Tens of thousands of footballers and netballers across Victoria will pull on blue armbands this weekend – backing safer driving and honouring the lives lost on our roads.

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and AFL Victoria has launched Road Safety Round, alongside Hawthorn star and campaign ambassador Nick Watson at the MCG.

The launch was held in front of 291 blacked-out stadium seats – one for every Victorian who died on our roads last year.

Hawthorn will wear blue armbands at the MCG on Saturday, with Collingwood captain Darcy Moore also backing the campaign.

Now in its eighth year, Road Safety Round brings road safety conversations directly into more than 1,000 grassroots clubs.

This year’s campaign focus is speeding – a factor in around 30 per cent of fatal crashes and 25 per cent of serious injuries

Road Safety Round is a major initiative of the TAC and AFL Victoria’s more than 30-year partnership.

Grassroots clubs can earn up to $10,000 through the $700,000 Club Rewards Program, for being road safety leaders.

So far this year, 140 lives have been lost on Victoria’s roads – a 20 per cent reduction on the same time last year, but a reminder that more still needs to be done to keep our roads safe.

The new Youth Prevention and Recovery Care (YPARC) centre in Newington has been opened.

The free service offers specialist, around-the-clock care for young people aged 16 to 25 years.

The voluntary, referral-based service is designed to feel like a home away from home – enabling young people to access the mental health care they need, while maintaining connection to their community.

YPARCs provide early intervention and clinical care in a safe and welcoming environment – stepping in before crisis escalates and reducing the need for hospital admission.

The Ballarat YPARC includes:

• 10 private bedrooms
• shared kitchen and dining facilities
• outdoor gardens
• dedicated spaces for visits from loved ones.

Young people can continue to attend work or school, while receiving personalised treatment and support.

The service is delivered by a dedicated team of clinicians and peer-support workers who will also guide group and confidence building activities.

Around 75 per cent of mental ill health emerges before the age of 25.

Early access to support can make a significant difference to a young person’s recovery and long-term wellbeing.

YPARCs also provide care for young people in the early stages of recovery who need a short period of extra support.

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas has announced local Prep students can enter a new annual design competition for Prep Bags, starting this week.
Current Preps at Victorian public schools enter by submitting hand drawn or digitally designed artwork on this year’s theme ‘My Year of Prep’.
The winning design will feature on the front of next year’s Prep Bags.
Preps at local schools across Macedon are encouraged to put pencil to paper and enter.
The bags will be delivered to almost 52,000 Preps at over 1,300 schools on their first day of school.
Prep Bags deliver real cost-of-living relief for families and make the first day of prep extra special.
This year’s bags included five free books selected by a panel of experts, a jigsaw puzzle, colouring activities and resources to help families with the transition from kinder to school.
Preps also received a free holder for the Youth myki.
The competition runs from 16 July until 9 August 2026.
More information can be found at engage.vic.gov.au/prep-bags-2027.

Emergency services workers are exposed to traumatic events every day to keep Victorians safe.

Deputy Premier and Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC Ben Carroll today announced $2.25 million for an Australian-first partnership with the Emergency Services Foundation to help emergency workers recover from mental injury.

The Residential Wellbeing Program will help workers from Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, Triple Zero Victoria and Fire Rescue Victoria process trauma, rebuild confidence and get back to work sooner and safer.

Research shows the longer someone is off work, the less likely they are to return.

That’s why this program gets in early – with support built for emergency workers by peers who understand them.

Injured workers will step away from day-to-day pressures and recover alongside people who have lived the same experiences – something no existing service offers.

The program combines proven therapies with practical resilience skills in a safe, structured residential setting.

Expert facilitators will deliver the program, working hand-in-hand with each worker’s support network.

Twenty four programs will be delivered over two years – supporting around 160 emergency services workers.

The trial is funded through WorkSafe’s Return to Work Innovations program.

