The Burnbank Fire Brigade has marked its 80 year anniversary this month with an event to celebrate its history and contribution to the local community.

Chief Officer Jason Heffernan and Deputy Chief Officer Brett Boatman joined Burnbank Captain Michael Boord on Saturday afternoon, February 10, to reflect on the Brigade’s years of service over the last eight decades.  
 
Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said he was honoured to witness the incredible milestone event. 

“I couldn’t be prouder of the hard work and dedication of our Burnbank volunteers and I have no doubt CFA will continue to have a strong community presence in Burnbank for the next 80 years.”  
 
The Burnbank Fire Brigade was formed on the 26th of January in 1944 by a group of farmers and residents from the Evansford and Burnbank districts – just north west of Clunes. It was registered as part of CFA’s formation in 1944 and is currently aligned with the Pyrenees Group of fire brigades. 
 
Captain Michael Boord has been with the brigade in various roles for the last 18 years. Over that time he has collected various photos and documented its history as best he could.

About a month out from the brigade’s 80th anniversary someone got in touch to let him know the owner of the original Burnbank tanker was looking to sell.  
 
“I couldn’t believe it. It just fell into my hands about a month before the anniversary. It was quite bizarre!” said Captain Michael Boord.  

“It was in Raglan about half an hour south of us. I went and had a look at it and it wasn’t in bad shape. It’s a 1949 Austin.  

“We all decided to pass the hat around. We made an offer and we were able to get it for $900. It was a great find.” 

 The original truck was in service until 1988 and is currently parked out the front of the station. The Brigade is hoping to add a canopy to protect it from the weather and use the truck for a display.  

Michael also managed to get his hands on the original minutes from when the brigade was incepted right up until today’s date. A photo of the original minutes was printed and framed for the community to see at Saturday’s event.  

The Burnbank Fire Brigade was part of the first responders to the 2019 Lexton fire and played a vital role in stopping the fire in its tracks. Many of the brigades long serving members remember it as one of the fiercest fires they have ever witnessed.

Firefighters of the Eureka Group Strike Team have told how CFA training helped save their lives during a burnover on the fireground in Pomonal earlier this month.

The crew arrived in Pomonal, near the Grampians National Park, at around 4pm on Tuesday February 13, to protect homes impacted by the fire, when a wind change occurred not long after they got there. 

Jarrod Pegg, member of the Ballarat CFA, said the blaze went from slow moving and predictable to increasing in height several metres at a time. 

“We were attacking the fire and the rapid change in wind caused a significant fire wall to approach our truck which came over us while we were still out of the truck,” he said. 

“At that point in time I enacted our burnover protocol at CFA, ensured my crew were in the truck safely, then radioed through a mayday call to our strike team leader to inform them of our situation, from there other units from our strike team approached and assisted in our safety. 

“We had little time to act to the situation but were able to get in the truck safely with minimal injuries. 

“Fortunately our training kicked in, we train for this type of activity, we don’t like to see it and hope it never happens, but we still train for it every season,” Jarrod said. 

Jarrod said a burnover was a situation no CFA member wanted to be in, but their training guided them. 

“A burn over is what we try to avoid, no one wants to be in. But all across CFA and fire services we practice it. I am comfortable with the training I have received. I had no concerns about what was happening yesterday. 

He credits the success not only to the training, his team too. 

“All I had to do was inform my team we were going into a burnover and didn’t have to think twice about what was happening next. Everyone played a part in the protection and safety of ourselves.”  

And in true CFA spirit, after getting medical clearance the strike team decided to continue fighting fires.  

“I’m proud of my crew, they were very adamant they wanted to get back to the fire ground as soon as they could. They wanted to continue protecting the community they were there to save.” 

“For me personally, this incident reinforces for volunteers to exist in CFA and continue to support communities, particularly communities during their time of need.” 

Road maintenance, the improvement of cycleways and footpaths, and increasing investment in climate change have emerged as top priorities for the community in the City of Ballarat’s 2024/25 Annual Budget consultation. 

The consultation occurred throughout October last year. It followed the announcement that the City of Ballarat was changing its budget engagement processes in which there would be a singular round of consultation ahead of the 2024/25 budget development process instead of the previous two rounds of consultation — one prior to the development of the budget and one following its development.  

The comprehensive, earlier engagement period was designed to improve upon past engagement processes to ensure the council is better informed of residents’ priorities within the context of the council plan 2021-2025 prior to beginning the development of the annual budget.

The new budget engagement process will also allow the council officers to present the budget to councillors at the May council meeting — a month earlier than previous years.  

The October consultation resulted in improved levels of engagement, with the following themes also emerging out of the engagement process:  

• Improved waste management and recycling
• Increasing investment in recreation and sporting facilities
• Improved town planning / reducing urban sprawl
• Increased investment in council buildings 

Council officers are now using the information gathered through the consultation process, along with a review of the City of Ballarat’s 2023/24 year to date financial performance, to develop the 2024/25 annual budget.  

