Over the next few editions we are taking a look back at some of our favourite photos.
Back in October 2013, the latest Halloween trend was zombies. So, in the manner of all things scary, The Local caught up with Jason Beks, who ran a zombie hire outfit, using Daylesford and Hepburn residents in its crew.
Jason said he conceived the idea for his business one night in 2010 while driving down the Western Freeway.
“Looking out the window I was dismayed at the lack of zombies in the rural landscape, and wondered who one would call to hire zombies for such an application.
“Twelve months later the website was launched and my very first client was FOX – the cable network screening AMC’s The Walking Dead.”
Jason has traded wrangling zombies to playing with dogs, literally. He travels the region in his bright yellow van, signwritten Play With Dog, and spends his days with all sorts of pooches after some fun company.
Image: Kyle Barnes | Published October 28, 2013

Daylesford is one of four finalists for Tinder’s Big Rainbow, the first BIG landmark celebrating regional LGBTQIA+ Pride and inclusion.
After thousands of submissions and from more than 50 regional towns suggested, the final towns are Daylesford, Hay, Broome and Katherine.
“Daylesford, the Traditional Land of the Dja Dja Wurrung people, is known as the rainbow capital of regional Victoria. It’s also home to ChillOut Festival, one of the longest-running events celebrating regional LGBTQIA+ pride,” the Tinder site says.
“Nestled on the WA coast, Broome, the Traditional Land of the Yawuru people, is home to one of the most remote Mardi Gras celebrations in the country, providing a melting pot of culture and people. As the hub of The Big Rivers region in the NT, the town of Katherine, the Traditional Lands of the Jawoyn, Dagoman and Wardaman peoples, has an ever-growing LGBTQIA+ community and annual Pride celebration for regional territorians.
“Deep in regional NSW, the small town of Hay, the Traditional Lands of the Nari Nari and Wiradjuri people, is home to the first Mardi Gras of the region, the Rainbow on the Plains festival.” Voting closes on June 30.
Link: www.bigrainbowproject.com.au

Victoria’s celebrated live music industry has a new run of more than 100 live gigs to punters across Melbourne’s suburbs.
Kicking off this week, the metro leg of the hugely popular On The Road Again initiative will bring a wide
range of live music gigs, festivals and events to venues in coming months.
One of the first events to start the metro tour Southside Live will present a free program of live music on St Kilda’s foreshore in June and July, featuring some of Victoria’s best-loved musicians including Mitch Tambo, Pania, Freeds and the Teeny Tiny Stevies.
City of Maribyrnong will produce a weekly live music program at emerging music venues in Footscray, Moreland City Council will deliver up to 85 events partnering with local businesses and venues and Moonee Valley City Council will host two new events – Illuminate the River and MoPo Winter and Spring Sessions.
City of Stonnington will present a block party at Prahran Square and Chapel Fringe Sessions, three nights of music performances in October featuring Victorian and Australian acts. Yarra City Council will host Leaps and Bounds + BEYOND 2022 Festival, a mini-festival that will showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, African and LGBTQIA+ musicians.
Hobsons Bay City Council will deliver three music showcases that will establish Altona’s Civic Theatre as a new venue for live music in the west. Community Broadcasting Association of Australia will partner with community radio stations including Triple R, Joy FM and PBS to co-produce eight live music events across Melbourne.
On The Road Again kicked off in December with a $5 million program to support live music events in regional and outer suburban areas. This was followed by a series of pop-up performances and massive busking program in Melbourne’s CBD that presented more than 700 street performances.
In a further boost to the state’s music industry, the latest round of the Music Works grants is open for applications. Grants of between $4,000 and $40,000 are available for activities including recording and releasing new music, presenting music events, marketing and business development.
To apply for a Music Works grant, visit creative.vic.gov.au/music-works. For more information on upcoming On The Road Again events, visit vmdo.com.au/ontheroadagain or check your local gig guide

Victoria’s world-famous live music venues have received a boost from the state government to get artists back on stages, audiences back in venues and help live music make a strong return across the state.
Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas has visited the Macedon Railway Hotel which has received a grant through the Victorian Live Music Venue Support Program. The Palais Hepburn also received funding under the program.
Targeting venues with capacities of 50 to 1,200 people, the program provides grants of up to $65,000. This investment recognises the critical role music venues play in the state’s live music scene, not just setting the stage for memorable gigs but providing a vital platform for artists and employment for industry workers.
With dedicated funding for programming live gigs, the initiative is getting musicians back where they flourish – on the iconic stages across the state that showcase why Victoria is the live music capital of Australia.
For the full list of venues supported through the Live Music Venues Support Program, visit creative.vic.gov.au.
Mary-Anne Thomas: “Congratulations to the Macedon Railway Hotel and The Palais Hepburn. The community can look forward to more live music, close to home. Our local music venues have done it tough throughout the past two years, the (state) government is committed to getting our venues back on track so everyone can enjoy live music.”