For more information visit rwp.esf.com.au.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is pleased to welcome Lisa Knight as its new Director Corporate, with her appointment commencing on Monday, 20 July.
Ms Knight brings extensive senior local government experience, having previously held director corporate and community roles at Mount Alexander Shire Council, as well as management positions at the City of Greater Bendigo and Bendigo Health.
Chief Executive Officer Bernie O’Sullivan said Ms Knight’s experience and collaborative leadership style made her an outstanding appointment.
We’re delighted to welcome Lisa to the Executive Leadership Team. She brings a wealth of experience and a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing councils in our region,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
Ms Knight said she was excited to step into the role.
“I’m honoured to be appointed Director Corporate and look forward to working with Councillors and the team to deliver great outcomes for the Macedon Ranges community,” Ms Knight said.
“I’ve worked alongside many of the Council’s staff before in our respective regional roles, so already had the opportunity to experience the passion and professionalism of the team, and I’m excited to build on that as we work together to deliver Council’s priorities.”
Council congratulates Ms Knight on her appointment and looks forward to the experience and leadership she will bring to the role.

Central Highlands Water is encouraging residents across the region to get prepared for frosty mornings ahead.
Sub-zero temperatures can create havoc for your early morning shower and cup of coffee, if a frozen water meter stops the water supply to your house. This can be even worse if the icy conditions cause your water meter to burst.
Central Highlands Water’s Coordinator – Metering & Billing, Ben Schueddekopf, is reminding our community to take a few easy steps to protect their water meter.
“As the temperature plummets, simple household items can be used to cover your traditional analog water meter to help reduce frost risk; wooden and foam boxes, carpet offcuts, towels and hessian sacks all do the trick,” Ben said.
“Those with a green thumb can also plant soft shrubs around their meter for added protection. We just ask that the meter remains easily accessible.
“If a property has a digital meter installed, the plastic top is frost resistant and offers meter protection, it needs to remain uncovered to accurately transmit data.
“The pipes extending out from your meter can still be impacted by frost and can be wrapped with thick cloth, like a towel – a section of a pool noodle also works well!
“Essentially, regardless of what type of meter you have, if you cover the metal you will add extra protection from frost,” Ben said
“For those who do have a meter freeze our most important advice is to never pour hot water on it – this can cause a burst. Ideally let it thaw naturally, or if you need to speed up the process, pour on some room temperature water,” he said.
“If a burst does happen, our Maintenance team is available 24/07 to support. Mornings of extreme frost can increase demand so wait times can potentially be longer than normal,” Ben said.
If your meter does burst, or you need to report a fault or outage, Central Highlands Water can be contacted on 1800 061 514.
Visit www.chw.net.au/protect-your-meter for more details.

More than 2500 myki-enabled buses will be progressively switched on until the bus network is completed on Sunday, 26 July. 

Tap and go will be switched on in stages on the bus network:

• From Sunday: routes in Ballarat, Bendigo, Seymour, Geelong, Traralgon, Warragul, Bacchus Marsh, Sunbury, Berwick, Cranbourne and the Yarra Valley.
• By 26 July: all bus routes across Melbourne.

Following this rollout, passengers at every myki enabled train station, tram and bus will be able to tap on and travel using a bank card, smartphone or smartwatch.

While the roll out is underway, passengers should look for a Visa or Mastercard logo on the bus ticket reader to see if they can use tap and go payment for their journey.

Passengers should continue to have their myki available in case their bus is not yet switched on for tap and go payments.

Passengers connecting between bus services should continue to use myki until the bus network rollout is complete.

More than 2.3 million tap and go trips have been taken since trials began in March.

Station staff will be on hand to help passengers as the rollout continues.

Concession passengers, seniors and those under 18 should continue using their concession or free Youth myki.

Passengers who prefer to use their myki can continue to do so.

To learn more about tap and go, visit transport.vic.gov.au/tickets-and-myki/contactless-payments

The first accredited, long-form qualification delivered through Melbourne Polytechnic’s Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence has been launched.

The Certificate III in Prefabrication Installation will train students for careers building prefabricated homes.

