The 2025 Christmas at Cliffy’s CFA Fundraiser raised $37,428 for local CFA brigades through the Christmas raffle and opening its doors on Christmas morning for coffee, a barbeque, ham rolls, a few mimosas, and plenty of good cheer.
Across December, the Daylesford Hotel Friday Night Community Raffles added a further $5100, bringing the total raised and donated to local fire brigades to $42,528.

Irymple has welcomed a new community of key workers after 10 new houses were built in the Mallee town.

The completion of the housing project is one of dozens supported across the state through the Regional Worker Accommodation Fund.

The fund invests in accommodation projects that help regional employers attract and retain essential workers, who in turn contribute to the area’s liveability, prosperity and opportunity. In Irymple, where the population has increased rapidly, those workers include professionals in law enforcement, healthcare and childcare.

Completed ahead of schedule by local builder MCBG Karadoc, the project has transformed a previously empty cul-de-sac into a vibrant new part of the community, with the 10 houses already occupied or allocated to incoming tenants.

This includes a local police officer, who moved to Irymple to develop his new career with Victoria Police. The first tenant into the development, the officer, is now a key part of the community – both professionally through law enforcement, and personally, through his connections in town such as the local footy club.

Similarly, the housing project has meant that local childcare operator Sean Dowsley has been able to secure four more staff to meet the high demand for childcare services at his Country Bunch Early Learning centre in Irymple.

In addition to accommodation for new key workers, the housing project also created new jobs and engaged 51 local businesses, from hardware suppliers and fence-builders through to electricians and tilers.

There are now more than 40 projects being supported by the Regional Worker Accommodation Fund, unlocking around $370 million in new housing investment for thousands of regional workers.

Link: rdv.vic.gov.au 

Kyneton Town Hall is gearing up for a huge year of live performance in 2026, with an exciting program featuring major names, international acts and a vibrant mix of music, comedy and contemporary performance.
Join us as we go all-out in 2026, bringing some of the best talent from across Australia and beyond to the Macedon Ranges.
Audiences can look forward to standout shows including Mamma, Yokai! in partnership with local puppet makers Things of Foam and Wood, comedy favourites Jimeoin and Kitty Flanagan, the high-energy Ballyhoo, and crowd-pleasers such as Seven Drunken Nights and Women of Wit. The program also features The Deplorables, Luke Kidgell, and the ever-popular Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow.
Jimeoin returns with his unique blend of observational humour, physical expressiveness and spontaneity, turning the everyday into the absurd with his trademark off-the-cuff style.
Kitty Flanagan, award-winning star of Fisk, Utopia and Have You Been Paying Attention?, brings her new stand-up show to Kyneton, asking – but not necessarily answering – all the big questions: Were we smarter before social media? Has your call ever really been used for training purposes? And what exactly is an empath?
Luke Kidgell steps out from behind the screen and onto the stage as he attempts to prove, once and for all, that he really does have Good Intentions.
Music lovers won’t miss out, with Country Struts Honky Tonk starring Kerryn Fields and DJ Queenie, Mo’Ju with Wild Gloriosa, and Ruby Gill performing alongside the Rainbow Voices Community Choir and Annie-Rose Maloney.
With an impressive lineup of established stars, emerging talent and genre-spanning performances, the 2026 program promises something for everyone. Tickets for all events are now on sale.
View all event dates and get your tickets fast at mrsc.vic.gov.au/KTH-Events

Reforms to Victoria’s laws will make election campaigns fairer and give Victorians a clearer understanding of how parties are financed.

Introduced into the Victorian Parliament today, the Electoral Amendment Bill 2025 will further strengthen the state’s strict donation laws, which stop individuals and corporations attempting to buy influence in Victorian politics.

The Bill will make it easier for minor parties to appoint a nominated entity to manage their financial resources, and independent candidates and members will be able to do so for the first time.

The Bill introduces caps on funds transferred from nominated entities to parties and independents, to ensure these funds are used only for administrative purposes like paying for office space – not paying for campaign expenses like advertising.

Transfers will be capped at $500,000 for parties over an election period and $50,000 over an election period for independent candidates.

Other changes to the laws include making sure voters have accurate information about candidates at the point of casting their vote. For example, if a political party drops its support for a candidate or if a grouping of candidates changes, that will be reflected on the ballot paper.

