Young Gisborne artist, Charlie Jackman has been named as a finalist in the 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards (Victoria) in the Josh’s Rainbow Eggs, Ethical Business category.

Proudly autistic, Charlie, 17, communicates a powerful message of inclusion and inspiring others.

Charlie is a talented artist who runs Charlie by Art, an art micro-enterprise he co-founded with his mum.

His vibrant art works have earned commissions from prominent figures like former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews and Federal NDIS Minister, Bill Shorten.

Charlie uses his platform to raise awareness and promote acceptance for the autistic and neurodivergent
community.

He sells thousands of his greeting cards and framed prints online, at markets and through a growing list of stockists that include the Corner Café and the HMS Community Clinic, both in Gisborne.

A 2023 recipient of a Macedon Ranges Youth Award, Charlie is a full-time VCE Vocational Major student and works locally as a kitchenhand.

Charlie and his family will attend a presentation dinner at the Sofitel Melbourne on June 14 for the announcement of the winners in each category.

A People’s Choice Award is an additional way that the Young Achiever Awards acknowledge young people and Charlie says he would love people to vote for him.

Link to voting: bit.ly/4d8tOnW

Words & Image: Supplied

The doors are open to Ballarat’s newest community hub – and all are being invited to get along and see what’s on offer there.

The Djila-tjarriu Community Hub open day is on Saturday 4 May and all are welcome to attend.

‘Djila-tjarriu’ (pronounced jilla-ja-roo) means ‘place of play’ in Wadawurrung language.

Since its official opening in earlier this year, the community hub has been ringing with the sound of kindergarten children. About 50 children are already enrolled in three and four-year-old funded kindergarten.

In addition to the three kindergarten rooms, the $9.9 million hub boasts two further community rooms, a meeting room, a community kitchen and associated staff facilities.  

The community meeting spaces are now publicly available for booking and will provide spaces for education, training, events, and social connections.

Everybody is welcome to attend the open day, including prospective families, community groups and local organisations who might consider using the hub.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said there was enormous potential for the $9.9 million facility.

“The Djila-tjarriu Community Hub is such a brilliant facility and we are proud to show it off to the Ballarat community,” he said.

“As a facility that is designed to cater to the rapidly expanding western suburbs, we want people to come along and see what might be possible and how the facility can benefit them.”

The program of the open day is as follows:

10am: Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony  

10.30am-12.30pm: Kinder information and tours  

10.30am-12.30pm: Playgroup drop-in and activities

10.30am-12.30pm: Murrup Art drop-in sessions

11am: Ageing Well activity – Tai Chi with Jack  

11.30am: Ageing Well activity – Chinese and Indian dancers

12.15pm: Ageing Well activity – Qi Gong with Vivian  

All day: Giant games from Sebastopol Library  

All day: Little Sprouts activity    

All day: Ballarat Regional Multicultural Centre information stand

The open day will be held at 18 Donegal Drive and take place from 10am-1pm.

A Mount Macedon resident will face a six-day contested committal hearing in September for the November crash in Daylesford last year that led to the death of five people.

The man is charged with five counts of culpable driving causing death, two counts of negligently causing serious injury, and seven counts of reckless conduct endangering life.

During the hearing and it is expected the hearing will reveal new details about the high-profile case.

The date for the case was set at the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court last month where it was revealed the defence will question 13 prosecution witnesses. 

At the conclusion of the hearing the magistrate will determine whether there is sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial.

Police allege Mr Swale drove after ignoring warnings his blood glucose levels were low. 

At a previous court hearing in December, lawyers for Mr Swale indicated he would be pleading not guilty, arguing the crash was the result of a medical episode.

Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health and Macedon Ranges Shire Council are calling on businesses to display the rainbow flag in the lead-up to this year’s International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on May 17.

Also on offer is an online workshop for businesses on how to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for LGBTIQA+ staff and customers. The workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, May 7 at 6.30pm.

