The Victorian Government has released a new campaign urging motorists to avoid complacency behind the wheel with majority of deaths on Victorian roads caused by simple errors.
Analysis of Transport Accident Commission Data has revealed that tragic judgement errors, as opposed to intentional risk taking, have played a role in around 70 per cent of Victorian road deaths since 2017.
The new TAC campaign highlights the everyday concentration lapses that people are susceptible to when driving, and how distractions can have disastrous consequences.
Last year, 128 (58 per cent) road deaths in Victoria involved a common basic error like taking a corner too wide or a concentration lapse, opposed to high-risk behaviours such as speeding, drink-driving and drug-driving.
The campaign comes as the number of fatalities on Victorian road remains above the same time last year, with 63 people having lost their lives compared to 58 in 2021.
While intentional risky behaviour like excessive speed, using a hand-held device, drink driving and drug driving rightfully remain a strong focus of the Victorian road safety strategy, everyone is being reminded that even the best drivers can be a split second away from the unthinkable happening.
Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 aims to halve the number of fatalities and reduce serious injury in the state by 2030, with long-term goal of zero deaths and serious injuries.
The latest campaign from the TAC will run across social media over the next month, and follows the extension of the hard-hitting Lucky Ones Get Caught enforcement campaign and the new confronting motorcycle safety campaign, Only Protected for a Moment.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll: “We know that all road deaths and injuries are avoidable, and it’s particularly tragic that small lapses in concentration are responsible for so much community heartache every year. Most Victorians do the right thing and don’t take risks when using the roads but if we can reduce the simple errors we are all susceptible to then we will see a rapid reduction in road trauma.”

Victorians are encouraged to nominate people who have made an outstanding contribution to making Victoria more inclusive for people with disability for this year’s Victorian Disability Awards.
The awards celebrate people and groups who work to improve accessibility, uphold the rights of people with disability and build more inclusive workplaces and communities. Nominations are now open to people with disability, family members, volunteers and people working in the sector across nine categories:
• Excellence in promoting disability pride
• Emerging leader award
• Excellence in creating inclusive communities
• Excellence in employment outcomes
• Excellence in promoting health, housing and wellbeing
• Excellence in promoting rights, fairness and safety
• Volunteer award
• Lifetime achievement honour roll
• Minister’s award for outstanding leadership
A key focus for this year’s awards is the new category ‘Excellence in promoting disability pride’, which includes calling out ableism, enhancing the voices of individuals and groups with disability and advocating to industry, government and broader society to better understand the rights of people with disability.
Last year, Maurice Gleeson OAM was inducted into the Lifetime Achievement Honour Roll for his outstanding work as President of Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria to create opportunities for people of all ages to participate in any sport or activity of their choice.
An awards ceremony will be held on August 24. Nominations are open until May 3 and can be made at
https://www.dffh.vic.gov.au/victorian-disability-awards.
Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Anthony Carbines: “If you know someone who has made an outstanding contribution to accessibility or promoting the rights of people with disability, I encourage you to nominate them. All Victorians deserve to be able to participate fully in society and these awards will recognise the achievements of the people working hard to break down the barriers for people with disability.”

In addition to building state-of-the-art theatres, a women and children’s hub and a new emergency department, the state government will boost accessibility and safety at the Ballarat Base Hospital by creating two new entrances separating emergency vehicles and the public.
Member for Western Victoria Jaala Pulford has released artist impressions of the new main entry off Sturt Street, which is being delivered as part of a $541.6 million redevelopment.
The new main entry will improve access for patients, families and emergency vehicles and deliver urgently-needed short-term parking and safe drop-off zones.
Community views have shaped the designs of the redevelopment with locals contributing more than 1,000 responses through online surveys and workshops.
The community engagement report released today highlights major priorities for the redevelopment, including more short-term carparking, more open spaces, better signage and safer access for the public.
To deliver an expanded hospital that meets future health needs, two properties on Sturt Street are in the process of being secured. This will enable the construction of a large new emergency department at ground level and address current issues around congestion and parking.
Construction of the first stage is underway, with the demolition of Eildon House and the Edward Wilson Building.
Once work is complete, the upgraded hospital will feature a new emergency department, a women and children’s hub, state-of-the-art theatre suite, expanded ICU, new endoscopy suites consulting rooms as well as an extra 100 inpatient and short stay beds.
The hospital will have the capacity to treat at least 18,000 more emergency patients, an extra 14,500 inpatients per year and boost capacity for an extra 4,000 surgeries per year, in the process creating 1,400 local constructions jobs.
Minister for Health Martin Foley: “Our $541.6 million redevelopment of Ballarat Base Hospital will mean thousands more locals will get the care they need close to home.”

