The state government is backing country football and netball clubs with sporting upgrades to keep players on the field.

Minister Ros Spence has announced seven community sports facilities will share in more than $1.45 million from the latest round of the 2026-27 Country Football and Netball Program.

Projects include:

• $250,000 for Laharum Demons Football Netball Club (Laharum Recreation Reserve) — upgrade their oval lighting to competition-standard 100 lux LED.
• $222,000 for Wonthaggi Power Football Netball Club and Wonthaggi & District Netball Association (Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve) — installing 200 lux court lighting.
•  $100,000 for Terang Mortlake Bloods Football Club (Terang Recreation Reserve) — installing a fully automatic irrigation system.

Delivered in partnership with the AFL, AFL Victoria and Netball Victoria, the Program has now invested more than $44 million across 600 country football and netball infrastructure projects.

For latest information about the program and successful grant recipients visit sport.vic.gov.au.

Vibrant open public spaces help bring communities together and parks are being upgraded across Victoria.

Voting opens today on the second round of the Pick My Park program, with 124 projects competing for a share of the funding.

Pick My Park has already delivered nearly $18 million to develop 97 parks, playgrounds, and gathering spaces across the state.

Eligibility has been extended across metropolitan Melbourne.

Parks across regional Victoria are also being delivered and upgraded through the program.

From new urban pocket parks to playground revamps, fitness equipment and accessibility upgrades, responses to the survey show Victorians want open spaces that connect communities.

When families are juggling work, school and bills, it is the simple things close to home that matter most.

A safe, welcoming park means kids can play, parents can take a break, and communities can stay connected without spending a dollar.

The winning entries will receive between $20,000 to $250,000 to improve existing parks and open spaces and establish brand new urban parks by transforming underutilised land.

For more information and to nominate your three favourite projects go to engage.vic.gov.au/pick-my-park

Voting closes on Monday, 3 August 2026.

I love being a journo but sometimes reporting is hard work. And hard to do properly. And especially hard to do as an independent publisher with not a lot of financial backing.

People have sometimes said I used to go harder when I was employed at The Advocate in Daylesford. Or The Courier in Ballarat. I probably did. But I had the backing of some pretty big media organisations – like Fairfax and Rural Press – who had money for lawyers.
Kyle and I don’t have money for lawyers. We are lucky to have enough for a fantastic accountant – who has helped us so many times – including during the pandemic. There were grants around if you knew where to look – and our accountant did. We also had a great group of friends who all kept in touch at the time asking if we had seen this or that.
I know of a few businesses who missed out entirely and others who actually made bank during Covid thanks to grants from both the state and federal governments. Which probably hasn’t helped the state of play now, but at the time…
Anyway, back to hard work being a reporter. At the moment there is a lot swirling around the Hepburn Shire Council. Court cases, coronial inquests, claims and accusations – much of it hearsay – which would not stand up in a court of law.
The old media rule was that if you were not in the court, you could not report on it. That seems to have gone down the gurgler a bit and you can also say another media outlet has reported on something.
So with the coronial inquest into the crash I have done that a little with the ABC but I have also tuned in with a live recording available to media. There is also a very important thing called sub judice – which means something is before the courts and not to be reported on randomly.
Some media outlets seem to think you can get around that by peppering stories with “alleged” and “allegedly” but it wouldn’t really save you. The whole idea is that with your media reporting you do not influence a trial – including not tainting a jury. All part and parcel of our judiciary.
But once something is in court, you can mostly go for it. I remember reporting something about a car crash when I was working in Alice Springs, or was it Hervey Bay? Anyway, the mother of the young bloke who crashed his car – from memory he was pissed – came into the office and had a huge go at me.
Told me I was a gutter journalist and should think twice about ruining the lives of young people. After a few minutes I told her she was barking up the wrong tree. She needed to talk to the Attorney-General who allows the media to be part of the system and not only report crimes, but maybe make others think about not being a part of the criminal system.
It didn’t really work. I think it was her, although a few people along the way have told me more than once, they hoped I got cancer, and left. I had another person once, court related, email and ask me if I wanted to die. I politely wrote back saying: “No, but thank you for asking.” Probably not a smart reply – but you know what it’s like when you are young and full of smart-arse fun.
Anyway, the Hepburn Shire Council draft budget has been out for public input but by the time you read this it’s almost too late to have your say. Unless you are reading this online on Sunday, June 14. Then you have until midnight. Or the community hearing on June 24. (Read about that further down.)
It will be interesting. The budget. I don’t think there is much left in the coffers and without money it is hard to gain co-contributions from the state and federal governments. The council is also in charge of a lot of ageing infrastructure that needs a shot in the arm. Hello, public swimming pools. So far pool entry remains free for another year – but who knows how long we will have the pools.
I joined the pool goers one year. It was a cheap rate and you could only swim early in the mornings. I was a swimmer in my teenage years so decided to give it a try. But even in summer the Daylesford pool is cold enough to freeze your…well, something off. Even at speed I could never warm up – blue has never been a great skin colour for me.
But back to the budget and perhaps the most puzzling thing this month is that the 2026/27 draft budget community hearing is on June 24 from 6pm at the council chambers. (Residents can register to present for three minutes via the Participate Hepburn page.) The final budget will then be considered at a Special Meeting on June 30 after it is prepared on June 25 to 26 before an embargo period from June 27 to 29.
Hmmm. Why hold a community hearing when all is done and dusted? Why would anyone pop their name up to chat for up to three minutes when it is all a fait accompli? We will see. Maybe the council gained some money when DEECA sold off all that storm wood in May? I wonder who bought it? Just sayin’…

