Latest news with #BacchusMarsh
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Calls to change Victoria's 'outdated' burial laws to allow for owners to be laid to rest with their pets
Lyn Robinson says she lost her pet dog twice. The first time was after she laid Deejay — a pit-bull terrier she likens to a sixth child — to rest at a pet cemetery outside Bacchus Marsh. She visited his grave several times a year, and even recommended the cemetery to friends mourning their own deceased pets. Then, without warning, she lost him again. The land was sold to developers — and the cemetery, along with Deejay's remains, was destroyed. "We went there and it had just been bulldozed. All the concrete slabs were gone. The small headstones and plaques had been thrown away. It's like they never existed," she said. This statue marks the grave of a pet dog at a grave in Castlemaine. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) Lyn says Deejay's plaque — which she estimates cost up to $1,000 — was never returned, and she has since ordered a replacement to place in the backyard, "just to have something to remember him by". "We feel like we're going through all the emotions and all the stress of losing him again. "It's like losing a limb." It's left her grappling with how this could have happened — and why there isn't a safer option to lay her pets to rest. Now, advocates are pushing for a change that they say could prevent others from facing the same fate. An 'impossible' choice "I broke the law again today. Here's a video of me breaking the law." That was the text message Deb Tranter sent her local MP, alongside footage of a private ceremony she held for an 86-year-old man laying his dog Molly to rest in the grave beside his late wife. Deb Tranter has been Chair of the Castlemaine Cemetery Trust since 2018. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) Under Victorian law, burying an animal in a public cemetery — even in an urn — is illegal. But Ms Tranter, who manages Castlemaine General Cemetery in central west Victoria, says she has "no problem" breaching the Act if it means burying people with their loved ones — human or otherwise. "Society now recognises pets as family — but in death, the law states that the pets must stay outside of the cemetery gate. And I think that's really, really harsh and unfair," she said. "So that, to me, is a really bad law, and bad laws need to be exposed and broken to show how ridiculous they are." Animal Justice Party MP and member for Northern Victoria, Georgie Purcell, says Ms Tranter is among "hundreds" of cemetery managers quietly doing the same. "They're doing this because they care so deeply about giving people their final wishes and honouring people after their lives end," Ms Purcell said. "And they're faced with this impossible decision of breaking the law or not letting someone be buried with someone that they love. "It's just not good enough." This owner was buried with their pet over a decade ago. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) This owner was buried with their pet over a decade ago. (ABC New: Danielle Bonica) This 'treasured little companion' called Tramp was buried with his owner. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) A plaque marks the resting place of Tramp, a 'treasured little companion'. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica) Cemetery volunteers could face hefty fines or even lose their positions if they're caught. "Every single day, these people are going to work, they are operating under a risk that doesn't have to be there," Ms Purcell said. Ms Tranter said she's "not worried in the slightest". "We need to normalise burying pets in the family plot. They are family members. "So we shouldn't have to keep it a secret." Victoria dragging its feet Deb Tranter is no stranger to fighting for the rights of animals. She was the founder of Oscar's Law, a campaign to end puppy farming in Australia, and has worked alongside Georgie Purcell for many years. The MP said she was horrified when Ms Tranter first brought the law to her attention, describing it as "heartless" and "outdated". Within days, she raised it in parliament and asked the government to change it. "They wrote back to me quite positively and said they'd consider it. But it's been almost a year now, and they've just been dragging their feet since that time." Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell says the government has been "dragging its feet" on cemetery reforms. ( ABC News: Matthew Holmes ) Earlier this year, fellow Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst succeeded in pushing for reforms to be legislated in New South Wales — the first of their kind in the country. "They've shown that this is actually not that difficult. It's very clear that this very simple change is just not something that they care about," Ms Purcell said. The Victorian Government told the ABC it was aware of community interest in the issue but said it was "not currently a legislative priority". Ms Tranter called the response "really sad". "It is such a tiny little amendment to the cemetery act, it could be done tomorrow, and it would mean the world to a huge range of people," she said. "And it'd bring us into line with community expectations and needs." Who gets a soul? Lyn Robinson says she would "of course" pursue co-burial if it were an option. The only legal way for owners to currently be laid to rest with their pets is to either be buried on private land with the owner's permission, or to be