Students will receive hands-on training and flexible blended learning.

These skills are needed to work with modern methods of construction (MMC).

Modular housing is built off-site, then transported and assembled quickly on location, delivering quality homes faster and cheaper.

The qualification was developed in consultation with industry through the Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence.

It will be hosted at Melbourne Polytechnic’s Heidelberg West campus.

The Centre of Excellence is a national hub for training, research and innovation across Australia’s building industry.

Victoria is already home to more than 200 companies specialising in MMC, spanning design, manufacturing, transport, assembly and installation.

Alongside the new Certificate III qualification, the Centre of Excellence is already delivering four industry-designed short courses.

These help existing workers and businesses adopt modern methods of construction.

The $50 million Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence is jointly funded by the federal and state governments.

To find out more about national TAFE Centres of Excellence, visit vic.gov.au/national-tafe-centres-excellence

Leading the nation in cardiac arrest survival, Victorians can boast that their paramedics are among the best in the world.

Whether in the city, bush, snow or at sea, Ambulance Victoria’s range of highly skilled paramedics are equipped to respond to all emergencies, providing world-leading out of hospital emergency care to those who need it.

Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedics form the backbone of Ambulance Victoria’s clinical response, delivering emergency and community-based healthcare across the state. They work alongside specialist Mo-bile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics who provide advanced critical care for patients experiencing major trauma, cardiac arrest, heart attacks and other life-threatening medical emergencies.

Air Ambulance Victoria’s fleet of helicopters and fixed-wing planes extend this care across the state through specialist ALS and MICA Flight paramedics who are trained to perform retrievals in the most remote and hard to reach locations, so patients in regional and remote areas can access high-quality critical care regardless of location.

Ambulance Victoria’s broader paramedic workforce also includes specialist communications, wilderness, motorcycle and bicycle paramedics, along with clinical leaders, educators, researchers and managers who support safe, evidence-based patient care.

This Thank a Paramedic Day (24 July), Ambulance Victoria is recognising all the hardworking paramedics across our state who demonstrate extraordinary skill, compassion and resilience each day.

“From metropolitan Melbourne to regional and rural communities, Ambulance Victoria has a workforce of nearly 6000 dedicated and passionate paramedics,” Ambulance Victoria Director Paramedicine A/Prof Ben Meadley said.

“Whether responding to life-threatening emergencies, caring for critically ill and injured patients, or helping people navigate complex health needs, our paramedics play a vital role in the Victorian health system.

“Our paramedics choose this career because they want to make a difference in their communities and care for people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

“While we never expect to be thanked for the job we do, days like Thank a Paramedic Day are a wonderful opportunity to connect with the community we serve.”

Thank a Paramedic Day is an annual event in Victoria to acknowledge and appreciate the dedication and service of paramedics across the state and the crucial role they play in providing pre-hospital emergency healthcare.

Victorians wanting to show their support this Thank a Paramedic Day can make a donation to their local Ambulance Victoria Auxiliary or via the Ambulance Victoria website.

Victorians have been showing their support for our paramedics for decades, through a network of more than 40 Ambulance Victoria Auxiliaries who work tirelessly to support their local paramedics and ambulance branches.

From the first auxiliary in Maryborough, which began in 1918 and is still going strong, to our more recent auxiliaries through Gippsland, Grampians, Hume, Loddon Mallee and the Metropolitan region – seeing the gratitude of our community through their volunteer efforts and community donations not only contributes to improved community care, but sends a great message of thanks to our frontline clinical workforce.

Every contribution, big or small, goes towards investing in advanced training tools, specialised equipment and resources which help Ambulance Victoria’s paramedics and first responders provide Best Care to communities – and continue to give Victorians access to one of the best ambulance services in the world.