Hello, I am Missy, a staffy cross, just three years young.

I am very sweet and and have a friendly nature and also love playful activities like fetch. And walks!
I am also gentle and love cuddles so I would love a home where I can share my affection and playful spirit.
But I would prefer to be an only fur child – I don’t really get along with other pooches.
Microchip number: 956000018911758
Come and meet me at MAAWS.
Call 5472 5277 | shelter@maaw.org.au

Rajdhani Express

Runs between Delhi and Varinasi in India

Rajdhani Express is a travelling limbo
With time standing still on both sides of the window.
With goats in the hallways and chooks on the racks
Jammed in between luggage small kids and backpacks,
It’s wise on this journey to chain bags to seats
And this lumpy mattress makes your bed complete.
There’s life in abundance all tumbling around
But space is respected with minimal sound.
These people just happy they’re living and coping
And not on their iPhones with envy and moping.

Then vendors at stations with food on their shoulders
Bananas on poles hot urns stacked like boulders.
Young and old begging and some of them crippled
Like ibis on tip-sites, once white and now stippled.
Then monkeys invading with rabid green teeth
And men fighting back with knives out of their sheath.
While high on the hillsides stand rich tea plantations
And terraced below them rice fields in rotation.
Some people in prayer with their offered up pujas
Are chanting in Hindi heartfelt hallelujahs.
This train reveals life here as one big heart beating
Where all lives are sacred but also quite fleeting.

– Tom Perfect

This poem is a continuation of the theme that runs through all of Tom’s poetry: looking for the spiritually significant in the ordinary.

Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters.
Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com