An official flag-raising ceremony will be held at the Kyneton Mechanics Institute in Mollison Street on Friday, May 17 at noon featuring the Rainbow Voices choir, a free sausage sizzle and guest speakers.

Further details: 5421 1666, healthpromotion@scchc.org.au or www.sunburycobaw.org.au/idahobit-2024

The Hepburn Shire Council, following the establishment of an Advisory Committee in 2021, is taking the next step in its commitment to accommodate and welcome the many LGBTIQA+ people in the region.

The Victorian Population Health Survey shows that 7.5 per cent of the shire’s population identify as LGBTIQA+, about one third higher than the average across rural and regional Victoria.

The new draft of the Rainbow Action Plan commits the council to take clear and achievable actions to help create a more inclusive, safe and welcoming community for LGBTIQA+ people.

An online survey is at participate. hepburn.vic.gov.au/rainbow-action-plan with feedback closing May 8.

Re: Daylesford Hospital

Over the long weekend in January, I had the need to attend Daylesford Hospital’s acute care facility.

It brought home to me the importance of an emergency acute care centre in Daylesford and Hepburn and that the proposed upgrade of the Daylesford Hospital needs to happen now to ensure this service is available in the future.

At the last state election, it was recognised that the hospital needed $70 million spent to bring it up to standard and to ensure it can continue to provide essential care to our community.

All candidates recognised the need except for our local member and Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas.

My journey to the hospital was caused by a severe case of diarrhoea. I rang Springs Medical; the triage nurse advised me to go to the hospital, and after I spoke with a doctor, was told go to the Daylesford Hospital and, if unable, to get myself there by calling an ambulance.

I chucked a roll of toilet paper on the back seat of the car and with my wife driving, we headed off for a 15-minute trip to Daylesford, seriously hoping I would make it before needing to go to the toilet.

I arrived at the hospital, acute care was expecting me, and I just made it to the toilet.

The nursing staff were amazing, as was the on-call doctor. I was triaged and told to come back Sunday morning at 10am for the results of the tests carried out on the spot.

On my return on Sunday morning, I was prescribed antibiotics and am now fully recovered.

The realisation was, without acute care in Daylesford, it would have meant a 45-minute ambulance trip to Ballarat Base, plus waiting time for the ambulance to arrive and then to the very busy ER, with the possibility of being ramped on arrival and probably the need to go to the toilet two to three times on the journey.

Then there would be the journey for my wife with a 45-minute drive both ways, plus finding somewhere to park, parking fees, and then the return trip on the Sunday.

In our small community it is essential that our emergency care is maintained. It is two years to the next state election, and we need to make sure that the existing Labor Government fund the upgrade before then or that, as a community, we make it an election issue and the funding becomes an election promise.

Please write to our local member and Minister for Health and request that the proposed upgrade of the Daylesford Hospital happens.

From David Reilly, Bullarto South

Editor’s note: Letters, thoughts and musings are always welcome. Just keep them short and to the point, or long and interesting. Email news@tlnews.com.au

Victoria Police Marine Search and Rescue team and Fisheries Victoria have joined forces to tackle fishy activity across the state’s south-west as part of Operation Barrel in recent days.

Over four days, including the weekend of April 27-28, fishermen launched their boats across Apollo Bay, Portland and Cape Bridgewater, looking to reel in blue-fin tuna.

It is estimated the big catch can weigh more than 150kg and are worth up to $5000 on the black market.

The four-day operation saw the Water Police assess around 300 boats, but not all went swimmingly for a few of these keen fishers.

Out of the 110 boats that were checked, 10 were fined for failing to maintain safety equipment to fish offshore.

Water Police also attended marine parks in Cape Bridgewater and handed out three $200 penalties for those caught illegally fishing in protected waters.

The teams continued to patrol the waterways across Cape Otway until the operation wrapped up on Tuesday afternoon.

