All Victorian farmers can register for a free consultation with a farm management specialist. 
The advisory service offers a session of up to three hours (face-to-face or online) and a follow-up call, to help farmers take stock and develop a plan for managing drought conditions. Specialists include agronomists, livestock nutritionists, veterinarians, pasture and grazing specialists and farm business advisors.

The Emergency Services Expo 2025 is set to take over Victoria Park, Daylesford this Saturday, October 25 from 10am to 2pm.
It will bring together emergency service agencies, community organisations, local businesses, and residents in one accessible, interactive setting. Over nine emergency services agencies including the CFA, SES, Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, Forest Fire Management, Parks Victoria, Australian Red Cross, and council will showcase the vital roles they perform during emergencies.

October is Probus Month and Daylesford Probus Club wants the next generation to get involved.
Treasurer and publicity officer Ted Goodwin said the club had been a proud part of the local community for many years – bringing people together through friendship, learning, and shared experiences. “To keep our club strong and vibrant, we need to welcome a new generation of members, younger retirees, semi-retired people, or those who simply have a bit more time and want to connect with others in a friendly, social environment.” The Probus Club of Daylesford meets at 10am on the third Monday of each month at the Daylesford Bowling Club. Details: Susan Priest at daylesfordprobus@gmail.com or 0428 487 674.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is encouraging residents to get their properties ready for summer with a free green waste disposal week from Monday, October 27 to Sunday, November 2.
Residents can drop off green waste at council’s resource recovery facilities in Kyneton, Romsey or Woodend. Only residential loads are accepted, and residents can visit as many times as needed. Free self-loaded mulch is also available to help with garden maintenance. Links: mrsc.vic.gov.au/green-waste & mrsc.vic.gov.au/fire-ready

The Creswick Garden Lovers Weekend, now in its 10th year, is an annual community event organised by the Creswick Garden Club.

This year offers a new program of gardens and events and, as in previous years, local iconic commercial gardens, nurseries and community groups will also be participating in the event.
The community event, held over November 8 and 9, showcases private and commercial gardens and retail outlets which celebrates the skills of passionate gardeners in and around Creswick. Profits are used for Creswick projects and to provide ongoing sustainability for the event.
Open Garden entry fees are adults $6 per garden with children under 16 free. Tickets are available on the day at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre Hall on Saturday and Sunday, from 9am to 5pm.
Tickets can also be bought online at Humanitix. (Search for Creswick Garden Lovers Weekend.)
Tickets for the Secret Garden Home Garden – Garden Party are $20 and available on the day at the hall or online at www.thesecretgardenofdaylesford.com.au
The Creswick Garden Club also will hold its annual flower show at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre Hall on Saturday, November 8 from 10am to 5pm and Sunday, November 9 from 9am to 4pm.
Entries may be submitted by November 7 by 8pm at the hall. For entry and category information visit the Creswick Garden Club website. The entry fee for the flower show is a gold coin donation
The Creswick Garden Club will also hold a monster plant sale at Coopers Reserve outside the Visitor Information Centre on Saturday until sold out. If plants remain unsold they will be for sale outside the Community Centre Hall from 9am on Sunday.
Volunteers are very welcome. For the Garden Club contact Margaret Giles on 0419 326 453 or email info@creswick.net For the flower Show contact Leanne Murray 0437 518 159 or cgc.flowershow@gmail.com
Links: www.creswickgardenclub.com | Facebook: Creswick Garden Lovers Weekend | Instagram: @creswickgardenloversweekend

The annual Clunes Spring Show is always a family favourite and this year will be no exception. Mark the calendar for Saturday, November 15.
One of the program highlights is comedy magician Scott Stunz who will entertain on the main stage at noon and 3pm. There will also be roving balloon magic for all the family to enjoy.
The horse arena is always busy on show day but this year the amazing clydesdales will make a comeback from 1pm – joined by the Sandy Creek Clydesdales with their magnificent horses on display. Their blacksmithing demonstrations during the day will take everyone back to days of old.