When Melbourne sneezes, the regions get a cold, although the opposite could be said during the pandemic, as Melbourne sneezed and folks decided to flock to the country.
Humans are like lemmings when it comes to trends. I remember the program Sea Change, which pretty much invented the “seachange” movement, that whole idea of ditching the city for a quieter life by the coast.
And its original filming spots, Barwon Heads and St Leonards on the Bellarine Peninsula, bore the brunt of it. Property prices went through the roof, gentrification followed close behind, and “Pearl Bay” became a real-life tourist magnet.
Local landmarks, like the boatshed everyone knew as “Diver Dan’s” is now the Heads Restaurant. And “Laura’s House” is just a little cabin at the local caravan park which turned into such a tourist drawcard that the park started actively promoting it to visitors.
Two sleepy coastal towns essentially reinvented themselves as lifestyle destinations, with cafes, shops and hospitality businesses following the lemmings in.
Victoria’s preliminary auction clearance rates are sitting somewhere in the mid-to-low 40s to 50 per cent, which is bloody low. This points to a market that’s cooled off quite a bit compared to earlier this year. Reasons include higher interest rates, tighter borrowing capacity, and the usual pre-winter slowdown all part of the mix.
One thing worth noting is the auction withdrawals in Victoria. Agents don’t generally tell you that figure has been climbing, but somewhere between 16 per cent and 18 per cent of scheduled Melbourne auctions are being pulled before they even reach the hammer.
So that means conservatively the auction clearance rate was 62 per cent made up of folks pulling out before the auction and the stuff that got sold. Which puts it into the okay but not good department, not the doom and gloom of the 40–50 per cent.
Yes, I know you think I am manipulating figures, but doesn’t everyone?
A few sources are suggesting Australia’s 30-year housing “super cycle” might finally be running out of steam. Sky-high property values, rising interest rates, and some recent federal budget tax changes have all been piling on the pressure.
That said, a genuine price crash looks unlikely — the chronic shortage of housing stock is still doing a lot of work to keep things propped up.
But think about the poor buggers who got involved with the Australian Government’s 5 per cent Deposit Scheme previously known as the Home Guarantee Scheme, which has been around since January 2020.
It got a shake-up on October 1, 2025, with the scheme dropping income limits, removing the cap on available places, and lifting property price thresholds. Meaning a whole lot of negative equity for those involved in the scheme if they sell. I am not brushing over this cohort of folks, suffice to say, sit on your hands guys and let the natural inflation catch up with the value of your homes.
But for folks who bought a home the old-fashioned way with a reasonable deposit, the truth is the market negativity doesn’t actually matter, it’s just a change in the market.
The world will keep turning, and as long as you buy and sell in the same market you should be okay. Trends come and go. In fact I am willing to bet home renovations will be on the uptick soon with people deciding it’s better to keep what they have got and shape it to their needs rather than buy something that’s a bit flashier.
Maybe there’s a director out there willing to do a Tree Change series for us. Put us even more on the map. God knows we have the characters to pull it off.
Real estate rant, over. (Next edition – a bit more of a real estate deep dive…)

Xani Kolac is a violinist, composer, and improviser redefining what the electric violin can do in contemporary and improvised music.

She has spent over a decade pushing the boundaries of her instrument with her unique sound shaped by influences ranging from Jimi Hendrix and Stuff Smith to art pop pioneers Camille and Bjork, alongside her deep roots in jazz and improvisation.
With local support act The Funky Donkeys, featuring cellist Inga Foerster and bassist Bug Melville, Xani will play at the Bullarto Hall on Saturday, July 11 from 6.30pm to 9pm.
The bar will be open and the heaters will be on!
Doors open at 6:30pm, The Funky Donkeys start at 7pm with Xani playing from 7.30pm.
Tickets: $40/$30 at trybooking.com or the door.
Image: Michelle Grace Hunder

Central Highlands songwriter Glenn Musto will present a special afternoon performance at The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Trentham, blending live music, storytelling and reflections gathered across more than 30 years of songwriting, touring and creative life later this month.

Known for his work with cult Australian indie bands Showbag!, The Nordeens and College Fall, Glenn has spent decades performing throughout Australia and Europe while building a reputation for emotionally honest songs that sit somewhere between indie rock, folk and lo-fi storytelling.
Today, he lives among the forests of Victoria’s Central Highlands, operating an animal sanctuary and writing music from a small cabin studio surrounded by rescued animals and native wildlife.
The Trentham performance will offer something beyond a traditional live show. Alongside original songs spanning his career, Glenn will share stories from a life immersed in music.
Tales of late night share houses and lo-fi recordings. Touring Europe in battered vans. Supporting musical heroes. Learning to write songs in a world that did not always make space for emotional openness. And ultimately finding his way back to Country, community and a slower, more connected life.
The show will also feature songs that have shaped Musto’s own creative journey, with performances of influential works that helped form his distinctive songwriting voice.
“Music has always been about connection for me,” Glenn says.
“Not just connecting people to the performer, but helping people reconnect with themselves. Some of my favourite concerts are the ones where a story leads into a song and suddenly the whole room understands why that song exists.”
The performance comes at a particularly significant time, following the recent return of Showbag!, who played their first shows in more than two decades and released their comeback album Waterhouse earlier this year.
While those recent events have reconnected Glenn with his musical past, the Trentham show focuses equally on where the songs have ultimately led.
“Living on country and caring for animals every day has changed my understanding of creativity. The sanctuary gave me a chance to step away from the identity I’d built as a musician and discover who I was without it. Ironically, that journey brought me back to music in a much deeper way.”
Glenn will perform the free show at the Cosmo Hotel on Saturday, June 20 from 3pm to 5pm.
Words: Contributed | Link: www.glennmusto.net | Image: Chris O’Halloran