Leading Senior Constable Shaun Wallace: “The Bass Strait waterway are considered some of the most dangerous in Australia as boats fishing for big game are subjected to strong winds and extreme weather changes in treacherous conditions.”

“Complacency is a huge issue when it comes to this kind of game fishing. It doesn’t seem like much but not meeting those minimum safety requirements can be the difference between life and death out on the water.”

“Our patrols also found a lot of new boats are not equipped with a standard magnetic compass. People forget that if the boat runs out of power and without navigation, you have little chance of finding your way home.”

The Daylesford Autism Parent Connection Group is a friendly, relaxed group of parents and carers who come together for information sharing, social connection, and peer support.

The group is for parent/guardian carers of children (0-18 years) with an autism diagnosis or who exhibit significant autism-like traits.

It is a great opportunity to share your knowledge and experience and to gain new information about local services and events. Guest speakers may be invited to attend. New members are warmly welcomed.

The first meeting for this group will be at 10am on Thursday, May 16 at The Mill Cafe & Larder in the Amazing Mill Markets, Daylesford.

To register contact Parent Support Program coordinator Rebecca Paton on 0493 765 542 or email rpaton@pinarc.org.au, or contact group leader, Kim Moloney on 0421 206 875 or email thinkwareglobal@gmail.com

Police have arrested two people and are seeking public assistance to identify four others, as part of an investigation into the alleged assault of officers during the Midsumma Pride Festival earlier this year.

A group of approximately 50 protestors surrounded members from Victoria Police as they were attempting to participate in the event on 4 February, with several items thrown at officers.

Many of the people marching for Victoria Police are proudly part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Following enquiries, Port Phillip Crime Investigation Unit detectives executed a search warrant at a unit in Brunswick West on Wednesday 24 April.

Two men aged 28 and 29 – both from Brunswick West – were arrested at the scene and interviewed. Both have been released pending further enquiries.

As investigations continue, police are releasing the images of four people they believe can assist with enquiries.

Anyone who recognises the individuals pictured above is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online via the Crime Stoppers website.

Police detected 6,857 traffic offences across Victoria over the Anzac Day period as part of Operation Tribute.

The statewide operation saw police highly visible and enforcing over five days in an effort to reduce road trauma on Victorian roads.

More than a third of offences detected were for speeding, with the majority of motorists caught speeding between 10km/h and 25km/h over the speed limit.

Concerningly, police detected 441 motorists who are disqualified, suspended or unlicenced and not permitted to be driving.

Police were also astounded by more than 300 drivers caught using their mobile phone during the blitz, and a further 104 fined for not wearing a seatbelt.

There were 168 drink drivers detected from 108,303 preliminary breath tests, and 133 drug drivers from 2,193 roadside drug tests.

The total 6,857 offences detected during Operation Tribute included:

• 2,799 speeding offences, with 2,152 of those caught speeding between 10km/h and 25/km over the speed limit

• 441 disqualified/suspended and unlicenced drivers

• 308 mobile phone offences

• 224 disobey signs/signals

• 168 drink drivers from 108,303 preliminary breath tests

• 133 drug drivers from 2,193 roadside drug tests

• 104 seatbelt offences

• 130 impoundments

• 597 unregistered vehicles

Operation Tribute ran from 00:01am on Wednesday 24 April until 11:59pm on Sunday 28 April.

Road Policing Assistant Commissioner, Glenn Weir: “Anzac Day is an important time of reflection and paying our respects, however it’s a shame we don’t see this extended to people’s behaviour on the roads.

“There is a clear lack of regard for the rules despite our continuous warnings that police will be out enforcing during high-risk periods – almost 7,000 offences detected over five days is disappointing.

“Of particular concern is the high number of people we are catching who should not be behind the wheel – these individuals show a blatant disregard for the road rules and to the safety of all other road users.

