By RUSSELL BENNETT
JAW-dropping fire twirlers, breathtaking freestyle motocross riders, spectacular fireworks – those in attendance at the Berwick Chamber of Commerce dinner on Saturday night at the Berwick Show had a front row seat to it all.
The dinner, the second running of a now annual event, was held in conjunction with the show as a way of melding two of the town’s most iconic institutions – the chamber and the show.
Shire boundaries were ignored for the night as Cardinia and City of Casey councillors, prominent business people, and local residents converged on the Akoonah Park Centre at the showgrounds for a two-course sit down dinner and a night of fun and relaxation.
But in his presentation to the room guest speaker Bass MP Brian Paynter used the occasion to touch on two of the topics closest to his heart – the scourge of men’s violence against women and the tireless work of the Outlook community centre and disability support service.
“What a fantastic event this is,” Mr Paynter said of the show.
“It’s been going for 169 years and it’s better than ever.”
But he reminded the room – many of which were male – of the importance of stamping out violence against women.
He admitted to publicly discussing the issue whenever he could.
“I read an article by Tom Meagher – the husband of Jill, who was murdered,” he said.
“In it he talks about ‘the monster myth’, where he realised that (Adrian) Bayley wasn’t a monster. He was someone you’d run into in your everyday life.”
Mr Paynter specifically spoke about men’s violence against women, adding that “95 per cent of Pakenham police’s call outs are men’s violence against women”.
“A woman per week is murdered in Australia,” he said in a chilling statement.
But the tone of his presentation lightened when he spoke about another of his key passions – Outlook, which was to get the net proceeds of the dinner.
“It wasn’t until 16 years ago that I was asked on to the board of what was still Minibah at the time,” he said.
“I walked into the place and my life changed forever. I was struck with sounds and images that I’d never heard or seen before.
“I joined the board and really started to gain an understanding of what life is like for people with disabilities.
“Being without a disability, I didn’t quite understand what all of that meant so I guess over time I came to realise the challenges these people are facing on a day-to-day basis.”
The chamber dinner is the brainchild of the Berwick Show society immediate past president Tom Gibson.
“This is only its second year,” he said of the event.
“I was president last year and I saw it as a real opportunity to get the Berwick Chamber (of Commerce) involved in the show.
“What we put on here is a spectacular for Berwick and the Berwick chamber is just down the road so this is a good way of creating some synergy between the two, and it’s working.”
Mr Gibson said the committee may have just found the show’s newest tradition.
“There are really good vibes here and the venue can hold a lot more people, too,” he said.
“I think it’ll just go from strength to strength with the facilities here, and a private box-type atmosphere.
“The event is more about having fun, but it’s great to know that you can have fun and help a worthy cause at the same time, too.”
