CEO Evan King said the State Government’s Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package aimed to make outdoor dining safe, practical and a reality.
“Under the State Government package, our local businesses can apply for grants up to $5000 to help them buy the things they need to be able to expand or create outdoor eating areas. This will help them meet the requirements around customer limits and physical distancing.
“Rural councils are eligible for up to $250,000 to help cover the costs of fee waivers and invest in any infrastructure like lighting or streetscaping to make outdoor dining safe and welcoming and we will be making the most of this funding source.
“I expect we will see some creative use of public space – not just footpaths and parks becoming outdoor dining areas but also full or partial road closures at times to allow for both outdoor dining and safe movement of pedestrians.”
At last week’s council meeting, Hepburn Shire Council committed to waiving a range of fees to further support local businesses.
Mr King said this was great news for local business owners, many of whom had struggled so hard to stay afloat during the pandemic.
“With the easing of restrictions allowing regional Victorians to travel again, we can expect our wonderful restaurants, bars and cafes to attract not only our residents keen to support their favourite establishments, but visitors as well.”
Council will completely waive the following fees and charges for 2020/2021 to assist businesses in the transition to predominantly outdoor seated service as part of Regional Victoria’s roadmap for reopening: outdoor dining permits; A-frame signage; table and two chairs; goods for display or sale; and wind barriers. Council will provide a 50 per cent discount to fees and charges for the renewal of registrations.
“Our staff are talking to businesses across the shire to make sure we can slash through any red tape that might be in the way and get our economy moving again,” Mr King said.
Details: Council’s economic development team on business@hepburn.vic.gov.au or 5348 2306.

Butch sells his models from around $100 but said the price was “a feather in my cap – not financially though” and wished the seller good luck.
The piece was bought from him about 18 months ago and while he was pretty sure he knew the identity of the buyer, he preferred not to say.
Butch said he became aware of the sale after someone saw the August 13 Leonard Joel Facebook post and thought it was one of his models.
“Good luck to him, he did well, and he did pay me what I asked for it, although I thought he wanted it for himself at the time. When I saw it was sold, I thought maybe someone wealthy had bought it for the Glenlyon Progress. But a lady also posted that they would have liked it for Glenlyon but they couldn’t afford that price. I tried to get in touch, because I have another one here, but they never called back. But she could have had the one I have for a hell of a lot cheaper than $600.”
While Butch’s popular front yard store, just up and over from the Hepburn General Store, is closed for a while, he is still making models although his popular bush walking stick days may be over with a second hip operation looming once elective surgery is up and running again.
“My legs are buggered so I can’t get any sticks at the moment, which is a real shame, because I enjoyed going out and getting them.”
Butch said all up he has made more than 200 models, using both timber and stone, some made to requests from proud home and building owners. There are about 30 tucked away at Cricket Willow in Shepherds Flat and about 18 at the Daylesford & District Museum. The very first came about as he stood in his driveway and looked over at the Macaroni Factory.
“I thought, I am going to make a bloody model of that old joint there. And that was the start. It all started with the Macaroni Factory.”
Butch said the time spent, and cost of the models, varied according to size, weather conditions and his own motivation. Some smaller ones could be completed in a day – if it wasn’t “stinking freezing and the glue won’t go off” while others with lots of detail, could take up to four days.
Making things is a long away from Butch’s career which saw him working with explosives in Deer Park. Rather than timber and stone and glue, his trade was all about mine detonators and, in those days, dynamite. He says there were a couple of frightening moments but “let’s just say no damage anyway”.
And while Butch and his wife Fay wait out COVID to get back to a more normal life they will celebrate his 78th birthday on Sunday, September 20. Happy Birthday!