The main stage will be buzzing throughout the day with local musicians such as local soloist Caylee Jane and the Wesley College student band in the morning and then the zany Ballan Community Street Band for the lunchtime gig.
Mitch Matheson is back again – catch him at 3.30pm.
Animals are always a huge part of any country show and Clunes is no exception. The “Big Ones, Tall Ones, Small Ones and Really Tiny and Slimy Fun Pet Show” is always a hit – bring along anything other than a horse for the judging at 1pm. There’s also Wicked Wildlife, pony rides and ferret racing throughout the day, not to mention the livestock competitions and judging.
The Dog High Jump competition, on at 2pm, is an annual crowd favourite followed by the ladies woodsplit, gumboot throw, keg throw and tug-of-war throughout the afternoon.
The Bute Ute competition has been a much-loved feature of the show for years. BYO and be a part of it, with entries taken until 11.30am.
For the kids, there is the Giant Sandpit, carnival rides, face painting, puppets and showbags.
Meanwhile, the homecrafts pavilion will be filled with home cookery, floral displays, art, photography and more. Competition entries close for most sections on Tuesday November 4 . The schedule can be found on the website clunesshow.com.au.
The Clunes Show is a cracking good day with heaps to entertain all ages. Admission for adults is only $20 and kids under 16 enter for free. Don’t miss it!
Words: Contributed

Online voting in the National Trust 2025 Victorian Tree of the Year closes at midnight on Thursday, October 23.

Kingston locals are hoping the winner will be Kingston’s Algerian Oak, one of the nine finalists – and under threat of being cut down.
If the tree can be saved, it is hoped that will also protect the town’s 1883 bluestone Kerrins Bridge and Kerrins Streamside Reserve, Kingston’s only piece of public land.
Kingston resident Jeremy Harper said the oak, at least 130 years old, is to be cut down if the Western Renewables Link goes ahead as planned. Jeremy says one of the 85-metre towers is to be erected right next to Kerrins Bridge, an arched bluestone structure built in 1883, and as the nearby tree is directly under the proposed transmission lines, AusNet says its removal is required.
“In 2023 this oak was placed on the National Trust Register of Significant Trees because of its ‘scientific, social and aesthetic’ importance yet AusNet says ‘the loss of the tree is considered to be a low impact’.
“The National Trust listing refers to its age, size, good health and the fact that it is unmodified, having presumably never been pruned.
“The tree is near the cobblestone remains of a ford across Birchs Creek, believed to have been used by Cobb & Co coaches before the bridge was built and may have been a stopping point for the horses.”
Link: www.nationaltrust.org.au/treeoftheyear/
Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Contributed

Lambo Man, aka billionaire and LMCT+ founder Adrian Portelli, has featured in a TikTok video – filmed at The Block in Daylesford, in a wine cellar built by Victorian contestants Emma and Ben.

Mr Portelli last year bought up all five houses from the Phillip Island show, raffled them off, and then paid the Ballarat winner $8m in cash instead of her taking ownership of the homes.
He then declared he was taking a break from being involved in the show with co-host Scott Cam telling radio, Mr Portelli had been asked nicely to step aside for the year.
Mr Portelli has also since signed a multimillion dollar deal with rival network Channel 7 to produce My Reno Rules in 2026.

Meanwhile, there is another kid on the block, just not the human kind. Scotty’s Sawmill, a 2649-square-metre parcel of land at 2 Armistice Way, Daylesford has been listed for $1.1 million. Domain has reported the sale will include the Stratco shed along with plans to convert that into a four-bedroom home by The Block architect Julian Brenchley of Group Architects.
Real estate agent Natalie Fagan, who is selling the property with Ashlee McKee, told Domain: “Lot 106 has stunning views, so it gives you the same sort of grandeur as The Block houses have with the land size, the location, the possibilities.”
The Sawmill is in a private corner at the end of The Block houses about which Domain says: “Adding to the sense of both space and privacy is the fact that this block shares a border with the heritage farmland of Wombat Park.”
Meanwhile the auction is set to go ahead on Saturday, October 25 with the nation tuning in to watch the results on Sunday, October 26.
In August, price guides for The Block homes were revealed, with each of the five Daylesford properties seeking $3 million to $3.3 million – four times the town’s median house price.
And while the audience waits to see if being part of the The Block was worthwhile for the contestants, the Channel 9 hit has been a winner for Daylesford and surrounds.
Not only has it shone a national and international spotlight on the region, The Block cast and crew also offered a helping hand to a number of local organisations such as Phoenix@The Rex, Daylesford Men’s Shed and the local schools.
Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Narelle Groenhout | Inset: TikTok
Images: The Block site, inset, from left, Ray White Sunbury’s Jamee Favorito, Mr Portelli and Ray White Sunbury’s Aaron Hill

United Nations International Mountain Day is celebrated on December 11.