scattered with the ashes of a pet outside the gates of a cemetery. Dr Hannah Gould, a death studies academic at The University of Melbourne, says the legislation has its roots in 19th-century Christian beliefs. "In the history of our cemeteries, we see a lot of segregation between different groups … and a lot of the time animals have been excluded from that categorisation of who is important," she said. Dr Hannah Gould is a lecturer at University of Melbourne and researcher with the DeathTech team. ( ABC News: Simon Tucci ) She says this stems from the traditional belief that animals don't have a soul. "So there's a lot of religious traditions that only those who have souls … are the ones who have the last rites and are buried properly in a cemetery." Dr Gould says this belief is not universal across other religions. In Buddhism, she said, humans and animals have a "much more equal footing". Hundreds of pets are believed to have been buried at the pet cemetery in Rowville before it was sold off and destroyed. ( Supplied: Ashton Grave ) She says the exclusionary law is becoming increasingly out of step with the way Australians view their pets. "We're seeing a really marked shift, particularly between Gen Z and older generations, in who they consider family. More and more, this includes animals — and with that shift comes the expectation they'll be treated the same way in death." Recent findings from the Australian Institute of Family Studies backs this up, with over half of participants regarding pets as family rather than as property. The study also found this bond was more common with women and LGBTQIA+ people. "What I think we're going to see is more and more people wanting to be buried in groups that don't just reflect their blood ties, but also their kind of found family," Dr Gould says. "And that's something that our cemeteries are going to have to reflect in the future." 'More and more' pet cemeteries destroyed The pet cemetery at Bacchus Marsh was just one of several which have met a similar demise in the past decade. The Pets Memorial Gardens in Rowville had been housing the remains of dead pets and champion racehorses for 52 years before it was sold off and demolished. Former site of Pets Memorial Gardens in Rowville, December 2018. / Plot of land which was formerly Pets Memorial Gardens in Rowville, February 2025. Ashton Grave, 76, specialises in exhuming pets for owners across Victoria. He says he recovered the remains of about a dozen animals at the Rowville cemetery. "Some of the owners I spoke to were quite upset about the fact their animals' remains had an unknown future," Mr Graves said. Ashton Grave says he recovered at least a dozen animal remains from the Rowville pet cemetery. "Clearly these places get sold for development … and that's the main reason people want me to exhume — they're worried about them being dug up during construction." Mr Grave said the push to change Victoria's burial laws was an "absolute no-brainer". "I can't see any problems whatsoever with including a cremated animal in a human grave," he said. "It just seems very, very sensible". Georgie Purcell said these cases are exactly what she warned the government of. "That land can be sold off, ripped up, demolished at any time," she said. "By allowing joint burials of humans and pets in government-run cemeteries, we know that there's this protection that they can always be there and they can always lie together." She warns more resting places could be at risk if the government doesn't act soon. "There's going to be more and more instances of this as that land becomes more valuable," she said.
ABC News
17-07-2025
- ABC News
Mayor says EPA monitored toxic waste dumping for years, failed to protect residents
A Victorian mayor who discovered that authorities were aware that toxic waste had been dumped outside a property near Bacchus Marsh says the state government has "absolutely no care for the safety of its people". Moorabool Shire Council lost a battle at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) against the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) on Wednesday. As a result the council has been ordered to clean up 20 pallets of dissolved acetylene cylinders, which are highly flammable and filled with asbestos. Moorabool Shire Mayor Paul Tatchell alleged the cylinders were moved from a property in Merrimu, near Bacchus Marsh, onto council land. He also alleged the EPA monitored the property for two years and watched on as the cylinders were dumped beside a public road. Cr Tatchell says it is "disgraceful" that ratepayers must foot an expected $500,000 bill to clean up the waste, which can only be processed at one site in Victoria. "At the end of the day we're there to protect our residents and we're going to get a bill for about half a million bucks, plus legal costs, for something the EPA knew all about and watched happen," he said. "They waited until these trailers were removed off this property and then put the order on us … to clean it up because the perpetrator was bankrupt. "[We either] have a gutless minister that won't stand in and protect the people, or an EPA … that is more interested in protecting the minister." Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos has been contacted for comment. The VCAT hearing heard the EPA had cameras set up at the address to monitor movement of the material but did not intervene. VCAT found that the footage was not monitored in real time and so would "simply provide information about what had happened rather than providing a realistic opportunity for intervention". In an affidavit to VCAT, Moorabool Shire chief executive Derek Madden said the community was being forced to pay for "the EPA's failure to manage a site under its knowledge and oversight". Cr Tatchell said the dumping of acetylene cylinders had been a problem for years throughout the state. "This is when they used to dispose of acetylene with asbestos … those cylinders can never be refilled by the people who manage the products," he said. Cr Tatchell believed whoever dumped the cylinders at Merrimu did so without the property owner's knowledge. "The EPA definitely knows [who it is], but they just haven't given it to us," he said. "There are still thousands of these acetylene tanks floating around Victoria on people's properties. "I've got absolutely no doubt that the EPA knows where they are and are just going to do the same thing all over the Victoria." The EPA said "as a result of VCAT's ruling, EPA's decision requiring council to clear the waste remains in force". "The matter is continuing in VCAT as the final hearing is not until later this year," it said in a statement. "EPA's investigation into the illegal dumping is ongoing so further comment cannot be made." The Victorian government said it was working with local governments to crack down on illegal dumping. "We know illegal dumping of waste has an impact on local communities and environment — that's why we have given the EPA greater powers to crack down on offenders, including tougher penalties for repeat offenders," a spokesperson said. "The EPA is working with local governments across the state, along with industry and community, to address this issue as part of its Illegal Waste Disposal Program, which aims to disrupt systematic illegal waste disposal."
News.com.au
10-07-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Crash that killed young pilot caused by low-speed stall in gusty winds: ATSB
A fatal stall just 150 feet above the ground claimed the life of a young Victorian pilot last year, with investigators now confirming wind gusts and low airspeed left him no chance to recover. The tragic incident occurred on the morning of October 22, 2024, as Jack Miller, 20, attempted a private flight from Bacchus Marsh Aerodrome to Lethbridge in Victoria. A new Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation has found that Mr Miller was flying a Cessna 150 when the aircraft stalled shortly after takeoff in strong, gusty winds at Bacchus Marsh, northwest of Melbourne, fatally injuring the young pilot. According to the ATSB final report released on Thursday, Mr Miller initially rejected a first takeoff attempt from runway 27 and broadcast this over the common traffic advisory frequency but gave no reason for the decision. Shortly afterwards, he returned to the end of the same runway and initiated a second takeoff. After becoming airborne, the aircraft climbed to about 150 feet before pitching steeply nose-up. Witnesses then saw the nose and left wing drop as the aircraft entered a vertical descent and crashed into a paddock beside the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed on impact and Mr Miller, who was the sole occupant, died at the scene. The investigation did not find any mechanical issues with the aircraft or evidence of pilot incapacitation. Instead, the ATSB concluded the Cessna was likely too slow on takeoff for the prevailing wind conditions, and control inputs to counteract the crosswind probably increased the angle of attack on the left wing. 'These factors, combined with the wind conditions, increased the risk of a quick and unrecoverable stall,' ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said. 'The stall occurred too close to the ground for the aircraft to be recovered from.' Mr Mitchell said while aerodynamic stalls could happen at any altitude or airspeed, they were most hazardous during takeoff and landing. 'When gusting conditions are present, pilots should consider waiting for more benign conditions,' he said. 'Guidance advises pilots to conduct their own testing in progressively higher winds to determine both their own capability and that of the aircraft. 'If pilots judge weather to be suitable, they should consider climbing out at a higher airspeed to provide a buffer above their aircraft's stall speed for detection and correction of an impending stall.' The report highlighted that Mr Miller had more than 180 hours of flight experience, including just less than four hours in the Cessna 150, and had recently joined the Bacchus Marsh Aero Club. Weather on the day was estimated to include winds of 10 knots gusting up to 30 knots, with strong crosswind components likely present at takeoff. The ATSB said the accident underscored the importance of maintaining adequate airspeed margins and being mindful of crosswind effects during takeoff, especially in turbulent conditions. After the crash last year, Mr Miller's devastated sister, Nicole Miller, told 7News her brother had always dreamt of becoming a pilot, describing him as her 'hero'. He earnt his pilot's licence earlier in 2024, just months before the crash. '(He was) always watching all the old war movies with the planes that would take off, he would soak up everything that he saw,' Ms Miller said. She said her brother was a 'caring, kind-hearted' young man who was just shy of his 21st birthday. 'Whatever happened doesn't change the outcome at the end of the day,' she said. 'We still don't have him, and nothing will ever fix the place he had in our lives.'