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio has invited Victorians to help shape the state’s interim emissions reduction target for 2035.
In addition to playing a role in setting Victoria’s targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions between 2031 and 2035 – the first target of its kind in Australia – the community will be able to also have their say on opportunities to cut emissions and pathways to net-zero emissions.
Additionally, an online survey has been designed specifically for young people – as the section of the community who will bear the brunt of climate change and have been leading the call for action.
Ms Lily D’Ambrosio: “We’re continuing to lead when it comes to fighting climate change – we were one of the first places in the world to legislate a net zero emissions target and we are the only state in Australia to set interim targets every five years.”

Victoria has been confirmed as the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with the state’s regions set to shine on the world stage.
The announcement by the Commonwealth Games Federation comes after a period of exclusive negotiations, with Commonwealth Games Australia and the state government last month submitting a delivery concept for consideration.
It is estimated the 2026 Commonwealth Games will contribute more than $3 billion to Victoria’s economy,
creating more than 600 full-time equivalent jobs before the Games, 3,900 jobs during the Games and a further 3,000 jobs beyond the Closing Ceremony.
Victoria 2026 will be held across multiple regions, creating a new multi-city model for the Commonwealth Games.
Four regional hubs will be established in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland, each with their own athletes’ village and sport program. The regional hubs will host athletes, officials and fans following an Opening Ceremony at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, using Melbourne as the gateway to regional Victoria.
Shepparton will also host sporting and cultural events as part of Victoria 2026. There will also be a strong para sport program, with six sports already locked in.
Further work is being done with the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia to determine if additional sports will be included in the Victoria 2026 program, which may open opportunities for other locations to host events.
Victoria 2026 will also invest significantly in community infrastructure, including housing and world-class sports facilities. This will leave a legacy of affordable housing for the regions and modern sports infrastructure to encourage Victorians to get active and attract future major events.
Beyond the field of play, Victoria 2026 will feature a program of cultural and business engagement experiences that bring to life the Commonwealth Games values of humanity, equality and destiny – and embracing the state’s diversity and rich cultural history.
A Victoria-wide program of live sites and activations will ensure visitors are welcomed in every corner of the state, with the Queen’s Baton Relay to traverse the regions in the weeks leading up to the Opening Ceremony.
For more information, and to express interest in being involved, visit vic.gov.au/victoria2026.
Premier Daniel Andrews: “It’s a great honour to have Victoria chosen as the host venue for the 2026 Commonwealth Games – we can’t wait to welcome the world to all of our state. The Commonwealth Games in regional Victoria is great for jobs, hospitality and our economy.”

Concerning statistics from Kidsafe which found nine out of ten Victorian kids are not safe in the car have
promoted a call for parents and carers to make sure their child car restraints are installed correctly.
The survey of more than 9200 cars found that nine out of ten child car restraints are either incorrectly installed or used, with 51 per cent needing an adjustment and 37 per cent requiring a full re-installation.
Should a parent crash while driving, the risk of life-threatening injuries to children are up to six times greater when child car restraints are incorrectly installed or used.
To help improve safety in the car, Victorian families have access to the Safe Seats, Safe Kids program – which offers free fittings and safety checks by accredited professional child car restraint fitters.
Common incorrect installation and usage issues identified as part of the program include:
• top tether straps were twisted, connected to the wrong point or not connected to an anchor point at all
• twisted harness straps or harness straps that were at the incorrect height
• seatbelts which were threaded through the incorrect path, or were loose
• ISOFIX attachments which weren’t secured correctly
• children who had been graduated to the next stage of car restraint before they were the right size.
Kidsafe Victoria has also launched a new free online e-learning tool to help parents make their child car restraints safe. The e-learning tool offers information and advice on choosing, installing, adjusting and using child car restraints and booster seats.