The reforms will also update the electoral laws to give the Victorian Electoral Commission more time to prepare for and run elections including changing the deadlines for registering political parties and nominating candidates, and the timeframes for the close of electoral rolls and sending postal voter ballot packs and postal voter information.

The reforms will also improve the running of an election by setting a default early voting period of 10 days and enabling the number of voting booths to be capped.

This work builds on the Government’s previous work to implement the strictest and most transparent political donation laws in Australia, including banning overseas donations and reducing the disclosure limit to $1,000.

RSPCA Victoria is encouraging pet owners to keep their pets safe ahead of the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Events across the state featuring fireworks and loud music can make animals feel anxious and frightened, leading to escape attempts and behaviour changes.

Nadia Peiris, RSPCA Victoria’s Senior Animal Care Manager, said ensuring animals feel safe and comfortable is the key.

“If you know your animal is sensitive to loud noises, or you are unsure about how they may react, it’s best to be prepared.

“Having a safe area set up for them, such as a crate, cupboard or favourite napping area, is the perfect retreat if they start to become anxious.

“You can also try to distract them by playing music or having the TV on loud enough to cover any loud noises.

“Giving a long-lasting treat or some sort of activity can also be helpful if they start to show any stress-related behaviours, such as howling, barking, whining or pacing.”

Ms Peiris also has some tips for any animals who are escape artists.

“Animals often run away when they are feeling frightened, leading to your beloved pet getting lost or even injured.

“Ensuring any gates and doors are closed, and there are no holes in your fencing, can help any would-be escapees from getting very far.

“If your pet does manage to escape, ensuring their microchip information is up to date is the most important thing.

“Any animal brought to a shelter will be checked for a microchip or identification tag.

“Having the most up-to-date information is the quickest way to help reunite any escaped animal with their owner.

“If you are still concerned about your pet, speaking to your veterinarian about other preparation techniques, or even medication options, can give you some peace of mind.”

You can learn more about supporting your pet during fireworks here.

The state government is ensuring that every single dollar received from water access for the Latrobe Valley mine rehabilitation will go back to local communities and families.

Treasurer Jaclyn Symes has announced all water access revenue received from AGL’s bulk water entitlement will be paid into the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund for the benefit of the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland.

The Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund supports community projects, creates new jobs, and delivers infrastructure projects that help regional and rural Victoria continue to connect and grow.

This will support the region’s long-term future, including through opportunities to improve waterway health and long-term resilience of the Latrobe River system, water security and efficiency projects, and enhance self-determined outcomes for Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners.

Funding would start to flow once mine rehabilitation for the Loy Yang coal mine starts and continue until 2065 at the latest.

Allocating water for Loy Yang mine rehabilitation will help support a safe, stable and sustainable environment post-rehabilitation.

Conditions are in place through the bulk entitlement to protect the water rights of existing water users and the local river systems in Gippsland, including restricting take to the wettest months of the year. AGL will not be allowed to take more water than they have used historically for power generation.

As part of this decision, AGL is required to pay $230 per megalitre per year, increasing in line with inflation, for water access once mine rehabilitation commences.

Any use of water for mine rehabilitation is also subject to other approval requirements.

For more information about the mine rehabilitation in the Latrobe Valley, visit resources.vic.gov.au.

The state government is strengthening protections for Victorians born with variations in sex characteristics, with legislation introduced into the Victorian Parliament.

Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas has introduced the Health Safeguards for People Born with Variations in Sex Characteristics Bill 2025 – which will prevent permanent non-consensual treatments that can be deferred, to avoid harm for people with variations in sex characteristics.

People born with variations in sex characteristics, sometimes referred to as ‘intersex’, do not fit typical definitions or understandings of male or female bodies. This can include a person’s physical traits (such as reproductive organs), chromosomes, or hormones. 

This change will give people with variations in sex characteristics agency over their own body and follows some people with variations in sex characteristics having experienced harm and trauma through inappropriate and unnecessary medical interventions.

Victoria will be the second jurisdiction in Australia to enshrine these safeguards into law.

The legislation will ensure that the most vulnerable, particularly infants and young children, do not receive medical interventions that permanently change their bodies until they are old enough to consent. Urgent treatments required to save a life or prevent serious harm will continue without delay.

Crucially, parents and guardians of children born with variations in sex characteristics will have access to more information and supports – to strengthen healthcare outcomes and support informed decision making.

This oversight will not replace parent and guardian decision making when receiving health care – their consent for treatment to proceed on their child must still be given, in line with an approved treatment plan, and will ensure they receive accurate information, treatment options and access to peer and psychosocial support.