Barry Golding, pictured, and Clive Willman made reference in their 2024 book, Six Peaks Speak to the serendipitous origins of Mountain Day in the US in autumn 1838, the exact same time that peaks in the Central Highlands of Victoria were being unsettled.
In 2025, during the week leading up to IMD, the Great Dividing Trail Association is organising six interpretive loop walks to the summits of six diverse and special mountains in Victoria’s Central Highlands, within three adjoining First Nations regions. They are:
• Saturday, December 6 – Mount Kooyora/Guyura (486m) including Melville Caves in Mt Kooyora State Park, near Dunolly, in central Dja Dja Wurrung Country.
• Sunday, December 7 – Mount Buninyong/Bonan Youang (745m) in Mt Buninyong Scenic Reserve, south of Ballarat in Wadawurrung Country.
• Monday, December 8 – Mount Steiglitz/Kal Kal Karrah (637m) and the glacial deposits at nearby Pykes Creek. The seldom-visited Mt Steiglitz Scenic Reserve north of Ballan in Wurundjeri Country accessed via private land.
• Tuesday, December 9 (dawn walk) – Mt Beckworth/Nyaninyuk (629m), within Mt Beckworth Scenic Reserve near Clunes in southern Dja Dja Wurrung Country.
• Wednesday, December 10 – Wombat Hill (670m), a town walk around historic Daylesford in Dja Dja Wurrung Country. The walk will start with a launch of the Lerderderg Track Walk or Ride Guide and conclude with a picnic in Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens.
• Thursday, December 11 – Blue Mountain/Wuid Krruirk (871m), a little- known mountain within the proposed Wombat-Lerderderg National Park south of Trentham, on the forested Great Divide, between Dja Dja Wurrung, Wadawurrung and Wurundjeri country.
Registration for the walks and more information at www.gdt.org.au/events
Non-walking club members are welcome, but will need $10 cash on the day to cover GDTA walker insurance.

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: File

The Glenlyon Recreation Reserve Pavilion will be renovated instead of being knocked down for a new build.

A council media release said the move came after work by a Project Advisory Group which met four times between April and June 2025 to assess options for the reserve’s community facilities. The PAG unanimously recommended renovating the existing pavilion as the preferred option.
The project cost is $1.3 million with a federal government grant of $500,000.
In her social media councillor column Cr Shirley Cornish said three Rs reflected the heart of what Hepburn Shire can be – Renewal, Respect and Resilience.
“Respect for each other, our history, the environment and the land we share. We have attended workshops, contributed to masterplans and structure plans, and conducted surveys to gather community ideas and feedback to shape how we grow.
“One place where this truly comes alive is in Glenlyon. The Glenlyon Recreation Reserve is not just a park but part of our local heritage.
“Council recently made the thoughtful decision to renovate and restore the heritage-listed Glenlyon Pavilion rather than replace it. This isn’t just about replacing timber and tiles – it’s about preserving identity and honouring the memories held in those walls, while upgrading it with modern facilities, accessibility and safety.
“The project has been guided by many, and I sincerely thank the Project Advisory Group for their contribution and support as we travelled through the process ensuring this decision remained grounded in community values.”

A new Hepburn Shire Residents Association will be formed at a public meeting to be held at the Victoria Park Pavilion, Daylesford on November 13 from 7.30pm.

Resident and convenor Tim Anderson said it was time for residents to organise themselves into a formal group to fight for their future.
“The association is aimed at giving the residents a vehicle that can engage with the Hepburn Shire Council and its councillors, providing a constructive path for community consultation, but also to lobby and campaign against any decision from the council that is counter to community values and expectations,” he said.
“HSRA will not be limited to pursuing its agendas at the shire level but also at the state government level if it believes it needs to have higher intervention or is being ignored by the council. The association is for Hepburn Shire residents, resident property owners, renters, and residents forced to live in their cars, tents or couch surf because there is no affordable housing available.”
Tim said the shire had a high number of absentee property owners with many using their properties as holiday houses and short-term accommodation businesses.
“What these owners expect from our shire is not necessarily in line with that of full-time residents. The association will not be there to push commercial interests.”
An early aim for the association is a skills and experience audit of its members and to use this for a forensic audit of the shire’s finances and expenditure.
Meanwhile, a number of residents have used social media, and contacted The Local, to express their concern about Future Hepburn plans for Daylesford’s east.
Resident Shai Tabassi said the change of farming zones for residential use, with no new roads, schools, supermarkets or doctors’ clinic, made it hard to understand “how this town can handle another 200 houses with an average of four people per house”.
“Already the traffic in Vincent and Raglan streets is shocking. To get an appointment at the clinic takes weeks, our roads are in so much stress and need upgrading. Simply put, there has been almost no improvement in the infrastructure of the town. We must make sure this project is done with the utmost attention to our environment and infrastructure.”
Submissions on Future Hepburn plans close on Friday, October 24 and can be sent to strategicplanning@hepburn.vic.gov.au