Expert ecologists have given the recent Gunbower Forest wetland environmental flow the tick of approval.

Water for the environment flowed into Reedy Lagoon, the Little Reedy Complex, Black Swamp, and Little Gunbower throughout spring and early summer 2021, and was supplemented by water from the Murray River during a short period of high-river flows in October. 

These high priority wetlands were filled and some of the surrounding low-lying parts of the floodplain received water for the first time in three years.

Fire, Flood, and Flora vegetation ecologist Kate Bennetts and Wetland Revival Trust restoration ecologist Damien Cook have been monitoring the response of the wetlands to the flows, and they are excited with the preliminary results.

“Reedy Lagoon is the jewel in the floodplain crown. The wetland is full of plants and is flourishing,” Ms Bennetts said.

“It is one of the healthiest wetlands in the region and the Little Reedy Complex wetlands are supporting more wetland plants in 2022 than they have in many years.

“A rich and abundant array of native aquatic and amphibious plants emerged in and around the wetlands in spring 2021 and continued to thrive through to autumn 2022. Red gums within the inundation area were equally healthy with lush green canopies.”

Mr Cook said water for environment had resulted in excellent conditions for vegetation growth and bird breeding.

“As far as many floodplain wetlands go, some of the ones in Gunbower are about the best I have seen,” he said.

“The vegetation looks great. It has been the best year for some plant species such as yellow bladderwort, swamp lilies, and the endangered wavy marshwort for a long time. It’s the first time I have ever seen beds of eel grass in Little Reedy Lagoon.

“Birds that bred successfully included Australasian darter, little pied cormorant, Australian shelduck, grey teal, Pacific black duck, Australian wood duck, purple swamphen, azure kingfisher sacred kingfisher, peregrine falcon, white-faced heron, Australasian grebe, black swan, and the vulnerable Musk Duck.

“The successful breeding of peregrine falcons at Long Lagoon was great to see.”

Ms Bennetts said while the wetlands were doing well, they were still showing the impacts of climate change and other stressors.

“Most wetlands in Gunbower are in a recovery phase,” she said.

“They have weathered a culmination of drought, reduced natural inundation because of regulation, carp, pigs, grazing by introduced and native herbivors, sedimentation and tree encroachment, among other things.

“The rest of the forest is still dry, with the more elevated red gum areas showing signs of prolonged drought stress.”

North Central CMA Environmental Water Program Manager Anna Parker said keeping these wetlands alive in the face of climate change and a regulated system is vital.

“If these wetlands remain in a healthy condition in between larger natural floods or broader floodplain environmental flows, they act as a refuge for frogs, waterbirds and many other wetland-dependent species – including some that are threatened,” she said.

“It means the wetlands remain an important seedbank for the rest of the forest, so it can maintain its international significance and the values we all cherish and love.”

Culturally important plants were identified growing in the areas that had received water for the environment in 2021 including gukwonderuck (old man weed), an important medicinal plant.

“Ensuring there are areas of water in the landscape throughout the entire year is important for maintaining the cultural practices of the Traditional Owners, particularly ceremonial and birthing practices,” Ms Parker said.

“In a completely dry forest, these practices would need to take place elsewhere.

“When visiting Corduroy Swamp, a local elder told us the forest in that area looked and felt much healthier, and area that which has had a much greater frequency of inundation in the last decade.

“The discussion focused on how the tree canopies in the areas that received water were much thicker and provided shade, which also reduced the amount of evaporation in the wetlands.”

The North Central CMA manages environmental flows on behalf of the Victorian Environmental Water Holder. The flows are authorised by VEWH in line with its Seasonal Watering Plan 2021-22.

The Plan is available for download from www.vewh.vic.gov.au, with regular watering updates posted on the North Central CMA website www.nccma.vic.gov.au.

Bringing the world’s most important bird species back from the brink is a story that belongs on a big screen. And now it is.

The Plains-wanderer sits alone on its own branch of the evolutionary tree – it’s one of a kind, there’s literally nothing else like it in the world. 