Now for years, I have pre-washed the gunk off the pots, pans and plates but since this advert hit our screens, Donna has taken it upon herself to ban the pre-wash. She does scrap the contents into the food waste, but there is always something left stuck on the dishes.
And over the past few weeks, I have noticed the decline in cleanliness. It started with the wine glasses being a little foggy, and then small grains of food appeared, followed by the plates not having that same freshly washed sparkle. I think the trouble is that we are all eating at home more, doing a lot more experimental cooking and using ingredients that perhaps pre-pandemic never made it into the mix.
So I did some investigation on the offending appliance which led me directly to its filter, which was filthy. That got my full attention so I then ran the dishwashing apparatus through a small cycle and it suddenly stopped with a long intermittent beeping siren, sounding like I had just broken into a bonded warehouse on the docks.
I then turned to Google to try and decipher this particular fault code which turned out to be a blockage. Further investigations led me to discover three straws logged in the trap which was blocking the waterflow from the pump. Problem solved I thought.
The next day, laden with a plethora of plates covered with the residue of several speculative menu items from the night before’s festivities, I cranked the beast into life, waiting with bated breath for the one hour and 42-minute cycle to sparkle my dishes.
This was only met with disappointment, as I opened up the treasure chest of platters to once again reveal spotted glassware and dishes. At this point I declared war and did something completely foreign to me, I reached for the instruction manual.
I was delighted to find many other things can go wrong with these mystical dish cleaners, and better yet, the arms can also be removed and cleaned. That’s when I found huge lemon pips and lots of anaemic-looking enoki mushrooms hanging from the holes on the arms where the water usually comes out.
After a scrubbing session that felt like I was water blasting a large mining vehicle, I finally pressed my dishwasher back into service and it now spits out sparkling clean dishes just like on the picture of the dishwasher tablet packet. But really, the curious thing is how the straws and pips and enoki mushroom ended up in there. We’ve had none in the house for many months. Rinse your plate, rant over…

Jenny, or Mrs Morrison as I should call her, or maybe The First Lady, was on the news last week telling people to make sure they kept up their health checks. It was part of Women’s Health Week so a bit slanted towards the ladies. Well, women. Anyway, I am going to use this spot here to broaden the message. Make sure you keep all your health checks happening.
Yes, it is pretty easy to let them slide. I mean, coronavirus, what better excuse to put off your pap smear or your skin check. It used to be “I have a bit of a cold, better stay home” but no-one has colds anymore because we all wear masks and keep our distance. Even if you did manage to get a cold you can’t be outside anyway. Coughing is a sin, as is sneezing. There is only one OK way to expel air from the body and that’s farting. Although, with those sewer checks happening…
Anyway, back to checks. Yes, it would be easy to put them off because you don’t want to go where sick people hang out – doctors’ surgeries, hospitals etc. But if you think about it clearly, where would you rather be, your local supermarket, or your doctor’s? At least the latter knows hygiene. (Sorry, I know supermarket staff are working hard but you can’t stop shopper stupidity. I buy the weekend newspapers and when I take them home I Glen 20 the hell out of the cover and the back. Surely the only places anyone could have touched. Well, that theory went out the window last weekend when I watched a woman thumb through the first 15 or so pages of the Herald Sun and then walk off – leaving the paper on the stand! WTF? And don’t get me started on people fondling fruit.)
Sorry, honestly back to checks this time. For some reason 2020 was my time for everything so during this pandemic I have had a pap test (don’t have to go back for five years), a mammogram (all clear), skin check (no worries), an asthma clinic (under such good control the doctor said maybe go off the preventer and see how that works out – but seeing coronavirus could be a tad annoying for those with respiratory complaints I let that through to the keeper) and a colonoscopy (see you in five years too).
OK, being honest, I did put off the colonoscopy for a few months when everything was, you know, hitting the fan, but decided to bite the bullet, and it happened between the two lockdowns. I was going to leave it longer but thought that it would be pretty sad to survive this pandemic and then get knocked off by something that a simple check would have avoided. I guess that’s the thought all the time really.
We are very lucky to live in a country where so many checks and balances keep us healthy and upright. So, if you can, take up the offer. Sure, they can be a bit inconvenient and a little worrying but I tell you what, when you get the all clear from the colonoscopy and then you get those dainty sandwiches, after what seems like an eternity of fasting, it is worth it.
Oh, last bit. Thanks for the calls over the past weeks, especially from the person who I have not talked to for about 13 years saying they were just up for a chat, wondering if I am standing for council. No, I am not. But all the best to those who are. Let the games begin.
And finally, Happy Birthday to Don Breen for his 80th on Wednesday, September 16. Have a great day! And a beer or two. Just sayin’…