ABC News
10-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
ATSB finds strong wind, low speed but no aircraft fault before fatal Bacchus Marsh crash
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation into a pilot's death has found no "issues" with his Cessna 150 light aircraft that crashed in a paddock in October. Seaford man Jack Miller, 20, died soon after his plane took off from Bacchus Marsh aerodrome, north-west of Melbourne, on October 22. A preliminary report from the ATSB found there were "strong and gusty wind conditions" on the day and the aircraft stalled at a low height before crashing into a paddock in Parwan, west of Melbourne. In the final report, released on Thursday, the ATSB found Mr Miller aborted his first take-off before the plane left the ground, advising the aerodrome. He did not provide further information as to why he aborted but after leaving the runway a second time, the Cessna climbed to 46 metres before pitching steeply nose-up. Witnesses then saw the left wing drop before the plane fell into a paddock next to the airfield. Mr Miller died at the scene. A 10-month investigation could not identify any problems with the Cessna 150. A post-mortem examination also did not find evidence of any substances or other contributors that might have affected Mr Miller's capacity. The report concluded the aircraft was too slow on take-off and strong wind conditions led to the crash. 'These factors, combined with the wind conditions, increased the risk of a quick and unrecoverable stall,' ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said. 'The stall occurred too close to the ground for the aircraft to be recovered from."
News.com.au
13-05-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
‘Shouldn't have happened': Victorian mum's fallopian tubes removed during surgery
A Melbourne mum has taken legal action against a healthcare provider after waking from an emergency surgery to learn her fallopian tubes had been removed. In early 2022, Liz Darwish was 10 weeks pregnant with her and husband Mouhamad's fourth baby when she noticed she was bleeding. Doctors at Bacchus Marsh Hospital confirmed Ms Darwish had suffered a miscarriage. Five weeks later, however, she was rushed to Sunshine Hospital in St Albans, having collapsed while getting out of the shower due to a sudden drop in her blood pressure. Recounting the incident to 9 News, Ms Darwish said she was asked by staff at Sunshine Hospital if she was pregnant. 'I said no, I wasn't pregnant, I had a clean-out five to six weeks prior in Bacchus Marsh Hospital so there was no chance I was pregnant,' she told the program, referring to the D&C (dilatation and curettage) procedure that removes any remaining pregnancy tissue after miscarriage. The doctors then discovered that Ms Darwish was actually still pregnant, and that Bacchus Marsh had missed an ectopic pregnancy – when the fertilised egg stays inside the fallopian tube – that had then ruptured. 'I was bleeding internally and I just thought, 'I'm not going to make it, I'm not going to make it home',' Ms Darwish said. 'I just didn't think I would be able to see my kids again and I thought my daughter's going to grow up without her mum.' The fact that it was an ectopic pregnancy was something Ms Darwish said doctors did not convey to her. Instead, thinking she was dying, Ms Darwish told them to do whatever was necessary to keep her alive before they took her into surgery. When she woke up, she was informed both of her fallopian tubes had been removed – which Ms Darwish's lawyer, Maryse Andrinopoulos-Tsigolis, told 9News was 'not usual practice … when the ectopic pregnancy has only ruptured in one'. 'With appropriate care, Liz would not have lost either fallopian tube,' Ms Andrinopoulos-Tsigolis, from Shine Lawyers, said. 'This shouldn't have happened, it has had devastating consequences for Liz and is something that could've been solved through a simple laparoscopy.' Three years on, Ms Darwish said healthcare provider Western Health had still not given an explanation as to why the Sunshine Hospital doctors removed the organ. She and her husband are now pursuing legal action. In a statement provided to a spokesperson for Western Health said it is 'committed to providing patient-centred, high-quality care and safety and wellbeing of our patients is our top priority'. 'For privacy reasons we will not comment on individual patients in response to media inquiries.' The Darwish's said the hospital's actions had robbed them of growing their family. 'That choice and that decision was taken away and that's what's hard,' Ms Darwish said. 'Take accountability and fix what you've done. Fix it so it doesn't happen to anyone else.'