Three Pig and Whistle hotels

The exact origins of the name ‘Pig and Whistle’ remain a mystery, but the internet can offer a couple of explanations to ‘wet your whistle’.
The Old English word “piggin” referred to a small earthenware jug, and the Old Norse phrase “ves heil” meaning “be you healthy”, was a common toast and likely evolved into the English “wassail,” which is associated with drinking.
Another theory links the name to the practice of chefs whistling while replacing beer kegs (pigs) in taverns to avoid suspicion of drinking on the job. Whatever the origins, it does not explain why so many Pig and Whistles existed in East Trentham.
Three separate pubs have been named the Pig and Whistle in the area. Yes, you read that correctly, three. Its popularity knew no bounds.
The first was owned by James Regan who came to Australia from County Clare, Ireland and settled in the area soon after landing in Melbourne. He built the East Trentham Hotel which was known far and wide as the ‘Pig and Whistle’ and was located at the junction of James and Newtons lanes.
It contained a bar, two sitting rooms, two bedrooms, and a store that was operating from 1868. He let the premises to Henry McCormick in 1872, and he chose to use the name East Trentham Hotel.
The second was owned by William Middlemiss and leased to Joseph Barnes in 1876. At the time he also co-owned the Trentham Brewery with Richard Goodge.
The hotel was located on the south east corner of James Lane and Pearsons Road, diagonally opposite the current-day hotel. After a few years, Joseph’s inability to control the people coming into his drinking establishment was cause for concern.
In the Kyneton Observer, dated January 31, 1880, Constable Hogan stated that on Wednesday he was sent to East Trentham in consequence of riotous proceedings involving a mob of Melbourne larrikins and harvest men.
In company with Constable Murray, he proceeded to Barnes’ Pig and Whistle Hotel in James Lane. On their arrival they saw from 100 to 150 men, in and outside of the house. Barnes pointed out a scene of terrorism. Barnes later transferred his publican’s licence to his wife Annie, who in August 1881 transferred the licence to Thomas Egan.
The third and current day Pig & Whistle located on the corner of James Lane and Pearsons Road has had a couple of name changes along the way.
It started out as the Clare Morris Hotel in 1882/3 with Maurice O’Connell and had other publicans including Patrick McInerney and Patrick McMenamin before it became known as the East Trentham Hotel in 1949.
Another name change occurred in 1954 when Lionel Hockley became the publican of the Trentham East Hotel.
It is believed by locals that Lionel Hockley changed the name to the Pig & Whistle from Trentham East Hotel, but records show that in 1967/68 Norman Downs still called it the Trentham East Hotel when taking over the licence from Lionel Hockley, who had gone bankrupt.
In fact, Lionel’s wife Nellie Hockley changed its name to Pig & Whistle in 1969 when she took over the licence from Norman Downs.
The hotel still operates under the name Pig & Whistle in 2026.

How many drinks?
In a case in a Trentham court in 1936, there was an altercation at a dance in Lyonville.
A Mr Plant denied he was drunk but admitted having had a few drinks outside the hall and thought he may have had 20 at Daylesford in the afternoon. Still, he was not drunk.
“How many drinks could you have without being drunk?” he was asked, to which he replied, “Well, it would be pretty poor if a man could not do thirty.” Wow.

Ivan Carter grew up in “the foggy forested hills of Drummond”, where his parents built a mudbrick house in the 1970s. The area, which was a lovely place to begin life and explore the landscape, recently gave him the inspiration to produce his first album, Shine. He chatted with Donna Kelly.