If you put a spoonful of garden soil under a microscope you would find it contains millions of living organisms and particles of minerals that have taken thousands of years to form.
If plants grow well in that soil it could mean that at least 15 elements have been freed in precise amounts to support plant growth.
Soil fertility is complex and because one soil type grows one particular type of plant to perfection, it doesn’t necessarily make it right for other plant families.
Soil is basically made up of two major ingredients: mineral matter, varying from microscopic clay particles to gravel, and humus – the decayed or dead remains of plant or animal life.
Usually, the top 30cm or so of soil contains the innumerable millions of organisms that convert the fundamental ingredients into the fertile, or infertile, blend we know as soil.
To be fertile it must contain sufficient sources and reserves of the most important elements for plant growth especially nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. But to become useful to plants they must become soluble, dissolving a little at a time into the water in the soil. This is performed primarily by useful soil organisms, each with its own specific duties and all drawing energy from the soil and living in a fiercely competitive world that usually prevents one group monopolising all others.
Another fertility factor is the way in which the soil particles cling together. Where plenty of humus is present, the minute clay particles unite in small nodules that allow ready drainage of surplus water and permit free movement of air. This factor is most important to healthy and strong plant growth and rapid establishment of healthy, young feed roots.
Heavy clay soils usually result in oxygen starvation, reduced solubility of important plant nutrients and subsequent destruction of desirable soil organisms. Under these conditions unwanted organisms soon get the upper hand, causing the plants to become weakened and diseased.
On the other hand, open sandy soil consists solely of large granules. Without this the soil suffers from water loss and the leeching of plant foods down and away from hungry and parched root systems. Obviously a suitably high organic content is important for any soil type, so make sure your garden soil is well stocked by regular mulching with an organic mulch material. Flower and vegetable beds should be well-worked between plantings with well-rotted organic compost or animal manure.
Poor soil can be made to produce good crops of perennials, flowers and vegetables by the careful use of manures and fertilisers. On most soils nutrients must be used for each succeeding crop if fertility is to be kept up, but it often takes several seasons to bring the ground to top condition.
Animal manures of all types are most useful in providing not only nutrients for the current crop but a surplus for future ones as well. One of the features of animal and other organic manures is that the nutrients remain available to the plants over a long period and so can keep them growing throughout the whole time the crop is in the ground. Often, however, animal manures may not be as well balanced as could be desired, being rich in nitrogen for producing strong leaf growth, but low in phosphate so necessary for producing strong root systems.
Better results are usually obtained from a mix of animal manures and fertilisers. Fertilisers usually provide their nutrients immediately, so where they are to be used together, the animal manure is best dug in several weeks before planting. That is except in the case of slow-release fertilisers, which do not burn the plants, and can be worked into the soil around the hole where the new plant is to go. Fertilisers should generally be applied after planting when the plants have had sufficient to time become established.

Got a gardening question? Ask Glen. Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