Developed through consultation with community, clinical, legal and human rights experts the Bill supports the government’s 2021 commitment in the (i) Am Equal: Future Directions for Victoria’s Intersex Community protection system and Pride in our future: Victoria’s LGBTIQA+ strategy 2022-32.

Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said every person deserved the right to make decisions about their own body, with respect, dignity and safety at the heart of the care they receive.

The state government is making sure Victorian rental properties are safe for children with new blind cord safety minimum standards in effect.

Unsecured blind or curtain cords claim the lives of up to two Australian children every year – that’s why it’s now mandatory to secure all internal window coverings with a cord guide or cleat fixed to a wall or structure.

Blind cord installation standards are already in place under national product safety laws. However, these standards only apply to blinds installed after 2015, with those installed prior exempt from these standards.

The changes, which took effect from Monday 1 December, supersede these exemptions, by requiring all Victorian rental properties to meet this critical safety standard for curtains or blinds, regardless of installation date.

Tenants now have the right to request urgent repairs to non-compliant blind cords and give tenants the right to install blind cleats or guides themselves, without permission from the rental provider or agent.

It is also an offence for providers to allow tenants to move into a property that does not meet minimum standards, including blind cord safety requirements. There are now 15 categories of minimum standards for rental properties in Victoria, and it is law that all rental properties meet these standards.

Free curtain and blind cord safety kits are available from Consumer Affairs Victoria and include a device that tensions looped cords to a window frame, so they are no longer loose, reducing the likelihood of strangulation.

From 25 November 2025, it also became an offence for a rental provider or agent to advertise or offer a property to let that does not meet minimum standards.

For more info or to order your free curtain and blind cord safety kit, visit consumer.vic.gov.au/blindcordsafety.

It is easier for Victorians to register as organ and tissue donors – because every registration can save a life.

Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas has tabled the Government’s response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into increasing the number of registered organ and tissue donors – outlining support for the report’s 41 recommendations.

The response outlines support for 17 of the Inquiry’s recommendations in full, with a further 24 supported either in principle or in part to boost Victoria’s registered donation numbers.

The government will take immediate action to expand donor registration pathways including updating Victoria’s driver licence system to prompt and direct people to sign up to the Australian Organ Donor Register.

Links to the registration website will also be added across several Service Victoria cards, including for those applying for a digital driver’s licence, by mid-2026. This is in addition to the recent launch of a dedicated information page on the Service Victoria app and website to connect users directly to DonateLife’s registration website.

The Government will also boost community awareness in areas where there are low donor rates and support specialist staff to facilitate compassionate and culturally appropriate conversations with Victorians.

In Victoria, the number of deceased organ donors, and lives saved, was the highest in the nation in 2024 – reflecting the generosity of Victorians and their families and the dedication of specialist staff who facilitate compassionate conversations to save and transform lives across the community.

However, in the past three years, the proportion of Victorians registered as donors has decreased, with the state’s registration rate on the Australian Organ Donor Registry now lower than the national average – reaffirming the need for urgent action to increase numbers.

The Government’s response is part of ongoing work to improve donation and transplantation outcomes, which includes the Organ and Tissue Authority Strategy 2022-27.

Victorians can sign up to become an organ and tissue donor by visiting donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today.

The state government is helping all Victorians benefit from online government services, with new funding to boost Community Information and Support Victoria (CISVic).

Minister for Consumer Affairs Nick Staikos has announced the organisation will receive more than $242,290 across the next 12 months, to establish dedicated support services to help Victorians access Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria, Servo Saver, the upcoming new Residential Tenancies Bond Authority platform and more.

CISVic will also work with 20 member agencies across 17 local government areas to deliver resources and support to groups often excluded from online services, including older Victorians, and provide training to frontline workers in member agencies and embed initiatives in its accredited training course.

Meanwhile, CISVic’s member agencies offer individualised support to help teach participants create email addresses and navigate digital platforms, that include the Labor Government’s suite of time and money-saving digital resources.

ServoSaver, the government’s fuel finder feature on the Service Victoria app, can save Victorian motorists up to $333 a year at the pump – putting money back in their pockets and helping to alleviate cost of living pressures.

Free, fast, and fair, RDRV has already helped solve thousands of rental disputes, with bond claims, compensation, excessive rent increases, and urgent repairs among the top issues prompting Victorians to contact the service.