Donna: How did you get into the music scene?
Ivan: I have never studied music formally, but I think my parents always had music playing in the car and at home, so it kind of just grew on me.
Once I left Daylesford, and started university, I found guitars and musicians everywhere, so I just started playing guitars and listening to indie music with friends from all over the world.
My first band, Blue Revery, was a bunch of Daylesford Secondary College students, and a few university mates. We were terrible, and pulled out of the only gig we were offered, but we were having fun. I then moved to Melbourne and discovered an amazing music scene and some very creative souls.
This is when I discovered electronic music, and the Melbourne shuffle dance scene. I had found home. A decade later, I moved back to Daylesford, and purchased some gear to make my own electronic music, as a father and parent, it made sense to be able to play solo.
I then met Fiona Porter, when we started a local band called Square Wave Bounce. Fiona provided the missing piece in my music, creative and heartfelt vocals.
I am still in Square Wave Bounce with Fiona, and Tom McGowan (on bass), and have recently started producing my solo music under Ivy C, as a side project. It has been two years, but I have finally completed Shine, in my spare time.

Donna: What is your style?

Ivan: I’d describe it as ambient melodic electronic music. It is hardware based, so I record directly from Roland keyboards and drum machines and samples. This album has some live recordings of local birds, landscapes and weather events, to give it a more personal feel.

Donna: Shine is your first album – how are you feeling about it?
Ivan: It is a big moment, to release the creation from many long nights and lonely days. It took two years to produce the 13 tracks, but it was very, very part time, in between my work, family and life!

Donna: What has the reaction been from friends and fans?
Ivan: It has been overwhelming, the support and the love. Each song is about a different person in my life, who has been there, in my community when I needed them.
It was going to be called People That Shine, but I decided to shorten that. I will be adding some vocals to a few of the tracks, and releasing them as singles, featuring some local Daylesford vocalists.

Donna: Where can people hear your music? Are you playing live?
Ivan: It is available on all streaming platforms, under Ivy C – Shine. I will play some tracks live in the coming year, once I get the vocalists rehearsed and ready to shine.

Donna: What does music mean to you?
Ivan: As mentioned above, each track is a dedication to a different person in my life, who has pulled me through the harder times when I needed it. It means a lot, especially the Parents track, dedicated to my mum and dad.

Donna: Do you have another album in you?
Ivan: Definitely! In a few years. I am re-focusing on my band for a while now, Square Wave Bounce, and getting some more recordings done, and gigs.

Donna: What is the live music scene like in the Central Highlands?
Ivan: It is pretty amazing. We keep talking about putting on a mini live electronic music festival, as there are so many artists hiding in these hills. So much talent and many producers who I look up to. There aren’t many venues though, unless you go to Castlemaine, which is thriving.

Donna: Are you not already a soccer star – how do you find the time for all of this – you are putting us all to shame…
Ivan: I don’t do a great job at managing all of that. I do my best!

Donna: Anything else you would like to add?
Ivan: It has been amazing having The Local provide music writeups, gigs and ramblings about music, over the years. It is really important we don’t let our local music scene collapse.
We can’t let live music die, nor can we let AI take over the music industry and feed everyone garbage. It is heartening to see The Palais open again, we played a great gig there a few years ago, a night of local electronic musicians, so that is hopeful. Radius Gallery in Hepburn is also a beacon of hope for local music and arts.

Donna: Thank you – and a shout out to Darren Lowe, our music writer. Finally, any more to your early Central Highlands story?
Ivan: My parents moved here from Brunswick in the 1970s, but some days I feel more like I was born in these misty hills, or taken here by a UFO. UFOs are real – get real ready – a famous Daylesford graffiti piece.