Critically endangered and at risk of imminent extinction, the North Central CMA is working in partnership with local landholders, Trust for Nature, and Australia’s National Recovery Team for the Plains-wanderer to bring the bird back.

Funded by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program the Plains for Wanderers project aims to permanently protect and enhance Plains-wanderer habitat on the Northern Plains grasslands in Victoria, home to one of two core populations nationally.

Community education, grazing, fencing to soil type, boxthorn control, rabbit control and fox control across grasslands in north central Victoria are priority tasks to help prevent the loss of this iconic species. As well as revegetation to replace lost Plains-wanderer food plants at key public grasslands.

Other efforts to save the Plains-wanderer from extinction include increasing the bird population through a captive breeding program and identifying suitable and occupied habitat across the Northern Plains, using song meters to record Plains-wanderer calls.

All these stories have been brought together in a magnificent Plains-wanderer documentary from the Remember the Wild team.

“The film explores the uniqueness of the Plains-wanderer and the human stories of those who are saving it from extinction,” North Central CMA Project Manager Laura Chant said.

“And we want the local community to be among the first to see it.”

A special screening of the documentary will be held at the Lockington Recreation Reserve on April 27, from 6pm to 9pm.

“If the weather is friendly we’ll screen it outdoors on the scoreboard, so bring a rug or a chair and some warm clothes We’ll provide dinner from 6pm, and supper after the screening,” Ms Chant said.

The event is free and bookings are required. Go to the events section of www.nccma.vic.gov.au to RSVP by April 21.

Residents in the Macedon Ranges and surrounding communities now have better access to a range of
vital health, family and community services under one roof, after the opening of the Sunbury and
Cobaw Community Health Hub in Kyneton.
Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas has opened the $9.7 million hub, which will
serve as a specialised health and wellbeing precinct for the Macedon Ranges community.
Located next to the Kyneton District Hospital, the Hub provides a purpose-built ‘one‐stop‐shop’, which
brings together a range of health and wellbeing services coordinated by Sunbury and Cobaw
Community Health.
The Hub includes 14 consult rooms for allied health, counselling, paediatric and family services as well
as new e-health technology to provide clients in remote areas with the health care they need, when
they need it.
The site also provides dedicated areas for youth and children’s services and meeting spaces for the
community to use.
The contemporary building was designed with significant input from local community representatives
and reflects the natural and built environments of the Macedon Ranges. Its design also focused on
staff safety and amenity, with secure work and reception spaces plus additional car parking spaces.

Have you always wanted to experience the thrill and connection of singing in a choir? If so, now is
your chance!
Macedon Ranges Shire Council is offering the singing community, including all existing local choirs
and other enthusiastic singers, the opportunity to join a temporary community choir ‘The Urban Sea
Shanties’.
Under guidance from choral leader and Macedon Ranges local Andrew Price and renowned
singer/songwriter and comedian Fred Smith, participants will learn a repertoire of songs over a fourmonth period culminating in a performance at Kyneton Town Hall in September.
The Urban Sea Shanties Community Choir is a project originally conceived and presented in the City
of Kingston in 2019. Using the same artists and adopting a similar project footprint, Council will be
drawing on the project’s successes, whilst modifying to suit our local environment.
Choral leader Andrew Price encourages anyone who gets joy from singing to sign up.
“The recent COVID Recovery project ‘Sing-Park-Sing’ is proof that community choirs are popular in
our region. We have around seven known active community choirs already, so feel we have a
significant audience to draw upon for this Urban Sea Shanties Community Choir project”, he said.
Macedon Ranges Shire Mayor, Cr Jennifer Anderson, further encourages locals to sign up.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for experienced and novice singers alike to work with Andrew Price and
Fred Smith in this participatory project. We encourage all singers to join, whether you have
experience singing in a community choir, school, church group, or simply singing within the privacy of
your own four walls!”
“Everyone is welcome”, she added.
Participation in the Urban Sea Shanties Community Choir is free, and is open to people aged twelve
years and over with vaccination requirements in place for those aged eighteen and over.
A free singing workshop and sign-up day will be held at Kyneton Town Hall on Saturday 14 May from
9.30am-12.30pm.
To get involved visit: mrsc.vic.gov.au/get-involved or call Andrea on 0429 605 619 to find out more.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is excited to announce the re-launch of its Youth Engage Program
(YEP!) with two new Youth Spaces opening up in Woodend and Newham later this month.
YEP! aims to encourage young people aged 12-17 years to connect with each other, youth services
and the greater community through weekly programs, events, activities, mentoring and workplace
training across the Macedon Ranges Shire.
Later this month, two new fortnightly Youth Spaces will commence on alternating Wednesdays at the
following time and locations:
 4–6pm at the Woodend Neighbourhood House, beginning Wednesday 20 April
 4–6pm at the Newham Town Hall, beginning Wednesday 27 April
Council Youth Space Facilitator Chris Fox says he’s pleased to partner with Woodend Neighbourhood
House on the Woodend Youth Space, right next to the skate park, and encourages all young people
aged 12-17 to come along to whichever Youth Space works for them.
“These are safe and supervised spaces where all young people aged 12 to 17 are welcome”, he said.
“Entry is free with food and activities provided, plus we always have heaps of fun!”
Council’s Director Community, Maria Weiss, welcomed the new Youth Spaces.
“It’s great to see the facilitation of these new spaces opening up. The need for Youth Spaces was the
most common theme identified in the discussions between Council and young people used to inform
our ten-year youth strategy, Elevate,” she said.
“Our Youth Services team are fully committed to facilitating regular Youth Spaces as part of the
Engage funding agreements” she added.
To get involved visit: mrsc.vic.gov.au/youth-spaces or call our Youth Engage Program Officer on (03)
5422 0296 to find out more.