Sports Central and FedUni WestVic Academy of Sport are proud to be launching the Central Highlands Coaches Collective. Taking place on Wednesday, July 22 at Federation University’s Mount Helen Campus, the Central Highlands Coaches Collective seeks to bring together current and aspiring coaches and leaders from the Central Highlands region.
An insightful evening to be held at Fed Uni’s Geoffrey Blainey Auditorium, the evening will feature keynote speakers who are Australian legends of their sporting fields:
– Hannah Every-Hall OLY, GM High Performance at the Victorian Institute of Sport, former Australian Rower, world champion and Olympian;
– Brad Dubberley, Former Australian Wheelchair Rugby Head Coach and Paralympic Athlete; and
– Mick Malthouse, Australian Rules player and premiership coach as well as Ballarat native.
Each will bring their insights on coaching, teams, leadership, resilience & mental health.
Executive Manager of Sports Central, Michael Flynn, said: “This event captures the very essence of what Sports Central is all about: supporting all clubs and associations across the Central Highlands to be the best they can be. Encouraging participation and leadership through sport by promoting welcoming and inclusive opportunities for all to socially connect, grow, play and compete. On the 22nd July, our Central Highlands community are warmly invited to come together to gather inspiration from the greats.”
CEO of FedUni WestVic Academy of Sport, Scott Allison, strongly agreed and added: “We value our partnerships with organisations (such as Sports Central), coaches, health
professionals and facilities across the western region of Victoria. The Coaches Collective will bring all of these players together and the launch will be just the beginning of what is planned to be an ongoing opportunity for our region’s sporting network to learn and growing together. By bringing legends of sport to our region, we hope to inspire, motivate and empower our Central Highlands’ sporting leaders, now and into the future.”
Hosted by Federation University’s Head of Discipline, Exercise and Sports Science, Rob Aughey, the evening will kick off at 6pm at the Geoffrey Blainey Auditorium, Building C, Federation University, Chancellor Drive, Mount Helen. After the launch, refreshments and a networking opportunity will allow attendees to connect face-to-face with each other and the speakers.
The launch is free to attend however bookings are essential due to limited seating. Bookings can be made via this link: https://shorturl.at/23IMi
Free parking is available nearby, and free accessible car parks are located close to the venue.

Agriculture Victoria is calling on the next generation of farmers to apply for the Young Farmers Upskill and Invest Scholarship, with applications now open for 2026.

The scholarship offers up to $10,000 per recipient, supporting young farmers and farm workers to build skills and invest directly in their businesses.

Participants can access:

• up to $5,000 for study or training, and
• up to $5,000 to put new skills into practice, including professional development, business planning or on-farm improvements.

Since the program began in 2015, 146 young farmers across Victoria have been supported to develop practical skills, strengthen their businesses and drive innovation on-farm.

Agriculture Victoria CEO Beth Jones said the program is a key investment in the future capability of Victoria’s agriculture sector.

‘These scholarships are about empowering the next generation of farmers with the skills, confidence and tools they need to innovate, adapt and lead in a changing industry.’

‘When young farmers build new skills and put them into practice, it drives innovation, strengthens farm businesses and delivers benefits for communities across Victoria.’ said Ms Jones.

The program is designed to be flexible and tailored, recognising the diverse aspirations and pressures facing young farmers and enabling them to pursue training that directly supports their business goals.

Among the 2025 scholarship recipients is Kerstin Jarvis, a fourth-generation beef farmer in north-east Victoria, who is focused on improving livestock productivity through data and nutrition.

Kerstin is building advanced knowledge in livestock nutrition through specialist training, while investing in digital farm management software and weigh scales to better monitor animal performance and inform real-time decisions.

In Victoria’s apiculture industry, Keely McDonald is strengthening queen bee breeding capability to improve hive productivity and resilience.

Through the scholarship, Keely is undertaking specialised training in queen bee artificial insemination and farm tourism, alongside investments in equipment to enable controlled breeding and support disease resistance, contributing to long-term pollination capacity and food security.

These examples highlight how the scholarship supports practical, on-farm outcomes, helping young producers translate learning into measurable improvements.