The upcoming new RTBA platform will make managing bonds faster and easier for renters, rental providers and property managers. All bond transactions will be managed online, with paper forms, cheques and money orders discontinued.

Generous community donations have supported Ambulance Victoria (AV) to provide best care to Victorians – funding innovative equipment, additional resources and expanding community health programs.

Ambulance Victoria’s Impact of Giving Report 2024-25 revealed more than $886,000 of community donations and bequests were provided to AV in the last financial year, of which $109,500 generously funded 27 new paediatric resuscitation manikins.

The new high-tech manikins have upgraded airway heads, which imitate the anatomy of patient airways, allowing paramedics to practise both fundamental and advanced airway management procedures, including endotracheal intubation.

In addition to airway management, the manikins can be used to practise cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The manikins are equipped with advanced sensors that feed data back to a paired app, allowing the clinician to receive accurate real-time feedback on their resuscitation effectiveness via phone or tablet.

AV Continuing Education Lead Jodie D’Arcy said the new manikins have received glowing reviews from Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) Paramedics using them to further their training.

“We are grateful for the community’s help in providing these additional resources to support the education of our operational workforce,” she said.

“A situation where a child is not breathing is uncommon, so going into that scene with the skills and confidence to competently perform airway management is vital.

“So far, paramedics who have used these manikins have said they provide a new level of in the moment feedback that shows if their ventilation management is effective. This allows them to refine their practice and can help identify strategies for improvement.

“It’s exciting to know these high quality, contemporary resources will enhance the care our teams provide to children across the state.”

AV Manager First Responder and Community Programs Dylan Hall said these manikins are just one example of community donations supporting additional training equipment.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see how these community-funded resources are directly enhancing learning outcomes and operational capability for our paramedics,” he said.

“With these new resources, our crews now have access to manikins representing patients in all stages of life, from newborns through to adults.

“We view this essential training equipment as an excellent investment that will help improve the health and well-being of Victorians, by ensuring our paramedics are prepared to respond to critical situations they may encounter.

“The supportive feedback from paramedics who have used these new manikins is a true testament to the benefit of community donations.”

Donations to AV over $2 are fully tax deductible and represent a community investment in the future of Victoria’s pre-hospital emergency health care.

The Impact of Giving Report 2024-25 highlights how every dollar donated supports and enhances AV’s ability to provide world-class pre-hospital healthcare to all Victorians.

“We thank everyone who has donated to AV. Big or small, your support has enabled us to enhance our services and strengthened the care we provide,” Mr Hall said.

For more information on donating to Ambulance Victoria or to access the Impact of Giving Report, visit: www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/donations

The state government is making Victorian roads safer with a $20 million boost to road policing operations, which will see more roadside drug tests and improved technology to catch those doing the wrong thing.

The $21.1 million road policing investment will deliver five Victoria Police projects that will increase drug testing, expand the use of technology to catch unauthorised drivers and reduce paperwork so police can spend more time on the road.

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) funding will see:

• An extra 25,000 roadside drug tests each year;
• Roadside Impaired Driver Evidence (RIDE) technology to reduce the manual paperwork required at the roadside to process drug and alcohol data collection
• an extra 88 vehicles fitted with automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) technology to help detect dangerous and unauthorised drivers;
• the replacement and upgrade of police in-car video technology in 98 vehicles, allocated to one-member stations in regional and remote locations;
• the replacement of 123 evidentiary breath testing instruments used to detect drink drivers and purchasing an additional 27 new instruments.

Victoria Police has started rolling out the additional roadside testing to combat drug driving, which now exceeds drink driving as a major cause of deaths on our roads.

The new RIDE application will be developed to support the increase in tests, automating administrative processes relating to drug and alcohol testing.

The expansion of ANPR, upgrade to in-car video technology and the increase and renewal of breath testing equipment will make our roads safer.

The road policing investment is in addition to the $1.1 billion being invested by the state government under the Victorian Road Strategy 2021-2030, which aims to halve the number of deaths on our roads by 2030.

The state government is securing jobs and delivering a one-stop-shop for outdoor recreation activities across the state, with a new agency to strengthen support to get more Victorians and visitors enjoying our state’s great outdoors.

Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos has announced the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) and the Game Management Authority (GMA) will come together to form Outdoor Recreation Victoria (ORV).

Every staff member from the VFA and GMA will join ORV when it is established – ensuring all jobs will be retained.