Zoe Hayes (22) from Girgarre, Victoria and Sam Cox (16) from Stratham, Western Australia take out young dairy cattle judging titles

Zoe Hayes (22) from Girgarre, Victoria and Sam Cox (16) from Stratham, Western Australia have taken out Australia’s top spot in the Agricultural Shows Australia young dairy cattle judging championship for 2021 and 2022 respectively, at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Agricultural Shows Australia (ASA) staged the national championships of young judges and paraders competitions with finalists from each state of Australia and New Zealand.

“Entering the dairy judging competition was something I always wanted to do when growing up, however it’s something that takes a lot of confidence. My dad is someone I grew up watching as he travelled to New Zealand and England where he was invited to judge. Being around my dad Tony Hayes and nan Gloria Hayes seeing and listening to their passion for breeding and looking at good cows is something that I have also developed a passion for, and why we show cows as a family today,” Zoe said.
 

2021 winner – Zoe Hayes (22) from Girgarre, Victoria

“I grew up and still live on a small 1 acre farm with a few cows. It wasn’t until I was about nine that I started helping out at a friend’s dairy in the calf shed. From there I became interested in the dairy industry as a whole and began showing cattle at the local shows,” Sam said.

Runner up for 2021 was Brittany Legge (24) from West Nowra, New South Wales and third was Bridget Liebelt (22) from Meadows, South Australia.

Runner up for 2022 was William Dudfield (19) from Somerset, Tasmania and third was Jerry English (20) from Malanda, Queensland.
 

2022 winner – Sam Cox (16) from Stratham, Western Australia

Judging is objective, while there are characteristics about an animal to look for, what the judges will be paying close attention to is how clearly competitors express their decision and how they validate it. A competitor’s appearance is also important and judges can mark down for poor presentation.

The national championships are held in a different location each year. This year, the Sydney Royal Easter Show, celebrating its bicentenary, is hosting the 2022 championships including the 2021 finalists who were unable to compete at Ekka due to covid cancellations.

The National judges and paraders competition brings together the best young judges and paraders aged from 15 to 25 in each state to compete at the national finals. Qualification is via success in competitive regional and state competitions.

Overall there are nine categories for judging and parading each year under the Agricultural Shows Australia national competition program: beef cattle, dairy cattle, alpaca, poultry, Merino sheep, meat breed sheep and Merino fleece judging, as well as parading competitions in beef and dairy cattle.