“The number of people fined for things that are so easily avoidable, like using a mobile phone or failing to wear a seatbelt, also remains baffling to us.

“Police will continue to be out enforcing anywhere, anytime, so if you’re think you won’t be caught doing the wrong thing, there’s a good chance we’ll catch up with you”.

Daylesford Health has recently received a $186,000 gift from a past patient who left the funds to the hospital in their will.

The impact of their legacy will be long-lasting on the local community as it will assist Central Highlands Rural Health to continue improving services and planning upgrades for the facilities on Hospital Street, Daylesford.

Gifts in wills are incredibly valuable to health services as they are an investment into the future of healthcare for generations to come.

Support for Daylesford Health has also been received recently from local artist Adele Perry who is donating her artwork for auction; Daylesford Bowling Club who gave its monthly meat raffle proceeds to its local health service, and Daylesford Highland Gathering committee which gave a generous $10,000 to aged care residents at Lumeah Lodge.

Links: www.chrh.org.au/donate and/or www.chrh.org.au/volunteer

What a weird world we live in. A couple of issues ago I wrote my column about mushrooms and how I would avoid scavenging them and stick to the greengrocer. And I don’t know what happened over at Clunes, but it is such an unfortunate situation that will impact on the lives of so many for so long.

Speaking of food or fresh food and in particular “The Fresh Food People”, Woolworths boss Brad Banducci was threatened with a contempt charge in a fiery Senate inquiry hearing recently.

I did watch the news program which was a bit theatrical from chair Nick McKim who took issue with the CEO’s refusal to disclose his company’s return on equity. I guess with the cameras around it was his time to show who had a big stick.

As it turns out the contempt charge, if he had have been charged, was six months’ jail time or a $5000 fine. I am sure ‘old mate’ who takes home $10.6 million in salary was quaking in his boots at the thought of the fine.

I am pretty confident just like the many inquiries that have gone before this current one, little to no action will happen at our (the customers), end of things. A bit of an apology and some head-down, bum up behaviour will be called for, before they get back to business as usual.

It’s like the whole petrol price rise débâcle that usually happens before a long weekend. That toothless tiger of an organisation, the ACCC, gets involved and really gets the petrol companies on the ropes, right?

The thing is that the ACCC’s parent is the Department of Treasury, which enjoys the spoils of our petrol consumption at an excise rate increase from 48.8 cents per litre which has just gone up to 49.6 cents per litre. So why would they bite the hand that throws the sausages?

And have you ever heard of surge pricing? This is a legal practice that enables companies such as airlines to put up prices when they are busy.

Imagine when we at TL HQ brought out that 104-page whopper of a paper in early February if we could have invoked surge pricing. Our advertisers would have laughed us out the door. We are local and real human beings whereas surge pricing is fabulous for the faceless AI bots that serve the mainframes of the airline computers.

And we go full circle to another grocery store, Blake Family Grocers. Daylesford’s small specialty grocery store going about its own business. The management team have long since decided to go cash free and what an uproar from the great unwashed.

Online diatribe like “they have to take cash it’s legal tender” were floating about. Well, no they don’t, they don’t have to take your cash or serve you if you’re being a dickhead, it is their business how they conduct their business and if you don’t like it, go somewhere else.

Don’t get me wrong, I want to see cash remain and I don’t want the bastards knowing everything, and I still do operate personally with cash albeit a bit less since the pandemic.

But you can’t tell a business how to run its business. You can leave feedback and advice, but a business is just that, a business not a community service.

For example, here at TL HQ we have had many suggestions on how to run the show over the years. And we have developed our business from the ground up taking on some suggestions and ignoring others, but the one rule we always invoke and is the only suggestion I have for other businesses, is the “no arsehole rule”.

These folks are painful, take up too much energy and will hassle you when it’s time to pay the ferryman – even when they are at the other side.

No arsehole rant over…

By Donna Kelly

What an extraordinary thing Ros Pyers has done. Generously donated to not just one but four organisations.