Family. Home. Church.
Three things Daylesford’s Betty Togni has devoted her life to. A life that has spanned a full century.
Recently, Betty’s family and friends converged on Daylesford from across the country to recognise Betty’s 100th birthday.
Betty’s celebrations included an afternoon tea with fellow residents at Hepburn House, which she has called home for four years. Then the family gathered the next day to share stories and memories with Betty.

Chatting with Narelle
Exhausted after a busy weekend, she still made time to welcome me in her room and chat about her milestones, her early years, her family and her marriage.
“My late husband Lou, my children, my home and my church. That has been my life, and I have been very lucky to live in a wonderful community,” she said.
“To be honest I hated it at first – arriving in the early 1940s when my father George began working as the local steam train diver. It was cold and wet. But I soon adapted, and I couldn’t imagine a more wonderful place to raise a family and call home.”

The Togni name
“I am so proud of the Togni name. The Swiss Italian heritage is such an important part of the local history. All those brave and wonderful people coming to an unknown little town and playing such an important role in the area. I admire them so much.”
Betty’s early years were incredibly hard. Born in Donald, her mother died when she was 18 months old while giving birth to her sister. She was sent to Williamstown to live with her grandmother.

Living with her grandmother
“My grandmother Emma was gorgeous. She was the most loving and wonderful woman, and I can still remember my early years being with her and surrounded by her love,” she said. “There were always so many people in our home and it was a happy and loving house. I was sent back to live with my father and stepmother and stepbrothers.
“I didn’t know them, and I was only eight. It was hard and I can still remember it. I missed my grandmother terribly. My stepmother was very tough, but I just had to adapt to it all.”

A baby doll called Louise
One memory Betty has never forgotten was the time she fell in love with a baby doll in a local shop window. At the same time, she was told that something very special was coming for her birthday.
“I thought I was going to receive this beautiful doll for my birthday but when the time came, I was told I was getting a baby brother. That was my surprise. I’ve remembered that my entire life. So, when I moved into Hepburn House, I bought myself a lovely baby doll. I named her Louise after my husband,” she said.

Family
Betty and Lou raised six children – three girls and three boys. Sadly, one of her sons died. Two of her children now live locally, while the others live in Maryborough, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Betty and Lou raised their family in their Jamieson Street family home. Betty later moved into a smaller home in Camp Street where she lived for 17 years.
“I knew after two visits to hospital in the ambulance it was time to move into care and I wanted to make it easier on my daughter Elizabeth. I have lived here for four years now and have the most wonderful views from my room. The staff here are so caring,” she said.

Gardening, golf, bowls, art and church
Over the years Betty was a keen gardener, loved her golf and enjoyed lawn bowls.
She also discovered her love of art when she bought a Paint by Numbers kit for her son Ross. There were two in the pack, so she completed one and loved it. A beautiful painting hangs above her bed and all the other work has been given to family members.
While her congregation in the local Uniting Church declined in numbers over the years and recently amalgamated following the sale of the church in Daylesford, Betty still enjoys attending the regular Wednesday church service at Hepburn House. She is also still an important member of her church family, and many were at her birthday celebrations.

Letters for her birthday
Betty was particularly delighted to receive a letter from King Charles. “I was pregnant when Queen Elizabeth was pregnant with Charles, so I have always felt a connection to him and look at him as one of my own” she said.
She also received letters from the Governor of Victoria and the Prime Minister. But it was a letter from the Department of Veteran Affairs that moved Betty.
“My husband Lou served in the army and the letter from the Minister mentioned Louis’ remarkable efforts in the war and thanked me for supporting him. It was very moving,” she said.