“I have been really busy but I need more landlords to rent their houses with us so we can service the enquiry. Before COVID hit, I had a lot of properties that were under $300 per week and I had four left on the market at around the late $300 per week.
“Now we have none. Everything that goes on the market is immediately snapped up and although not officially, anecdotally the rental returns have increased by around 30 per cent since the beginning of the year in the town.
“I came back from leave on March 30 and expected to have nothing to do but it was just insane. It was just crazy busy. I’ve got one property in Creswick available at the moment and those tenants vacate next week. The enquiry on that has just been over the top, I can’t keep up. And it’s people from Melbourne, Ballarat and Bendigo. They all just want to move this way.”
Melissa said on the commercial side of things, she had had two lots of interest recently in a Creswick building. The former Pascoe’s hardware shop and residence is being developed into a business hub for Creswick with 10 spaces of which three are leased and with plenty of interest in the others. This building has been sitting on the market for a while and didn’t really have a lot of enquiry but now people calling almost every day.
“Over in Clunes, I have leased another commercial space that is going to be a massage and healing business, which will be great for the town. Although there are restrictions now, people are looking to next year, trying to figure out what sort of business they could run in the Central Highlands, so they can make the move.
“Even my husband, who said he never wanted to move to the country and has been commuting from our Bacchus Marsh home to the city for work, has discovered he doesn’t have to be at work every day and we are now considering moving back up here, where I am originally from.”
This is the fourth in a series of features on what’s happening with real estate in the Central Highlands.

Mr Wroe said he, other regional tourism leaders, shire CEOs and the Minister for Tourism Martin Pakula had met last Thursday.
“Apart from little hot spots, regional Victoria is almost entirely free of COVID, or has quite good case numbers. The rolling average is down to five which is the target.”
Mr Wroe said while Melbourne would remain locked down, he believed there was “sufficient pent-up demand” that the opening of the regions would be a real boost to the visitor economy.
He said DMT was ready to roll out a social media campaign targeting key regional areas to get as much visitation as possible. “Hepburn Shire is super reliant on tourism, almost more so than any other region in Victoria, and in terms of visitor/resident ratio we are second only to Phillip Island.”
But while life will not return to normal for some time, Mr Wroe believes the region is well set to pick up once restrictions are further eased and eventually Melbourne is also opened up.
“We have a really strong regional brand and have always said this is the place for indulgence, fantastic food and wine, great local produce and fantastic natural assets. That is what we have been promoting as our regional brand forever and our proximity to Melbourne means we are in the best position to benefit from the bounce back.
“I expect we will have this flood of visitation coming in from the regions and then out of Melbourne, giving us really strong visitation for two or three months. It will dissipate after that, because we are probably moving into some fairly tough economic conditions, but we have a big campaign planned to prop that demand up.
“Obviously, we are always super mindful of the feeling of vulnerability among the community and while I am being bullish about visitation, it is always done with safety considerations in mind. I think it is a mix of good management by Hepburn Shire Council, health services and Victoria Police that we have only ever had two cases in Hepburn Shire and they were months ago. That demonstrates to me that even with a huge amount of visitation, if done properly, you can manage the risk of transmission.”
Hepburn Shire Council CEO Evan King said there was a real balance between businesses desperately needing tourists to return and having that happen in a safe way.
“I think our businesses did a fantastic job last time we came out of restrictions. We had a pretty significant influx of people and there were some challenges with people queuing and milling outside shops, but that’s probably because the shops were doing such a good job following the right protocols. People also need to take responsibility for themselves as well. If you are from Melbourne and you don’t feel well, don’t come up because you are not welcome.”
Mr King said the council wanted to work with businesses and support them as they re-opened. “There are a whole lot of options around that and closing main streets (for larger outdoor dining areas) is one of those under consideration. But we want to be guided by the businesses themselves. We have set up a Business Taskforce and part of that was to get direct feedback on how we can support businesses and come out of COVID-19 and encourage safe tourism at the same time.”
Mr King said opening up regional Victoria as the first step of the state’s roadmap was a good move and would see a gradual increase in trade that was relatively safe.
“Metro Melbourne won’t be able to travel until the numbers are also at a really safe level and when they can travel there are a whole range of things we need to do, working with businesses, to make sure it’s safe.”
Daylesford Hotel co-owner Anne-Marie Banting said while she was optimistic that when the regions and eventually Melbourne re-opened, the tourists would return and business would start to recover, it had been a terrible time for hospitality.
“At the moment we can’t do outside dining because the weather is so hit and miss at this time of year but looking to the future when we get good sunny days we can open up the beer garden and the verandah and the front which gives us a fair amount of people even with the four-metre rule.