And that is after a lifetime of already donating her time as a volunteer to even more groups – and working as an educator, surely one of the most important roles in our community.

So it is no wonder the beneficiaries of her generosity are Hepburn Primary School and Daylesford Primary School along with the Daylesford Community Brass Band (pictured above) – her love of music shining through, and Daylesford and District Historical Society – another love, history.

As Hepburn Shire Mayor Cr Brian Hood, who attended a small celebration of the donations last week said, the impact of Ros’s generosity and compassion will be felt for many years to come.

“This is such a wonderful gesture and one that will make an incredible difference to our children and the wider community.”

Now I don’t know the Pyers couple very well – although in recent times I have spent a bit of time, in his role with the Daylesford Highland Gathering, with Ros’s husband of 67 years Keith.

I also know Keith as the go-to Justice of the Peace, who during those dark days of Covid, continued to offer his services with a desk and a couple of chairs on the verandah of the couple’s home. That is commitment and kindness, which is what Keith and Ros seem to be all about.

Keith was also a teacher and involved as a volunteer in many organisations – and has spent a lot of time and effort ensuring Ros’s donations came to fruition.

Congratulations to you both, and thank you from myself and your community. It would be wonderful if your actions encourage others to do something similar. It certainly has me thinking. Oh, and a very happy 90th to you both!

I would also like to thank our journo Narelle Groenhout for writing the story, on page 3 if you skipped past, with such love and kindness. I would have loved to have gone along myself but was away – and just knew this had Narelle’s name all over it.

You might remember Narelle writing about the terrible accident in Daylesford last year – she was there when it happened and felt compelled to share her feelings, again, all about love and compassion. And just between us, she and her husband Pat, did amazing, although they would never tell you that.

Finally, I really have enjoyed putting this edition together. Sometimes, to be honest, it’s work but this time it was just fantastic to see so many stories, and advertising, coming through. Like we are really back.

We started off with 28 pages and then more stories arrived, so I bumped it up to 32 pages and then more stories arrived so I made the decision on Friday to go up to 36 pages. Hopefully it will stay there, because I am running out of steam now.

But it’s a great edition and nice to get back into after our break in Japan. We had a great time, and our grand-nephew loved it too. He really “got” Japan which not every one does.

And here is a final Japan pic I just had to share. We found ourselves in a bar, strange that, and as I chatted to the manager in Japanese, he said he had a surprise for us. He disappeared and returned with a geisha. True story.

But Kyle was just a little too enamoured. Just sayin’…

To many people, the Hepburn Golf Club is one of the district’s hidden gems. Tucked away off the main road, it’s an oasis for kangaroos as well as those out for a bit of a hit in the open air.

But it has struggled and now, after operating for almost a century, the club has become privately owned.

“We realised a year ago that we were losing money and members,” says its final president, Daylesford’s Vic Delosa. “We were facing insolvency.”

The club has been acquired by Golf Services Management (GSM), which is committed to spending a substantial amount on the course over five years. GSM runs courses across the state with a 6000-strong data base and is owned by the son of a 1980s Daylesford Primary School principal.

Vic says many people were doing a lot of work at the club, but they were getting older, tired and drifting away.

“There is an enormous amount of work in what is a $400,000 a year business and we didn’t have enough financial or human resources to turn it around.”

Over summer, Friday nights at the club showed its potential as it drew golfers and non-golfers to a First Tee evening of some glorious singing, the fun of a raffle and even indoor putting. But the club needed about 15 active people to run marketing, the clubhouse and more.

After a year in talks with GSM, the club members voted nearly 100 per cent for the change. “Clearly GSM needed to own it,” Vic adds,” because if they can’t turn it around, they can sell it to hopefully re-coup their investment.”

GSM’s owner, former professional golfer Ian Denny, was Hepburn’s junior champion in 1968. Says Vic, “I don’t think this would have happened if he didn’t have the passion and enthusiasm that comes with being a local boy.”