A family legacy
It’s clear Betty’s entire adult life has been centred around her family. And when her family gathered for her birthday, including many of her 23 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, two of her granddaughters (sisters) told her on the day they were both having babies. And Betty couldn’t be more delighted as the family she began many years ago with her beloved Lou continues to grow.

Featuring Betty and Kyle’s Rant
This is the first time in 100 years Betty has been in any local newspaper. She loves reading The Local and her favourite section is Kyle’s Rant. From the team at The Local and most importantly Kyle, we are delighted to feature you in this edition, Betty.

Finally, from Kyle
Hi Betty, It sounded like you had a much deserved, wonderful birthday with family and friends. I loved reading your story and feel like I know you. Next time I am passing the wonderful Hepburn House I will pop in to say g’day if that’s ok? Glad you like my rant – years ago when I first started writing them I used to pretend I was a grumpy old man, now I think I might be! Kyle xx

(Ed’s note: Betty, please don’t encourage Kyle by liking his rants. He will get an even bigger head! Happy Birthday from Donna xx)

Renters know the feeling: paying for a new rental bond out of pocket before their existing bond has been returned. Most people don’t just have a spare few thousand dollars lying around to cover it.

The state government is changing the law to introduce a new Portable Rental Bond Scheme and help do away with the dreaded ‘double bond’ payment.

Minister for Consumer Affairs Nick Staikos has introduced the Consumer Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 to establish the scheme, which can allow renters to transfer their existing bond directly to their new rental property.

More than 736,000 households are expected to benefit from this change, which eases the cost of moving by removing the financial burden of paying a second bond before the first one is refunded.

Under the scheme, renters will be able to apply online to port their existing bond across to their new home.

It’s a win-win for renters and providers: as part of the scheme, the Government will guarantee the existing bond amount in advance to the original rental provider until the tenancy is wrapped up and the bond claim process is finalised.

If a rental provider’s claim for a bond is successful, the renter will owe the money not to the rental provider but to the government, and will need to pay it back up front or in stages.

The Bill will also deliver further protections to make renting fairer and rental properties safer, including:

• Requiring rental providers and their agents to provide renters with documentary evidence to support a bond claim 3 days before the claim can be lodged
• Requiring rental providers and their agents to provide supporting documentation when making an application for a bond claim to VCAT
• Banning the extra fees that get charged when you pay your own rent – including on ‘rent tech’ apps
• Requiring rental providers and rooming house operators to keep records that demonstrate their property meets the mandatory minimum standards
• Expanding gas and electrical safety checks to apply to all residential rental agreements, regardless of when a rental agreement was started
• Ensuring the health and safety of renters by requiring gas checks are undertaken prior to draughtproofing activities in residential rental properties so gas appliances operate safely.

Construction is underway on a new kindergarten in Bendigo.

Premier and Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan turned the first sod on the new Kennington Primary School Kindergarten, which will create up to 178 new kinder places.

Kennington Primary School Kindergarten will include three kindergarten rooms with space for up to 99 children at once when it opens in Term 1 next year.

The state government is building a kindergarten on or next to every new primary school – helping children transition smoothly to school, reducing travel times and easing cost of living pressures for busy families.

More than 145,000 children and their families are saving up to $2,600 per child each year through the Free Kinder program, which is available at 97 per cent of kinder programs across the state.

Thirty-four organisations will share in $760,000 from this year’s Connecting Carers in their Community grants program.

Delivered by Carers Victoria and Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), the grants will help local and culturally specific organisations deliver tailored support, reduce social isolation and improve carer wellbeing.

Highlights of this year’s grants include:

• Cultivating Carers in West Warrnambool, expanding their kitchen-garden workshops to include self-care, nutrition, cooking and a local food swap to encourage peer connection.
• A dementia support network in Kyabram, extending peer support across Kyabram, Nagambie, Echuca-Moama, Shepparton and Mooroopna.
• First Nations organisations including Murray Valley Aboriginal Cooperative, Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative, Moogji Aboriginal Council, Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative, and Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative, delivering culturally safe and tailored carer supports in their communities.

These grants support the newly released Victorian Carer Strategy 2025-2035 which sets out a plan to strengthen carer health, opportunities and wellbeing over the next decade.

During National Carers Week, Victorian Carer Card holders can travel for free on public transport across the state, helping remove travel costs as a barrier to attend events, access services and stay connected.

National Carers Week runs from 12-18 October and recognises the essential role carers play right across Victoria.