The financial performance review ensures the City of Ballarat’s financial position is consistent with the objectives set out in the 2023/24 budget and long-term financial sustainability objectives.  

Updated budget forecasts for the 2023/24 financial year will be presented to the council at the 28 February council meeting.  

The budget will be reviewed and workshopped by councillors during March and April and is scheduled to be considered for adoption at the May council meeting. 

City of Ballarat Chief Executive Officer Evan King said the City of Ballarat was actively seeking to improve consultation processes to ensure residents’ priorities are reflected in decision-making and in strategic documents, such as the Annual Budget.  

“I’d like to thank all community members that contributed to the budget consultation,” he said.  

“In order to prepare a balanced budget, we need to ensure it can fund the core services and strategic objectives contained in the Council Plan, along with any additional initiatives.

“This will require council to consider such variables as borrowings, cost efficiencies and the level of revenue we are able to raise, given the minister for local government has set the rate cap for the 2024/25 financial year at 2.75 percent.”  

Daylesford and Hepburn brigade members have met with CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan in recent days to highlight the importance of road crash rescue brigades and the vital work they do in the community.

This comes just four months after members attended a horrific incident where five people were killed outside a Daylesford pub.   

Recently the brigades did a road crash rescue demonstration, the extraction of a patient, and stepped the CFA Chief Officer through the process.  

Daylesford Fire Brigade Captain Glenn Webster said having a rescue unit adds a lot of pressure. 

“We do a lot of training, last month the brigade turned out to six serious car accidents, far more than usual,” he said. 

“Some years are busier than others. We have had a particularly busy year due to potholes in the road that have caused some driver distraction.” 

Speaking about the events of 5 November 2023, Glenn said they don’t generally train for mass casualty events like that one.   

“I was the officer in charge and tasked the team to split up, find someone who was conscious or was at least breathing and stay with them and keep them alive. Do what they could until more paramedics arrived. The team performed amazingly.” 

He said the days after were extremely difficult. 

“The team was wonderful. They attended public vigils, they attended church services, they held each other up. They held me up when I was struggling. I couldn’t ask for a better response from the brigade. They were amazing.” 

And the community rallied, even leaving the brigade flowers at the station and cooking for them.  

“It did take a while for the shock and pain to start to settle down, but I think the community is pretty much back to where it should be now.” 

Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said rescue units play a vital part in keeping Victorians safe. 

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of road crashes and fatalities in Victoria. We are fortunate to have such dedicated rescue units like Daylesford, volunteers available day and night, to render assistance to anyone in a road crash,” he said. 

“I feel safe in the knowledge we have some of the best trained rescue operatives in this state should we ever need them.” 

CO Heffernan said he wanted to meet up with the brigades to share his gratitude for the hard work and dedication they perform for the community.  

“I also wanted to recognise the horrific accident that happened in the town that touched so many in the community. 

“The members have been doing it tough. It’s an opportunity for me to come along and say thank you on behalf of the community and also listen to them and continue to support them in their recovery.” 

The CFA has 21 road crash rescue brigades including Daylesford.

Ballarat’s new community hub and kindergarten in Alfredton officially opened last Wednesday, with City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Des Hudson welcoming Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn and Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison for a ribbon cutting and tour of the new facility.

The Donegal Drive facility is now forecast to prove a valuable asset for the rapidly-evolving western suburbs, boasting three kindergarten rooms, as well as two further community rooms, a meeting room, and associated staff facilities.

The kindergarten rooms will support children in Alfredton and surrounding areas to be ‘school ready’ and cater for up to 99 children at one time.

There are already more than 50 children currently enrolled in three and four-year-old funded kindergarten at the hub.

The kindergarten will continue to accept enrolments and expand sessions as needed throughout the year. Attendance at funded kindergarten is free in Victoria for all three and four-year old children.  

The community meeting spaces will be publicly available to service the growth areas and provide spaces for education, training, events and social connections.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said it was a thrill to cut the ribbon on the new facility.

“Not only does this facility look incredible, but it also delivers so much community benefit in Ballarat’s west,” he said.

“Already we are seeing dozens of families using the kindergarten and the smiles on the children’s faces are terrific to see.

“The community is hub is still in its infancy and I can’t wait to see it once it is firing on all cylinders.”

The project has a budget commitment of $9.9 million, inclusive of $2.25 million from the State Government’s 2022-23 Building Blocks Capacity Building Grants.

The official name of the facility is currently in the final stages of being formalised, following a period of public consultation earlier this year.

Further information will be provided to community members wishing to tour the facility in the coming weeks, with a Community Welcome Day expected to be held in April.