“And once Melbourne is allowed to visit I think we will have a really good boost.”
Ms Banting said while she agreed with Dan Andrews’ second lockdown for safety’s sake, it was killing hospitality businesses.
“We are all just bleeding and mental health is not great to be honest. But one thing we are lucky to have is our good mates in Daylesford. We all stick together, we all post and share to each other, we all ring each other. We don’t eat out a lot because I love to cook but we spend money at Jen’s (Wine and Cheese Merchant), Hepburn General Store, Harry’s, we have had terrific pizza from Beppe, we get our supplies from Tonna’s, Wombat bread from Lakehouse…we don’t need to shop anywhere else, because we’ve got everything we need right here.”
Meanwhile, in response to a query from The Local about the way forward for Macedon Ranges Shire, a media release said playgrounds will open from Monday, September 14 and the shires’ libraries will be able to offer a ‘Click and Collect’ service.
Outdoor pools can also open from Monday but are not ready for use and will remain closed, the release said.
“Council will look to reopen other community facilities in line with government advice and following appropriate risk assessment processes. Restrictions will be in place as appropriate to ensure the health and safety of the community.”

Words: Donna Kelly

The pair, who have been wearing masks and gloves long before anything was mandated, have been kept more than just busy, with many businesses pivoting to operating online and many people at home shopping online.
And social distancing means it all takes that little extra time.
But customers have been appreciating the service.
“I’d like to nominate the guys at the Daylesford Post Office. These two have been working tirelessly, always cheerful and helpful even when the parcels are piling up around their ears, which they often are. Their load has been huge, but nothing is ever a problem.
“I reckon they are Legends of Lockdown.”
Another wrote: “Daylesford Post Office is a real lifeline during these days of lockdown. My business is now purely online and my sales all happen through the post office.
“The guys there have been great, offering advice on the best way to send my products, and always have a smile and a personal greeting.
“They are also very safety conscious and always checking they have the right number of people inside, which is difficult when people pop around corners to address envelopes or sometimes come in the back way. Well done to them both, legends for sure.”

Julie spends her time in a consultative role, applying her knowledge of book-keeping and payroll administration including reconciliation in preparation for BAS lodgements.
Julie is formally qualified in business and administration and proficient in both MYOB and Xero software and is also well qualified to manage a small team of workers.
Julie, and husband Phil, could be found volunteering at the Trentham Bowling Club barbeque (pre-COVID) on most Friday nights and she is also a keen golfer. Both are activities she is keen to return to once the lockdown is lifted.
Julie has been working in her own business for five and a half years and is a “true local, being a fourth-generation Central Highlander” and has lived around the area all her life.
“The house I was born in in Little Hampton is still there and I reckon living here for so long makes me a great networker too, as I know how and where to get most things done.”
Julie offers a one-stop, professional, city-style back-office service with welcoming country service and price.
See Julie’s advert in The Local’s trade pages.

Anyway, when the weather came on, Dad would bellow for us kids to shut up and then quickly direct one of us to adjust the aerial on top of the TV to minimise the rolling of the screen and adjust the fuzziness.
After all, Dad was a fisherman and you lived and died by the weather. He would mumble as the isobars and forecasts were reported and always talk about his deliberations after the weather was over, and how he knew that the strong northerly would create sloppy seas and bring the snapper closer to shore.
Fast forward 40-odd years where the channel choices are endless and the high definition blasts through the dimly-lit living room, and I get my fix of the weather nightly at 6.55pm. These days I can ask Siri what the weather is going to do for the next 10 days with relative accuracy, but no, I still have to see it for myself on Channel Seven.
The “weather” comes in the form of Jane Bunn and I feel like a dirty old man, like Arkwright out of the English series Open All Hours as he lusts over Nurse Gladys Emmanuel’s meringues. (Binge watch it, you will love it).
But back to Jane. I drift off in a trance as she talks about the weather – and the terminology takes on a whole new meaning. And she is actually a meteorologist. How good is that. The whole package.
The other day, I was talking with wifey about my 6.55pm habit and she mentions that she doesn’t mind the health officer as a bit of eye candy. Now, I am not talking about the ruggedly handsome Brett Sutton, I am talking about the guy from Canberra, the square-jawed Nick Coatsworth.
I mean, what does she want with all that tinsel out there when she has me, albeit a little iso-rough looking, with hair I nearly trip over, the five o’clock shadow from months ago and now just rotating the old trackie dacks week in, week out.
But surely her choices of fanciful encounters could be a bit dreamier and maybe, just quietly, a decade or so older? Anyway, I have to be quiet now as the weather is about to begin.
Shhh, weather rant over.