Applications for the 2026 Young Farmers Upskill and Invest Scholarship are now open and close at 5pm on 14 August 2026.

For more information and to apply, visit the Young Farmers Scholarships page.

Clem Sturmfels, Land Management Extension Officer

Damp, cool conditions and shorter days are an ideal time to relax in front of the fire and consider changes that might make your farm easier to manage during seasonal uncertainty, drought or planning for future seasons.

Changes might include, upgrading your water supply, installing a stock containment area or changing your business model. All of these can be expensive, time consuming and not without risk. Developing a strategy requires careful planning.

Like any changes on the farm, the starting point in developing a strategy involves having a clear vision of what you want your farm to look like in the future. Sitting down with your family, discussing and agreeing on a vision and set of goals is an important first step. This can be a challenging and confronting process, particularly when multiple generations are involved. Asking a third party to act as a mediator can be a great help.

An honest assessment of your financial position will aid in decision making, even if that results in you seeking outside employment, contracting, setting up an alternate business model or transitioning out of farming entirely. A good understanding of the risks to your business is critical when making this assessment. How often has drought affected your farm, what was its impact, when is it likely to happen again? What are the other risks associated with running your business?

Writing stuff down is important, as it encourages everyone to share their ideas and reflect on others’ points of view. It doesn’t need to be fancy, a simple list of dot points noted on piece of paper, on the fridge or a nearby window is all that is needed. Drawing a simple picture of the future farm is another good option.

Having a large, laminated farm map can be an enormous aid in this process. It can be used to plan out a new layout, locate laneways, locate new dams and design water reticulation systems. Using erasable marker pens means various alternatives can be considered, altered or erased. Taking photos of your map can be a useful way to record your various ideas

There is no right or wrong way to prepare for seasonal uncertainty and drought every farm is different. For some farmers, protecting pastures and maintaining ground cover is the main priority. For others, it may be maintaining their breeding stock or cash flow.

Possible strategies to improve your drought resilience could include:

• increasing on-farm fodder storage of grain, hay, straw and silage
• upgrading your farm water supply
• investing in Farm Management Deposits
• commencing or increasing the trading side of your business
• sowing drought tolerant pastures
• installing a stock containment area.

The last strategy, installing a stock containment area (SCA) has been embraced by farmers across Victoria who have found SCA’s a great way to make better use of fodder reserves, speed up feeding, reduce stress and protect soils and pasture from overgrazing.

Many of these strategies are covered in the Farm Business Resilience (FBR) Program which supports farmers to develop the knowledge and skills they need to improve their farm business and be better equipped to manage the impacts of drought and a changing climate. The program is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Victorian Government’s Future Agriculture Skills Capacity Fund.

Farmers across all agriculture sectors can express their interest in the FBR program by visiting the Farm Business Resilience Program web page.

For more information about drought support available visit the Drought support page or call 136 186.

Victorian farmers are encouraged to access support as they recover from drought and plan for the seasons ahead.

Agriculture Victoria Executive Director Dougal Purcell said recovery is not the same for every farm, with each business facing its own circumstances and timeline. Many farmers are also continuing to manage seasonal uncertainty and financial pressures.

‘We are supporting farmers to stabilise, rebuild and make practical decisions that strengthen their businesses over time.

‘The Drought Support Package continues to provide financial, technical and wellbeing support to farmers as we move into recovery from this drought. ‘We encourage farmers who haven’t taken up support yet to explore what is available to assist their business into the future,’ Mr Purcell said.

Eligible farmers can access Farm Drought Support Grants of up to $5,000 to help with drought recovery and preparedness activities.

To date, more than 6,600 farmers have used these grants to invest in on-farm infrastructure upgrades including pipes, tanks, troughs and dams, stock containment areas, grain and fodder storage and pasture re-establishment.

More than 1,500 farmers have also utilised a free one-on-one session through the Farm Advisory Service, meeting with consultants to support their business decision making.

