offences relating to abortion. “In my early days, at the Royal Women’s Hospital when I was a student, I saw people, women, who suffered from botched abortion and post-abortion infections that killed them.” Dr Williams said. “But through decriminalisation and the fantastic advancement of medical abortion, which is now available fairly readily, really has been a fundamental change. “AS WELL AS OTHER MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THE MORNING AFTER PILL AND INTRAUTERINE DEVICE, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT HAPPENING FOR WOMEN [MEDICALLY].” Dr Williams’ medical journey began when he was a young man at Frankston High School, not far from finishing Year 12. One afternoon, Dr Williams was sitting with his father, who was also a general practitioner, when he asked, for the first time ever, ‘What are you going to do?’ “I was a lacklustre student, really,” Dr Williams said. “I didn’t have much get-up-and-go and didn’t think much about what I was going to do. My parents didn’t say much until one day when I was in matriculation (Year 12), and my dad said for the first time ever, ‘what are you going to do?’ “AND I SAID, ‘AH, WELL, I THINK I MIGHT DO MEDICINE’.” Following in his father’s footsteps, Dr Williams studied medicine, moving to Sale in 1972 to work as a general practitioner. “When I first came to Sale in 1972, there was only one practice in town, and that was a mixture of specialists and GPs in what we called the grey building that has since been demolished, with the new hospital sitting on top of it really,” Dr Williams said. In 1975, Dr Williams flew to the other side of Australia, working in Perth for nearly eight years before returning to Sale, working at Bass Court Medical Centre in 1983. Dr Williams became a founding partner of Clocktower Medical Centre when Bass Court Medical Centre moved to Cunningham Street and rebranded in 1990. When the Clocktower Medical Centre moved to Raymond Street in 2003, Dr Williams followed, retaining his partnership with the practice until 2010, when he retired from his partner position after 19 years. Dr Williams continued to work as an associate doctor at Clocktower Medical Centre, while also taking on a teaching role with Monash Rural School Medical Students, before retiring after 46 years of serving the Sale community and 52 years as a medical practitioner. “The highlights of being a doctor and a general practitioner is facing all the problems that people present to you,” Dr Williams said. “I HAVE ASSISTED OVER 1000 FAMILIES WITH THE DELIVERY OF THEIR CHILDREN OVER MY TIME [IN SALE], AND THAT HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLY SATISFYING PART OF MY WORK.” For Dr Williams, one of the most rewarding elements of his career has been his involvement with the Clocktower Medical Centre. “Building this practice here [Clocktower Medical Centre in Raymond Street] was fantastic; it was the first really modern, comfortable practice to work in,” he said. “It has progressed in leaps and bounds under the care of the management team, in particular, the two managers, Glenda Byers, who was marvellous in getting us going from 2003, and Caroline Driscoll has been magnificent since taking over. “The practice is really thriving, which is amazing when so many other general practices are struggling across the country.” Dr Willaims has spent nearly five decades caring for and helping the people of Sale, injecting compassion and dedication into the community and Clocktower Medical Centre, truly inspiring staff and his patients. “Simon will be very sadly missed at the practice by his peers and friends, and also by his patients throughout the community and from Clocktower Medical Centre,” Practice Manager Caroline Driscoll said. “THE STAFF AND HIS PEERS AT CLOCKTOWER MEDICAL CENTRE WISH TO CONVEY THEIR THANKS FOR ALL HE HAS DONE, THE SUPPORT HE CONTINUALLY OFFERS AND THE GENUINE CARE HE GIVES.” Former Clocktower Medical Centre practice manager Glenda Byers holds the utmost respect for Dr Williams, saying it was “such an honour to have had the privilege to work with him”. While there is much sadness in seeing this marvellous doctor close the doors on his former life, Dr Simon Williams opens the doors to retirement, welcoming the time to spend with his loving and supportive wife, Robyn. If there were ever a man deserving the blissful flexibility of retirement, it would be Dr Simon Williams.

“Who are, who are, who are we? We are the girls and boys from SALE FC!” The Sale United Football Club victory chant echoed the rooms at Traralgon City Soccer Club on Sunday, July 3, as the Swans sealed wins in the Women’s, Reserves and Senior games. Sale United Women were the first to play against Traralgon City in Round 13 of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League. The Swanettes took to the field hungry for goals, sitting third on the ladder behind Fortuna FC and Falcons FC with goal difference, creating the most significant margin between the top three teams. It was goals they wanted; it was goals they got. Sale United’s young gun striker Dani Wilson had an impressive game, putting away six goals, earning herself a double hat-trick and the title of SUFC’s current top goal scorer.

Would you rather spend your last $5 to buy your kids food for lunch or on 16 pack of Carefree tampons, which isn’t even enough to cover you for the entirety of your period? Unfortunately, for hundreds of thousands of women in Australia, this is a genuine and undignifying issue they must face. Next month, you can help local women experiencing period poverty by donating sanitary items in the Share the Dignity collection boxes at your nearest Woolworths store.

It was wet, it was muddy, it was fast, and it was tough at Sale United Football Club last Sunday. The Swans hosted Newborough/Yallourn United in Round 12 of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League. The reserves kicked-off in a game that was tough from the first whistle.

Australia, we are amid a porndemic. The average age of first exposure to pornography amongst our nation’s children has been free-falling for almost two decades. The Australian Institute of Family Studies and WA Child Safety Services report that the average age of first exposure is between eight and ten years old. Countless studies show that exposure to pornography as a child has serious ramifications, not only for the individual but on a much larger societal level. Professionals working in the industry speak about the dangers of early exposure to pornography and ways to hinder the damaging effect. Canberra based psychosexual therapist Kym Robinson believes that the best way to protect our children against the dangers of porn is through education. Calling all Australian parents: do you think the sex education curriculum should include pornography education?

Switching their emerald green jerseys to purple and black, Sale United’s best junior players represented the Latrobe Valley Soccer League in the 2022 Country League Football Association Junior Championships over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. The championships brought together approximately 1500 of Victoria’s best junior soccer players from 12 regional competitions, including Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Shepparton, Moama-Echuca, Sunraysia and Albury-Wodonga.

A man on a mission, a grandfather creating a legacy, a painter, a nature-lover and an environmental warrior; meet Richard Van Pijlen, the Dutch-born Australian, walking from Sydney to Perth, raising money for Landcare Australia to plant one million trees. Richard Van Pijlen began his journey across the country, stepping off from Sydney’s northern beaches on Monday, May 2, and passing through Sale on Tuesday, June 21. It all started eight months ago when the 68-year-old Sydney painter and his partner Debbie Tennant watched a documentary about the diminishing existence of the native Australian Koala. “I was watching a program probably about eight months ago, about the Northern Rivers and the Koala corridor,” Mr Van Pijlen said.

After the past few years, it is safe to say we could all do with a good laugh, and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow at The Wedge this Friday, guarantees to have you in stitches. The people of Sale were quick to tell their dads they were sorry and that their jokes just aren’t that funny, with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow selling out faster than hotcakes and hash browns at the Melbourne Central McDonald’s at 6am on a Sunday morning.