(Ed’s note. The whole point of eye candy is to go a decade younger. Nick is 42. Jane is 41. What’s good for the goose…)

I was reading somewhere that the first lockdown was “novel”. So people were a bit more upbeat. You remember, the dressing up to take out the rubbish, the endless jokey videos about life in lockdown, why Kyle and I even did our own take on that. What laughs we all had.
And then this shit got serious. And no-one laughs anymore. Walking around the supermarket is like being in a zombie movie. Every move is deliberate, no-one makes eye contact, no-one talks. Life, at the moment, in Victoria anyway, is a bloody nightmare.
But stop the moaning. We, as The Local, have received a heap of emails lately about how much people are loving what we do, and that we are inspiring people to keep going. We have a job to do here. So rather than whinge, or stick my head in a pillow and scream “f……”, here goes with what’s good about life right now.
Queensland. Remember the debates about Surfers or the Sunshine Coast? Or Cairns or Port Douglas. So much wasted time now back, because we can’t go to any of those spots. Same with overseas travel. Bali or Thailand? Neither. Greece or Italy? Same thing. All that time planning your next overseas trip saved. How good is this?
Closer to home, the grand final. Now Richmond is doing OK and could make the big one and that would ordinarily put me in a pickle of wondering how I could get tickets to the game. Not this year. I watched as Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk positively beamed on the television saying it was a “once in a lifetime opportunity”. “You’re welcome,” I said, under my breath. See, just nice things.
Oh, another thing I just thought of, think of all the money we are saving. No more restaurants or drinks at pubs. No more browsing turning into buying. No more long trips using up costly petrol and tolls. The bank balance is glowing. (Well it would be if anyone could advertise a restaurant or a pub or a holiday.) But still, all that extra time at home. And that’s a good thing. If the television producers run out of reality shows we could have an Australian state by state “Cleanest Homes” and Victoria is so going to win. How much time have we spent tidying pantries and cleaning out garages? I even know a woman who has polished her silverware. Not a posh thing, she was just bored out of her mind.
Another money saver – lipstick. With masks the new norm, we will never have to colour our lips again. Same with lip waxing, and for some women, not me of course, chin waxing. Hirsute is back. Just hidden.
Finally, and this is the big one. Bulk billing. Who hasn’t headed to a doctor just needing a simple script and come away with not just a lost hour or so, but a dent in the wallet. Now they call you, have a quick chat and fax your script to your local chemist. No charge. That’s time and money saved.
Oh, I thought that was the last one but no, I just thought of one better. Click & Collect means no more dreaded walks through your supermarket. Come on people, it even had a name, the Coles walk. We all did it. Held the phone to our ear, pretending to talk, or checked out aisles for those to avoid before wheeling off in a different direction. So much time wasted in the boring nappy aisle avoiding people – and I don’t even have a baby. Now I just sit in the car and it’s all popped in the boot.
Anyway, as you can see, it’s all a win-win. Feeling inspired! Just sayin’…

Homemade eco-friendly garden pots
Apart from the obvious environmental negatives and costs of putting your home- grown plants into plastic pots, there is always the risk of damaging the tender roots when transplanting your seedlings, or cutting grown plants.
How much simpler and cheaper would it be to simply transplant them, pot and all, knowing the pot itself will add to the compost. Besides, making them can be a family friendly project.