As winter conditions set in, we encourage community members to take extra care to reduce the risk of falls.
Urgent care services commonly see an increase in falls-related presentations during winter, particularly among older community members.
Wet and slippery conditions, reduced daylight and cold weather can all increase the risk of falls both inside and outside the home.
Our Urgent Care Centres in Daylesford and Kyneton are open 24/7 should you need assistance

We would love to invite local community members to come together for a free coffee catch-up in Daylesford as part of Men’s Health Week 2026.
When: Wednesday 17 June
Time: 9am to 11.30am
Where: 1 Camp Street, Daylesford
This is an opportunity for people to connect, have a conversation and acknowledge the importance of men’s health and wellbeing.
For information, contact Suszanna Aertssen at suszanna.aertssen@chrh.org.au

Work has commenced on the redevelopment of the Clunes Health Wellness Garden.
Shaped by feedback from staff, community members and stakeholders, the new garden will feature accessible spaces for people of all ages to relax, enjoy the sensory garden, potter in the raised vegetable beds, and connect in a safe and welcoming outdoor environment.
Stage 1 of the project is now underway, marking an exciting milestone in the transformation of the outdoor space into a welcoming community asset. The project has been made possible through a generous bequest from the late Ann Merret Crawford, a much-loved local resident with a passion for gardening and community. Her legacy will continue to enrich the lives of local people for years to come.

The next round of Graduate Nurse positions at Central Highlands Rural Health is now open for applications.
We will offer six Graduate Nurse positions for 2027, providing newly qualified Registered Nurses with the opportunity to build their skills across a range of rural healthcare settings.
Applications through the PMCV Match are open from 1 June 2026 to 1 July 2026.

Link: www.chrh.org.au/careers/graduate-nurses

Timber and firewood businesses bought up 7000 tonnes of storm debris removed from the Wombat State Forest at an auction held by DEECA in Daylesford on May 26.
A spokesperson said there had been a good response to the organisation’s first online auction, with the 7000 tonnes of by-products from Wombat State Forest storm debris sold.
“Buyers determined the value of the by-product and what they will utilise it for. We expect some to be utilised for commercial firewood and some for milled products,” the spokesperson said. “By-products are timber or woody debris generated through forest and fire management activities that need to be removed from public land.”
Queries on who bought the timber and how much they paid for it went unanswered.
Before the auction, DEECA said that severe storms in 2021 impacted around 45,000 hectares across the forest – with about 1600 hectares severely damaged.
“Many (fallen trees) have been left in the forest to provide habitat and other environmental benefits. We have removed where necessary to reduce bushfire and other safety risks.”
Acting Deputy Chief Fire officer Vincent White said a huge number of trees fell in the 2021 storms, making it difficult for CFA volunteers to gain access.
Nearly 10,000 tonnes of by-products from the Wombat State Forest were made available to communities as free firewood through the domestic firewood collection program.
DEECA said any income from the auction, after administrative costs were accounted for, would go to Traditional Owners, with options for distribution to be examined in partnership with them.
Where works occur in an area where there is no recognised Traditional Owner group, consideration will be given to directing revenue to a fund for the benefit of First Peoples.
Meanwhile, on social media, people were quick to wonder if the sale was the best thing for the storm debris:
Does that mean the storm cleanup is finished now and they can open the new Wombat Lerderderg National Park?
Pack of lies – a con a rort a fraud on the State of Victoria – logging in disguise.
From memory the locals opposed this storm damaged timber being removed. To the point local opponents resisted to it being removed by vandalising contractors’ equipment. To prevent removal of what could have been valuable timber to sell to timber mills that no longer exist thanks to the Victorian Labor government shutting down the native timber industry.
Should have gone to the needy locals for fire wood seeing it was no longer useful as structural grade timber.
Shoulda woulda coulda – what it did do was destroy the canopy and alter the ecosystem forever- yeah so burning the wood is more important to you along with filling the already choked atmosphere with more smoke. This was deliberate destruction – different to a bushfire. These trees belong to the forest not your unfiltered polluting wood heater and certainly not in the atmosphere.
That’s great. Just a massive shame and disgrace the fallen timber wasn’t value added and used for quality sawn timber soon after it fell following the June 2021 Big Storm. Over a million trees were flattened. Five years later it’s only suitable now for firewood or woodchips. Hope that mistake is never repeated as we’ll no doubt have big storms in the future.
You can blame the feral attention seeker green parasites for that.
You first have to get tree huggers out of that equation then its most likely plausible.
It was only ever firewood. Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Daylesford Drones