More funding has been delivered for much-needed upgrades to key boating facilities across Victoria.

A program opened in February and grants awarded will help undertake significant maintenance projects such as new ramp surfaces, replacing pontoons and accessibility works.
In the state’s east, the most significant funding was awarded to East Gippsland Shire Council, with a $577,000 grant to help redevelop facilities at Metung’s Shaving Point boat ramp. The existing concrete dual-lane ramp, jetties and floating pontoons will be replaced, while work to reduce sand build-up will also be undertaken.
In the state’s north, Campaspe Shire Council has been awarded a grant of more than $270,000 to overhaul Echuca’s Victoria Park boat ramp. Gannawarra Shire Council also received a grant worth $240,000 to provide a new fixed jetty at Kangaroo Lake’s Gorton Point after the previous structure was damaged by wave action.
The City of Greater Geelong will now be able to upgrade the damaged northern jetty at Ocean Grove boat ramp through $120,000 in funding. Further west, Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority received more than $100,000 to replace the ageing Sapling Creek jetty with an all-abilities facility to boost access to the Glenelg River.
In Victoria’s north-west, an $84,000 grant will help Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water upgrade the Lake Fyans Marina boat ramp.
In the north-east, Mansfield Shire Council received a $116,000 grant to install a new concrete boat ramp at Falls Creek’s Rocky Valley Dam, while an additional $74,000 package will see five boat ramps refurbished at Lake Eildon.
In Port Phillip Bay, nearly $100,000 in funding will be put towards jetty repairs at the busy Rye boat ramp and Western Port’s Tooradin boat ramp will also undergo $10,900 worth of improvements to the floating jetty.
The grants are funded by the Better Boating Fund.

For more details on each of the funded projects, visit www.betterboating.vic.gov.au

Thirteen racecourses across Victoria will receive jockey room upgrades to cater for the growing number of female jockeys.

The upgrades are needed to support the growing participation of female jockeys in the industry with the number of horses ridden by female jockeys increasing by over 15 per cent last year.
This project – expected to create 55 jobs during construction – will significantly improve the working environment and help encourage more women to participate in racing. Works across the state were informed by consultation with Victorian Jockeys Association (VJA), led by senior jockey and VJA Board Member Christine Puls. Upgrades at the clubs, will see several existing rooms extended and modernised to increase their capacity for all jockeys.
The racecourses receiving upgrades are a mix of large and smaller racecourses across the state. They include Ararat, Avoca, Bairnsdale, Benalla, Colac, Donald, Geelong, Horsham, Kilmore, Sale, Tatura, Terang and Wodonga.
Combined these clubs host 109 race meetings a year and are used by around 90 trainers and 350 horses.

The state’s annual regional road maintenance blitz has gone over and above its original target, delivering more than 1500 kilometres of rebuilding and repair works across Victoria.
From Mildura to Morwell, crews have worked tirelessly to rehabilitate, repair, and resurface some of the state’s busiest and more important transport and travel routes, including the Western Highway, Wimmera Highway, Hamilton Highway, Hume Highway, Goulburn Valley Highway, Bass Highway and Princes Highway East.
Works currently underway on the Loddon Valley, Melbourne-Lancefield Road and the Murray Valley Highway are set to wrap up shortly, signaling the end of the blitz which has swept across Victoria, guaranteeing smoother and more reliable journeys.
On top of these works, crews have also replaced more than 30,000 signs, inspected thousands bridges and culverts, mowed more than 30,000 kilometres of roadside grass and responded to hundreds of out-of-hours calls from the public.

The Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) is seeking community input into how people use and value Victoria’s mineral springs.