Toilet roll/hand towel pots (pictured above right)
These are the easiest ones to create of all and judging by the recent rush on supermarkets there should be no trouble in finding enough raw materials. It’s simply a matter of making at least four 2cm evenly-spaced cuts at one end of the tube.
Fold each section inwards and crease them to form the bottom of your pot. Stand the pot up and use a length of wooden dowel or the handle of a kitchen utensil to flatten the flaps from inside. You may then like to give it a dab of glue stick to keep the flaps in place.
Paper towel tubes can be cut in half and divided to provide two pots for the price of one.

Newspaper pots (pictured below right)
I have been waiting (somewhat patiently) for the arrival of a special, beautiful, wooden pot-making kit, hoping it would arrive in time for this article. You can actually see them through your search engine if you simply type “newspaper pot-makers” or check out, as I did, your favourite eco-friendly site. Mine is Biome.
But instead I’ve put together my own version.
The best thing about newspaper pots is that they can be made to practically any size, although I would suggest that for practical reasons about 6-8cm would be optimum. For this exercise I chose a small, straight-sided spice jar – perfect for a soon- to-be planted out seedling or cutting.
Cut a lengthwise strip of newspaper, a little wider than the height of the jar, and place it so that enough width of the paper would reach halfway when folded across the bottom.
Carefully, and not too tightly, roll the jar up in the paper giving it at least 2-3 layers, then secure it with a dab of glue or a strip of tape. The larger the pot, the more layers will be needed to keep the sides firm.
Leaving the jar in place, stand the pot up on a smooth surface and push the jar down, rotating it to firm the bottom. The kit provides a specially shaped bowl for this purpose. I chose a small white dish for the job, working the pot around against the sides. Again, if you wish, a dab underneath with the glue stick will secure the bottom flaps.
When filled with soil and plants, the pots will need a little support to keep them upright. If placed in a shallow tray on a layer of peat moss or shredded paper, keeping that layer damp will enable the pots to absorb that moisture from below.

Coffee capsules
I have a confession to make. We have a capsule-type coffee maker but, although not totally perfect in the eco-stakes, we have at least come some way in recycling the capsules.
We dry them in a tray and then extract the grounds for use in the garden, both to supplement our worm farm and my potting mix – about a cupful to a shovelful of soil.
We recycle the aluminium lids which then leaves the actual capsules – perfect to use, with their perforated bases, as seed-raising pots.

Got a gardening question? Ask Glen. Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

The former AAG real estate agent, who merged with Belle Property last year, says the town is “going off” with plenty of interest from Melbourne buyers keen to escape the city and switch to an affordable tree change.
“I have been in real estate for almost 12 years but since merging with Belle in September I have had one of my best Winters – despite being in a pandemic.
“I think my point of difference, living in Clunes and being a third generation resident, really makes a difference for my clients.”
Ms Flowers said she had a mix of properties for sale with older vendors deciding to downsize and even people moving interstate for work.
“It means I have a variety of properties available and there really is something for everyone.
“We had a lot of interest from Melbourne buyers during the first wave and that has happened again, although they can only do video inspections at the moment but we are hoping that will change in the near future.
“But for those who can visit, we are offering 30-minute private inspections instead of open homes. And people are happy with that, they can come and take their time and have a good look around.”
Ms Flowers said the appeal of Clunes was that it was just two hours from metropolitan Melbourne with an easy trip up the Western Highway and it offered a great community.
“There is a real community spirit in Clunes and as a third generationer I am quite involved in a few local community organisations, so I can really sell the benefits of the area.
“My youngest son is still at primary school here and my whole family enjoys being a part of the community. I joke about it but really you don’t just buy a house here, you buy a part of the community. And you can be as involved as you want to be.
“Only yesterday I was showing a woman through a property and she was saying she loves spinning. So I told her about the creative groups we have here.
“I just get really excited at being able to help match buyers to their properties and introduce them to the community. I even get excited when a competitor sells to a family because we need more kids to keep our school going. There are just all walks of life here.”
Ms Flowers said she got involved in real estate in 2009 as a personal assistant to her former director. “It was part-time because I had two small children at home and then I just fell in love with the real estate business. I love meeting people, talking to them and finding out their interests. It is the best thing I have done and I don’t see myself doing anything else.”

