By JESSE GRAHAM AND KATH GANNAWAY
COMMUNITY groups across Casey used the 2 July election as a chance to fund-raise for different projects, running sausage sizzles and cake stalls at polling places from opening at 8am on Saturday morning and running into the afternoon.
At the Healesville High School polling place, the Support the Healesville Indoor Pool (SHIP) group held a barbecue, a cake stall and a garage sale to raise money for repairs at the pool.
At Badger Creek Primary School, Badger Creek CFA sold sausages to raise money for the school and the brigade; while the Rotary Club of Healesville ran a barbecue at the Healesville Senior Citizens Centre to raise money for its Milking Cow and Goat Project in Kenya.
In Launching Place, first-time voter Aylah Hannon said she had asked her mum for advice on who she should vote for.
“I look up to my mum and she is someone who I believe would want what’s best for my country,” she said.
At polling places on both sides of the Yarra Valley, there were a high number of people not taking how-to-vote flyers.
CFA volunteers from the Maroondah Group staged a protest against the recent enterprise bargaining agreement that is being disputed between volunteers, the Victorian Government and the United Firefighters Union.
Brigades from Healesville, Yarra Glen, Mount Evelyn, Lilydale and Warrandyte drove from Warrandyte from 9am to Healesville in the early afternoon.
Passing drivers honked their horns in support as the convoy made its way through town, with about 14 trucks taking part.
Yarra Glen CFA captain Bill Boyd said there had been “by far and large” community support for the firefighters, and said there were still concerns about the EBA that had not been addressed.
Despite the large turnout from firefighters, Capt Boyd said that stations around the area were still manned in case of emergency.
“We need to stress, too, that we’ve still got our stations with trucks in them, manned, should we need to respond today,” he said.
“What people need to understand is this is our surge capacity, here – we’re still maintaining safety and coverage at home.”