A new 10 -year strategic master plan is being produced for publicly accessible mineral springs to guide land managers in future planning, investment and promotion.

DELWP Land and Built Environment Regional Manager Daniel McMahon said naturally occurring mineral springs are a valuable resource and are recognised for their historical, cultural, social and economic values.

“Many people from right across Victoria visit the springs and enjoy drinking the spring waters.”

DELWP released an online survey today seeking feedback from visitors to the mineral springs reserves on:

• What people value about the mineral springs
• Which mineral springs are preferred and why
• How people know where the mineral springs are located
• How people consume, collect and store mineral water

People are encouraged to complete the survey at www.engage.vic.gov.au/mineral-springs-masterplan before July 10 2022.

The feedback will be used to inform the new master plan which will ensure mineral springs are managed holistically and that regional tourism and Traditional Owner aspirations for self- determination are supported. 

The master plan, while improving community access and safety to the springs, will not include detailed individual site planning.

The mineral springs are located on Dja Dja Wurrung, Wadawurrung, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country across the Shires of Hepburn, Moorabool, Macedon Ranges, City of Greater Geelong and Mt Alexander.

The majority of the springs are concentrated within the Central Highlands region around the Daylesford Hepburn areas.

The master plan 2023-2032 is expected to be completed by December this year.

The future of Maldon’s Porcupine Village tourist attraction has been secured with a $1.7 million investment towards the project, which will create more than 100 jobs and attract more visitors to the
Central Goldfields region.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Martin Pakula has announced that funding from the Regional Tourism Investment Fund will go towards restoration works and new accommodation, bringing Maldon’s gold rush history to life for visitors.
The restoration, which will include the school, blacksmith, and lolly shop, will provide a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the village just as it was generations ago and learn about how gold shaped Maldon and Victoria’s heritage.
The new accommodation including glamping tents and safari-style cabins at the village will help encourage visitors to stay longer and enjoy all the region has to offer.
The project will also feature a native wildlife sanctuary and a function space for school excursions.
This will link it to the Victorian school curriculum, helping children learn firsthand about the gold-rush era and the environment.
Tourism is a key contributor to the Goldfields economy, with the region attracting more than 8.1 million visitors in the year ending December 2019.

Lal Lal, meaning falling waters in Wadawurrung language, is now home to new interpretative signage, which was officially unveiled recently.
The signage is the result of collaboration between Traditional Owners, Central Highlands Water (CHW), Barwon Water and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).
Installed at the Lal Lal Reservoir viewing area, the signage features Our Country; Our Waterways, by Wadawurrung Traditional Owner, and artist, Billy-Jay O’Toole.
Lal Lal Reservoir is fed by the Lal Lal Falls via Lal Lal Creek, and also from the West Moorabool River. Lal Lal Falls is significant for the Wadawurrung People, and the Peoples of the Kulin Nation, as it is a place of story that relates to Bunjil (moiety).
CHW Executive Manager Environmental Services, Carsten Berberich, said the interpretive sign told the important First Nations history of the area while also sharing interesting information about how Lal Lal Reservoir supports our communities, and the environment, today.
“This educational installation is the positive outcome of CHW and Barwon Water working together collaboratively, with the guidance of Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and the support of DELWP.
“This piece takes our approach to signage in a new direction. It incorporates beautiful artwork and cultural heritage information to give a deeper understanding of this facility, and the area, to share with our communities and visitors,” Mr Berberich said.
Barwon Water General Manager Planning, Delivery & Environment, Seamus Butcher, said the signage project was a way to honour and increase awareness of Traditional Owner values and culture at its recreational areas.
“It’s exciting to see this sign installed at Lal Lal Reservoir, which we share with Central Highlands Water, and we look forward to having more signage installed at recreational areas at some of our other reservoirs later this year.”
“We’re grateful to Wadawurrung Traditional Owners for their generosity in sharing knowledge and providing cultural guidance on this and other projects,” Mr Butcher said.
The Barwon Water and Central Highlands Water signage projects are being supported by a grant of $50,000 from DELWP’s Recreational Values Program.
Lal Lal Reservoir background
Lal Lal Reservoir is primarily managed by Central Highlands Water. Barwon Water has an allocated share capped at 16,793 megalitres (about 28% of the reservoir’s total capacity). The Corangamite CMA holds a 7,086-megalitre share, and Central Highlands Water is allocated the remainder. Central Highlands Water coordinates releases from the reservoir at Barwon Water’s request during the warmer months (typically November to May).