ORV will initially focus on getting more Victorians out fishing, game hunting, boating, four-wheel driving and  off grid camping, before expanding to support other activities.

 It will work across government to create a single point of information for bush users through a digital hub.

 Incorporating feedback from Victorians, ORV will also establish a Land Access Panel to help more people use public land and waterways, and enjoy Victoria’s incredible offerings. This panel will comprise of both stakeholders and government.

The government will consult with stakeholders and introduce legislation into Parliament to establish ORV from 1 July 2026.

More than one million Victorians take part in fishing, hunting and boating. ORV will take outdoor recreation much further, getting more Victorians to take up 4WDing and camping which together support tens of thousands of jobs and generate hundreds of millions in economic spending across the state.

Children aged 14 and above will face serious consequences for violent crimes under the Adult Time for Violent Crime laws which have passed Parliament.

Under the laws, children committing violent crimes – like invading someone’s home or injuring someone with a machete in a sickening act of violence – will face adult sentences in adult courts.

That means courts will treat these children like adults, so jail is more likely, and sentences can be longer.

The government will further increase the maximum jail sentence for aggravated home invasion and aggravated carjacking. For anyone 14 and over sentenced in the County Court, these offences will carry a maximum life sentence through Adult Time for Violent Crime.

The following crimes will be subject to Adult Time for Violent Crime:

• Aggravated home invasion
• Home invasion
• Intentionally causing injury in circumstances of gross violence (includes machete crime)
• Recklessly causing injury in circumstances of gross violence (includes machete crime)
• Aggravated carjacking
• Carjacking
• Aggravated burglary (serious and repeated)
• Armed robbery (serious and repeated)

The first five crimes will be removed from the jurisdiction of the Children’s Court, and the matter will face full trial and sentencing in the County Court. Carjacking will also be heard in the County Court by default unless there are substantial and compelling reasons for a matter to stay in the Children’s Court and be excluded from the regime.

Legislative guidance will confirm that aggravated burglary and armed robbery offences should be heard in the County Court if they are serious and repeated.

The government will provide more resources to the County Court, including new judges, to fast-track hearings for these offenders.

Children specifically aged 14 may be tried and sentenced in the Children’s Court, and excluded from Adult Time for Violent Crime, in substantial and compelling circumstances (e.g. if they have a cognitive disability).

The Bill also toughens the carjacking offence – expanding it to capture conduct where a person steals a car with a child under the age of 10 inside.

It will be an offence whether or not the person accused of the crime used force against any person, or whether they knew a child was in the vehicle. The principle will be clear: if there’s a child inside, it’s carjacking.

Knife crime has torn too many families and communities apart. The Bill also introduces a new stand-alone offence to apply when an accused person uses a knife in committing specific indictable offences.

Offenders charged with this new offence could face up to three years in jail on top of other charges.

The changes in the Bill will begin to take effect immediately after royal assent and will be fully implemented by the end of February.

The federal government is helping households, small businesses and community groups bring down their energy bills with the continued roll out of the Cheaper Home Batteries program.

Since the start of the program in July this year, more than 145,000 homes across Australia have taken the next step and installed batteries to store their sunshine, including more than 600 in Ballarat and 25,000 across Victoria.

One in three Australian households have rooftop solar – but before this program began, only one in 40 had a battery.

The government is fixing that, by giving all Australians support towards the cost of a battery. The program provides around 30 per cent, or around $4,000 – off the cost of a typical home battery.

The installation of a battery is estimated to save households with existing rooftop solar up to $1,100 off their power bill every year, and those installing both a new solar and battery system could save up to $2,300 a year – up to 90 per cent of a typical family electricity bill.

This program is helping Australians take control of their own power bill while reducing reliance on the grid, helping to drive down prices for everyone, and slashing bills for good.

The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) is delivering the program through the existing Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme that has safely and successfully delivered solar subsidies since 2011, making Australia a world leader when it comes to rooftop solar.

The subsidy is proportionate to the size of the battery installed – ensuring people are able to pick an affordable battery that is right for their needs. This works out to 30% off a typically sized home battery – around $4,000 off a 11.5 kilowatt hour battery, which usually costs around $14,000.

A smaller 5 kilowatt hour battery would often cost around half as much, and will now be discounted by around $1,800 under the scheme.

The Cheaper Home Batteries Program is part of the government’s plan to create a fairer, cleaner, and more reliable energy system for all Australians.

For more information visit dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/cheaper-home-batteries