Dr. Rob Wilson is chairman of ASA, the peak body overseeing 572 agricultural shows in Australia which attract six million visitors annually and contribute nearly $1billion to the national economy. Rob says the competition is designed to recognise the best new talent in livestock judging nationwide.

“It’s an extremely prestigious event and positions at the nationals are keenly contested,” Dr. Wilson explains.

“These young people are the future of agricultural show competitions which are crucial to the continual improvement of Australia’s food and fibre. The national competition is a coveted opportunity to grow personally and professionally by practising skills against the cream of the crop.”

About Agricultural Shows Australia

Agricultural Shows of Australia (ASA) was established to promote the role and significance of Australian agricultural shows to the wider community. ASA’s vision is a strong and vibrant network of agricultural shows working together to engage, influence and promote the essential value of Australian agriculture. Membership of the ASA is made up of capital city Royal Agricultural Societies and state-based agricultural show bodies, together representing over 580 agricultural shows.

For more information about the competition visit https://agshowsaustralia.org.au/educational-resources/dairy-cattle-judging/ 

As the seasons change and autumn brings fresh air and an explosion of warm colour to the Victorian landscape, now is the perfect time to get outdoors and discover new experiences across the state.

From March 28 to May 31, Parks Victoria is offering visitors the chance to win a remarkable nature
experience worth up to $3000 by visiting one of 18 picturesque and lesser-known spots within the region, including Hepburn Regional Park, pictured.

Parks Victoria is challenging visitors to venture into a park they’ve never seen, discover remarkable changing scenery, and explore the unexpected. From a bubble-gum pink lake to the rare sounds of a wild lyrebird, adventure awaits around every corner.

To take part in the Parks Nature Challenge, participants must scan QR codes featured across our hand-picked parks and register their details. Every QR code scanned will count as an entry, and each entry will unlock fantastic stories, animal-scouting tips, ranger guides and information from traditional owners to enrich their current adventure.
The nominated parks include:
• Barmah National Park
• Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary
• Bunyip State Park
• Cape Liptrap Coastal Park
• Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park
• Discovery Bay Coastal Park
• Gresswell Nature Conservation Reserve
• Hepburn Regional Park
• Herring Island
• Jawbone Marine Sanctuary
• Kooyoora State Park
• Little Desert National Park
• Lochiel Lake Reserve
• Maldon Historic Area
• Mitchell River National Park
• Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary
• Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park
• Woowookarung Regional Park
Registering details will put people in the draw to win an ultimate nature experience from a licensed tour operator – from hot air ballooning to surfing, flyfishing, guided hiking, glamping and more. The lucky winner can choose from 11 amazing experiences across Victoria.
Share your adventure by tagging @parksvic and using #ParksNatureChallenge. 
Link: www.parks.vic.gov.au/explore-nature/autumn
Parks Victoria Marketing and Communications executive director Lisa Patroni said the organisation was excited to launch the Autumn Nature Challenge and give Victorians the chance to experience some of the most picturesque, little-known parks across the state.”
“Autumn is the perfect time to explore everything Victoria has to offer, and with the opportunity to win some incredible experiences in nature we hope the Nature Challenge is going to be really popular.”

The state government is delivering a place to honour those who have lost their lives to family violence
and all victim survivors who have suffered unimaginable trauma.
Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams has opened the Family Violence
Memorial at St Andrews Place Reserve alongside Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council (VSAC) Chair Jennifer Jackson.
The memorial, designed in partnership with members of VSAC and the City of Melbourne, places the stories and shared hopes of victim survivors at its centre. The memorial holds space for the lives lost, and the potential those lives held, as well as a place for hope for a future free from violence.
Family violence comes in many forms, and the memorial is a space for all, including those victims without visible scars, victims in LGBTIQ relationships, those who have suffered from elder abuse and children and young people.
Centred around a garden of purple flowers which will bloom year-round, the living space is designed to be welcoming and accessible to all, while symbolising our commitment to ending violence against women, and a shared responsibility in ending all forms of violence.
The circular seat under an English elm tree provides a quiet space for reflection. The tree is central to the design and represents the passing of time, renewal and a bright future.
A smoking vessel embedded in the memorial will facilitate Indigenous cultural practices and remind visitors of their responsibility to look after Country and community.