Ten grassroots sport and active recreation clubs and organisations in Macedon are set to bolster their coaching skills, administration expertise, or score new sports equipment thanks to a share in more than $900,000 from the Victorian Government.
Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas has announced the successful applicants from both the Hepburn Shire and the Macedon Ranges.

The grants provide clubs up to $1000 for new uniforms and equipment, up to $5000 for training coaches, officials and volunteers, and up to $5000 to improve club operational effectiveness.
Grant recipients in Macedon are: Gisborne Giants Football Netball Club, Kyneton & District Horse & Pony Club, Macedon Cricket Club, Mt Macedon Petanque Club, Romsey Bowling Club, Trentham District Cricket Club, Macedon F.C., Kyneton District Soccer Club and Lancefield Junior Football Netball Club.
The Sporting Club Grants Program is part of the Andrews Labor Government’s commitment to make community sport and active recreation more accessible and inclusive, stimulate local economies, build sustainable sport and recreation and volunteer opportunities, and increase local participation.
Since 2014, the Program has injected over $13 million to support clubs and last year provided a valuable funding lifeline to more than 4,000 clubs last year to help them through the pandemic. For more information on the grants and a full list of recipients sport.vic.gov.au.

A new sports precinct in New Gisborne is set to give regional athletes the ultimate home advantage.

Work has officially started on the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct.

Featuring an indoor multi-sports stadium with three competition courts, the show courts will be line marked for netball and basketball, while the stadium will also be able to host badminton and volleyball.
Adjacent to the stadium, a sports oval and pavilion with female friendly change rooms will be built to support the development of local football and cricket.
Once complete, the new sporting precinct will be a boost for local clubs and their players as well as community groups to meet and develop local programs.
The project is expected to create 68 full-time jobs during construction, and another 23 jobs once fully operational.
Feasibility studies have shown a growing need for new courts and sporting fields in the area with more families moving into New Gisborne and surrounding suburbs.

Victorians are being urged to safely dispose of unwanted household chemicals with an additional $4 million funding for the Detox Your Home program.

Thanks to the funding, free local pop-up events are run in conjunction with local councils, where household chemicals such as cleaning products, fuels and flammable liquids, pool chemicals, car wax, anti-freeze, brake fluid, pesticides and herbicides can be dropped off.
There are also 30 permanent collection sites which accept household batteries and fluorescent lights.
The program is the only one of its kind in Victoria, and Victorians can attend any pop-up event, with around 40 events across the state each year.
The program has seen the safe removal of 7,000 tonnes of toxic chemicals – equivalent to the weight of 40 trams – and over 10,000 tonnes of hard-to-recycle materials from households around the state.
On average Victorians who use the program bring an average of 23kg of waste for disposal, with two thirds of people reporting they’ve had their toxic materials for over five years.
Expert chemists are on hand at every event to identify and sort the chemicals, which are then safely transported to a dedicated facility where they are processed for reuse or safe disposal. Chemicals collected are processed and recovered, recycled wherever possible, or disposed of safely.
The most common items collected at pop up events are petrol, kerosene, turpentine, cooking oils, methylated spirits, pesticides and herbicides.
Link: www.sustainability.vic.gov.au

Australia’s first offshore wind strategy, the Victorian Offshore Wind Policy Directions Paper, includes procuring projects that will generate at least 2 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind online by 2032 – enough to power 1.5 million homes – creating thousands of jobs in the process.
The government is now seeking feedback on how to develop offshore wind in the best way for all
Victorians to maximise local jobs, build local supply chains and help deliver Traditional Owner self-determination and economic independence.
Winds off Victoria’s coastline are the best in Australia and among the best in the world and the resource can support a thriving new industry − one that will create thousands of jobs, drive economic development and help Victoria halve emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Link: engage.vic.gov.au/victorias-offshore-wind-policy-directions-paper-developing-the-offshore-wind-sector.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio: “We’re leading the country on offshore wind, and our targets will create thousands of jobs, new industries and help slash our carbon emissions. We want to make sure this exciting new industry benefits all Victorians. That’s why we’re asking for their views on this Australia first strategy which will create jobs and help us achieve net-zero by 2050.