🟠 Do the crime, too much time?

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK 🎟️

• THURSDAY 20/11/25, 8PM & SUNDAY 30/11/25, 5PM | Kitty Flanagan - Gladgame

• SUNDAY 23/11/25, 7AM-1PM | Run for the Young Marathon

• SUNDAY 23/11/25, 10AM-4PM | Kilsyth Festival

• COLDSTREAM — 07/11/25 to 24/12/25; WANDIN — 24/11/25 to 04/01/26, EXCLUDING CHRISTMAS DAY | Cherry Picking @ Cherry Hill Orchards

• EVERY SUNDAY, 8AM-1PM | Mulgrave Farmers’ Market @ Mulgrave Primary School

📰 THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES

Local legal support centre “disappointed” with proposed harsher penalties for children

A local not-for-profit legal support centre has joined an industry-wide call for the State Government to abandon proposed reforms that would see children as young as 14 face sentences designed for adult offenders.

Last week, Victorian premier Jacinta Allan announced changes to the way the state will prosecute violent crimes committed by children aged over 14.

Under the proposed reforms, children 14 and older who are charged with the following crimes will face trial in the adult County Court instead of the Children’s Court:

• Aggravated home invasion;

• Home invasion;

• Intentionally causing injury in circumstances of gross violence (includes machete crime);

• Recklessly causing injury in circumstances of gross violence (includes machete crime);

• Aggravated carjacking;

• Carjacking;

• Aggravated burglary (serious and repeated), and;

• Armed robbery (serious and repeated).

The maximum jail sentence that can be imposed in the Children's Court for any offence is three years.

The County Court, however, can impose jail sentences of up to 25 years for violent crimes such as aggravated home invasion.

First established in 1974, the Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC) is a community-based not-for-profit legal support centre with offices in Box Hill, Boronia and Healesville.

Chief executive Michael Smith said he and his team were “disappointed” by the proposed changes, arguing they will “fail to address the root causes of offending and perpetuate cycles of harm”, including unstable family situations, serious family violence and poverty.

Smith said he hoped the government would consider providing more investment towards community-based support, including within local schools, community groups and sporting clubs.

“When young people engage with some sort of criminal activity, it is actually an opportunity to intervene and actually help them turn their lives around and make things better,” said Smith.

Smith said the community legal sector is under “huge stress and pressure” to cope with demand and many services like ECLC have no capacity to expand.

Associate Professor in Criminology and Justice Studies at RMIT University, Dr Marietta Martinovic, told the Gippsland Monitor the proposed laws are “inhumane” and “morally and ethically wrong”.

Martinovic said expecting the legislation to create law-abiding citizens is “preposterous”.

“We know that a lot of people captured by the youth justice system have suffered from trauma,” said Martinovic. “They’ve experienced domestic or family violence. They're normally victims themselves of various criminal activities.”

Assistant Associate Dean of Social Science Research and Policy Studies at RMIT University, Dr Kathryn Daley, told the Gippsland Monitor the changes will present “a slippery slope” towards the erosion of the rights of children in Victoria.

“We’re seeing this encroachment across multiple jurisdictions where young people's rights are being eroded,” said Daley. “They're not old enough to be on the jury, they’re not old enough to vote, yet they can be tried as an adult and receive an adult sentence.

The Federation of Community Legal Centres has also criticised the announcement, saying in a statement the reforms “will fall disproportionately on Aboriginal children, children in out-of-home care, and children with disability - groups already overrepresented in the justice system due to systemic discrimination, disadvantage and unmet support needs”.

How are local family-run businesses staying afloat in a world of online reviews and social media?

It’s no secret that sustaining a family business is difficult. In fact, it feels as though both newcomers and longtime community staples are struggling.

Long term residents will know Eastern Melbourne has a constantly shifting hospitality scene.

Whether you’ve become a regular customer at one of the newest bars in Box Hill, Ringwood or Croydon or looking for your next favourite barista who gets your order just right, there are always options when it comes to food and drink.

However, for those running these businesses, changing audiences, dwindling budgets and new demands make the job a difficult one to navigate.

To find out more, the Eastern Melburnian caught up with the faces behind the counter at two local hospitality spots to ask about the challenges – and rewards – of running your own business.

Vikas and Sona Ahlawat opened the doors at TNT Mexican, on Main Street in Croydon, in 2022.

However, Vikas said they did not know that their biggest hurdle would come only a year later, as foot traffic was significantly cut due to the nearby Level Crossing Removal Project works, averaging one to two tables a day on weekdays.

“The barricade was just in front of our shop,” Vikas told the Eastern Melburnian. “Last year, we lost probably close to $100,000.”

Vikas said serving their local community has always been an incredibly rewarding experience.

“They help us out a lot,” Vikas said. “Even with [the barricade] last year, our local community was still coming.”

Vikas said he and Sona were unsure what was next for TNT Mexican but that business was slowly getting better.

For Lilydale cafe owners Laura and Evan James, who run Round Bird Food and Wine Merchants, another challenge that comes with the job is having to juggle multiple roles – from social media to bookkeeping.

Lilydale cafe Round Bird first opened their doors in September 2014, with couple Laura and Evan James at the helm.

Evan said the role of running a cafe had become so much more than front-of-house operations over the years.

“You become the accountant, the book keeper, the website manager, the social media manager, the repair guy, the list goes on,” said Evan.

Evan said stability also remains a concern. “The future looks challenging right now, to be honest,” he said. “As everyone feels the pinch of affordability, hospitality venues are the first hit and the last to recover.”

Beyond leaving a positive Google review or engaging with the business on social media, venue owners said simply becoming a regular customer was the best way to support them.

“The vast bulk of those that love what we do never leave a review, they simply come back,” said Evan.

Staying positive and attracting new regular patrons takes hard work, dedication and a genuine commitment to quality. For Round Bird, that has meant continued innovation and constant refinement.

“Every day we work and we do our level best to provide a quality product and experience, because that is who we are,” said Evan. “Never settle on your laurels, keep the core of what you do the same - but keep an eye out for little changes here and there that make what you do even better.”

SEEN THIS WEEK 🤓

Investment investigation

The National Account reporter Archie Milligan took a deeper look into Opposition spokesperson for defence Angus Taylor’s recent claim that “investment has fallen off a cliff under Labor”, including in mining and other resource-based industries.

Did his words hold up under scrutiny? Watch the video below to find out.

Tofu treats hitting the grid

Contributor Justine de Jonge hit the streets recently to taste test some of the best tofu dishes she could find under $20.

Watch the video here.