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Contributed

This is the third in a series of features on what’s happening with real estate in the Central Highlands.

Beyond the town, too, there is evidence of comparatively small-block estates opening up with the accompanying worry about a loss of character.
Attempting to balance the two is proving difficult as shown by the clash over the big development at 17 Smith Street, Daylesford, which is due for its third hearing in three months in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) on September 19.
In Glenlyon six lots are for sale in the first stage of a large main road project, one just 2200 square metres. Nine sub-divisions are under way at the corner of Main and Golf Links roads, Hepburn. Twenty-six lots are on the market at Golf Links Estate, Trentham, and on the other side of town, a 12-lot sub-division in Gunyah Drive. There are nine and eight-lot developments in Clunes, as well as six and seven-lot projects in King and Jamieson streets, Daylesford.
A major concern about Daylesford’s Smith Street development is what is seen as a dramatic and damaging change to the pleasant entrance to the town from Castlemaine, with its rural aspect and view to the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens.
Land on both sides of Malmsbury Road coming into Daylesford could be developed so that what is seen as a village aspect is replaced by suburbia. And around the corner in Raglan Street, the developer of 17 Smith Street has an agreement to buy land opposite Mitre 10 but director Joseph Van Dyk told The Local that any further subdivision is years away.
The result, it is feared, of all these developments is that the area would resemble suburbs along the Western Highway or in places such as Melton.
One possible way to avoid this would be the adoption of laws similar to those operating on the Mornington Peninsula where a planning scheme aims for well-designed medium-density housing that respects the neighbourhood character.
Covered by a Municipal Strategic Statement, a General Residential Zone clause as well as a Design and Development Overlay clause, development must be in keeping with the character and appearance of adjacent buildings, the streetscape or area.
The design of a dwelling involves supplying a neighbourhood and site description and a design response showing how the proposed development or subdivision responds to the neighbourhood character.
It must respect the neighbourhood character or contribute to a preferred neighbourhood character and ensure that the design responds to the features of the site and the surrounding area.
The Smith Street developers want 53 houses, while its critics argue for 50 smaller and more affordable homes, as well as farmlets.
The council goes into caretaker mode on September 22 ahead of the October 24 COVID-driven postal elections, making it possible for a new council to consider the Mornington Peninsula-style protection so that new homes are still built but the much-loved character of the shire is maintained.
Another important aspect covers the five per cent of land value paid to the council by developers. The council should forego this money, the argument runs, in return for keeping open space in a development.
Such a proposal has not, we are assured, been welcomed by the council.

Words: Kevin Childs

The Pop Up kitchen in Camp Street offers free soup and bread on a Tuesday from 5pm to 6pm. Apart from the cook who is paid for three hours work, it is entirely operated by volunteers.
Many people in the community have lost all social contact because of the pandemic, for some the only chance they get to talk to people is when they come in for a chat and collect their soup.
Organiser Elaine Anderson said the soup kitchen was about connection and caring for one another through the pandemic. “We happen to be able to do that through soup. It’s about showing we care. I think there is a lot of anxiety and uncertainty in the community now. People are coming here to connect. This time has been difficult for a lot of people.”
The church received a COVID-19 Quick Response Grant from Hepburn Shire Council which has helped pay for the cook and Baker’s Delight donates the bread. About 36 litres of soup is made each week. Sometimes farmers in the district donate vegetables.
“We’ve tried to make it an inviting place with lights and fires. It’s much more than just the soup. We want to give that sense of somehow inviting people back into our homes,” Elaine said.
People are encouraged to order the soup by Monday, 10am, if possible, via https://bit.ly/2ClPOi4

Words & images: Sandy Scheltema