Among the six Victorian courses GSM runs is St Andrew’s Beach on the Mornington Peninsula, which is now ranked as Australia’s best public course.

Vic says the clubhouse and its surroundings will be improved, as well as the course, which needs work on its paths and drainage to make it more playable in winter.

Members will be offered a 25 per cent discount in fees for five years. Full membership is currently $695 a year. “The emphasis will move from competition to social golf, but not one at the cost of the other.”

We talk in the clubhouse beneath big honour boards listing decades of club champions and officials, those who scored a hole-in-one, and much more. TV screens may replace these and the club is in discussion with the Daylesford & District Historical Society to be custodians of any historical material for which the club does not have a home.

Outside, holidaying young boys are having a round, sharing one bag of clubs as the third to hit off misses his tee shot.

GSM, says Vic, is a marketing expert and will make the most of the course as one of the region’s hidden secrets. “Many people don’t even know of it.”

Golfers love visiting other courses, according to Vic, opening a largely untapped market. One idea is to offer a shortened “round” of five holes from the 14th to the 18th, taking about an hour.

Other long-term suggestions are accommodation pods where golfers can stay, and perhaps a food and drink business in the clubhouse.

“This is a win for the community: members play a better course that is better managed at no extra cost, and the council is happy and has offered to promote it.”

That is not to overlook what Vic says is the greatest asset of the club, course superintendent Darren McColl, who has been there for 37 years. He works with Paul Thomas, who has put in 18 years. They regularly work a 50-hour week. Now, more help may be on the way.

Words: Kevin Childs | Images: Contributed

Two Kyneton residents who stole firewood from the Metcalfe State Forest for profit have been ordered to pay a combined amount of $3000 and forfeit the tools and machinery used in their offending, after being found guilty of six charges each at Kyneton Magistrates’ Court.

On Tuesday, April 9, a 37-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man were each convicted and fined $1500 after they admitted to illegally cutting, removing, and selling red stringybark timber, dumping rubbish, and damaging wildlife habitat on public land in September 2022.

A 39-year-old male co-offender was convicted and fined $3000 after pleading guilty to two offences related to illegal firewood theft at Bendigo Magistrates’ Court in February.

The offenders were caught on concealed cameras installed as part of the Parks Victoria-led Operation Centaur, targeting the illegal removal of critical habitat and hollow-bearing trees on public land.

As other music festivals around the country flounder, CresFest is flourishing, as was realised by the
thousands of visitors who earlier this month flocked to the festival.

CresFest Director Judy Turner says the atmosphere in Creswick was absolutely terrific for the event
held over April 5-7.

“We had overseas, national and local musicians, visitors from interstate and throughout Victoria
and, importantly, we enjoyed the support of the local community who, in increasing numbers, are
seeing both the economic and social benefit of Creswick hosting this music festival,” Judy said.

Alongside ticketed concerts in the heritage buildings, there were free events with Albert Street
coming alive with magicians, buskers, street musicians, choirs and street bands.

Judy said that what sets CresFest apart from other festivals is the interaction between musicians,
audience and volunteers.

“In intimate venues, with respectful and relaxed performances, time and again musicians and ticketholders would remark on the friendliness of the volunteers who were always willing to stop,
listen and lend a hand,” she said.

“Over 130 volunteers offered their knowledge and time to make sure CresFest will continue to be
recognised as one of the most approachable festivals in the country.”

This year’s program reflected the outcome of a survey conducted at the conclusion of CresFest23:
greater diversity of musical genres, more free events and activities specifically for kids.

Planning for CresFest25 (April 4-6) is set to begin as soon as feedback has been collected from all the
key stakeholders including local businesses, musicians, ticketholders and volunteers – but already
the signs are looking strong for the future of this local festival.

Words: Fiona Watson. Images: Supplied