‘This is an opportunity to invest now in upgrades and improvements to your farm business and to set you up for the best possible response to future environmental changes and challenges’, Mr Purcell said.

These key supports will be available until 30 September 2026 or until funds run out, whichever comes first.

Wellbeing Counsellors are working alongside the Rural Financial Counselling Service and will continue supporting farmers and their families across Victoria until December 2027.

To view the full range of financial, technical and wellbeing support available to drought-impacted farmers visit the Drought support page or phone 136 186.

Seen sick or dead birds or wildlife? Avoid. Record. Report

H5 bird flu has not been detected in Victoria, but community reports play an important role in helping us monitor for signs of disease.

Each report DEECA receives is reviewed and assessed using information such as the species, number of birds affected, location and disease risk.

Not all reports will lead to an investigation, collection or testing. Where further action is needed, we may contact you for more information or arrange collection and testing.

If you see sick or dead birds or wildlife, avoid contact, record its exact location and report it online or call 1800 675 888.

You can also view reports on our online map and follow surveillance activity across the state.

Well here I am again penning another article for you, the reader, to enjoy…
This time I’ll be featuring five plants with scented foliage for the garden and listing several others you might like to try and track down.

1. Backhousia citriodora (lemon-scented myrtle) is a medium to large tree that belongs to the botanical family of myrtaceae (think bottlebrushes, eucalypts and tea-trees) and has highly scented leaves which may be used in teas, syrups and sauces etc. The essential oil distilled from the leaves has a strong lemony aroma.
As you can see from the image it also has large heads of attractive bee-attracting white flowers. One important thing to note is this species is only tolerant of light frosts so best planted in a sheltered spot in the garden.

2. Citrus hystrix (kaffir lime) is a small tree prized for its amazingly powerful scented foliage that is a must for dishes such as authentic curries and the like. My tree growing in Hepburn is in the open and seems to retain a healthy green colour all year round – the image posted here shows the intense purple-tinged emerging leaves which are an ornamental bonus. Like all citrus they respond well to regular fertilising.

3. Drimys winteri (winter’s bark) is also a small tree not well known in cultivation that originates from the forests of Argentina and Chile and was first discovered by John Wynter (the captain of the ship Elizabeth) in 1578 when he went ashore while sailing through the Strait of Magellan.
The almost fleshy leaves of this species have a peppery fragrance when crushed and both the bark and leaves can be distilled to make an essential oil. The image shows not only the attractive foliage but maturing fruits.

4. Illicium anisatum (Japanese star anise) is usually seen growing as a medium-sized shrub which sports highly fragrant leaves that smell like somewhere between aniseed and cardamon. Interestingly, Japanese Buddhists revere this plant as its leaves are a natural insect repellent. The primitive-like flowers seen in the image are certainly a bonus and although rare in gardens I think it’s worth having a go.

5. Laurus nobilis (bay tree) is included in my list not so much for its famous scented leaves used for a variety of culinary purposes but for the gorgeous display of yellowish flowers (see image) that stay in bud for what seems like forever, before relinquishing to the onslaught of spring weather.
Long cultivated, this densely foliaged tree can be planted as a specimen or hedge and will tolerate a wide range of climatic conditions.

Here are some more species with scented foliage to consider planting: Agonis flexuosa (willow myrtle), Corymbia citriodora (lemon-scented gum), Darwinia citriodora (lemon-scented darwinia), leptospermum petersonii (lemon-scented teatree), Pelargonium tomentosum (peppermint-scented geranium), prostanthera spp. (mint bush) and, of course, the classics such as basil, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme and, for Asian cuisine, Vietnamese hot mint.
So here endeth the lesson as they say…and it’s nice to hear that many botanic gardens around the world are creating sensory gardens to encourage awareness of the importance of the cultivation of scented foliage plants for both culinary and medicinal needs.

Cheers John Beetham (Trading as Trees in Australia | 0418 375 708)

Next time: Ornamental fruiting plants for the garden.

Scan the QR code for JB’s instagram post.