All children enrolled in a funded kindergarten service are eligible for 15 hours of free kindergarten each week as part of the state government’s Free Kinder program, with enrolments still being taken for the 2024 year.

This year’s Ballarat Begonia Festival will feature a novel throwback to the very early days of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

The 2024 ‘Begonia Maze’ will be a key feature of the festival, paying homage to two mazes that once existed in the gardens precinct.

Creative Mazes, a company owned by former Ballarat local Chris Bennett, will set up a temporary maze for the festival, which is likely to provide a highlight for families.

Festival goers will be invited to immerse themselves in a world of colour as they attempt to complete a quiz and successfully navigate themselves to the end of the maze.

The maze will pay tribute to two mazes that once featured in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens with an interesting history.

It will operate from 10am-5pm on all three days of the festival.

The first maze was developed in the gardens in 1862 at the site of the current Robert Clark Conservatory.

Made of a prickly wattle bush, it was removed in 1881 in readiness for a new conservatory, which was built in the early 1900s.

The second maze was first planted in the North Gardens in 1888 to the same design as the United Kingdom’s oldest surviving hedge maze in Hampton Court Palace in London.

With privet and whitethorn hedges planted and a watch tower in the middle, the second maze proved more user-friendly and a popular community asset.

However, after more than 70 years of community use, it was removed in 1959 due to persistent vandalism.

City of Ballarat Councillor, Cr Daniel Moloney said the 2024 Begonia Festival maze would be a brilliant family activity.

“We saw last year the Begonia Festival attract more than 65,000 people and contributed $4.5 million to the Ballarat economy, which shows just how important it is to the City of Ballarat,” he said.

“The program that is on offer once again this year looks incredible, and I can’t wait for another bumper weekend.”

The 72nd annual Ballarat Begonia Festival will be held at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens across the Labour Day long weekend (9-11 March).

Users of the Riddells Creek Recreation Reserve will soon benefit from some better lighting thanks to a funding partnership between Macedon Ranges Shire Council, the state government and the community.

The Victorian Government’s announcment last week of a successful $200,000 grant application by the council, plus a $50,000 contribution from Riddells Creek Recreation Reserve Consultative Committee, will support the council’s budget contribution towards LED lighting upgrades in line with current standards.

The government funding comes through Sport and Recreation Victoria’s Country Football and Netball Program which, in partnership with the AFL, AFL Victoria and Netball Victoria, assists regional sporting bodies to upgrade and develop facilities.

Mayor Annette Death says the council is proud to have collaborated on a positive outcome for the reserve’s many user groups that include the Riddell Football Netball Club, Riddells Creek Junior Football Netball Club and Riddell Cricket Club.

“Better lighting will make such a big difference at this ground and opens up so many more opportunities for user groups with the potential for night matches, a better night-time training experience and other events,” she said.

“I’d like to thank the Victorian Government for its support in collaborating with Council and the community to help make this important upgrade a reality for the community.”

Following last week’s confirmation of the funding, the council will now work to build on earlier cost estimates to progress with designs, tender out and award work to the successful construction company to complete the upgrades.

The council says it will also continue to work closely with user groups throughout the process with the timeline for the project yet to be confirmed.

Applications are now open for the City of Ballarat’s third Nature Stewards program offering community members rewarding new opportunities to care for nature.

The 10-week program, a partnership between the City of Ballarat and the Victorian National Parks Association, is an environmental education program for adults.  

The program is designed to enable everyday people to discover more about their local environment, connect with others in the community, and learn how to support nature at home and through local volunteering.  

Participants will learn about the local and wider Victorian ecosystems and natural places with sessions on topics such as rocks and soils, fungi, plants and animals, climate change and seasons as well as ways to look after nature and help it thrive.  

It’s a chance to meet and learn from passionate environmental experts, including Traditional Owners, City of Ballarat Sustainable Environment officers, volunteers and industry representatives.

It’s also a chance to participate in class and field sessions in a friendly group setting and explore new interests and career opportunities in the environmental sector.  

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said after strong interest in the last two years of programs, it is fantastic to offer a third Nature Steward program to the community.

“Nature Stewards will provide you with a greater understanding and practical skills you can use to take action to support our nature,” he said.

The program is open to anyone aged 18 years or over and is best suited to people with little or no formal environmental education, who want to learn more about their local environment, as well as ways to support nature and explore environmental volunteering opportunities.

The program features 10 weekly 3-hour class sessions plus up to five 4-hour field trips after some of the classes.

Sessions will be held at the Lucas Community Hub on Saturday mornings from 6 April to 15 June (excluding the King’s Birthday long weekend) between 9.30am–12.30pm, with additional field trips held on Saturdays from 1.30-4.30pm.  

The costs associated with participating are: City of Ballarat residents $90, non-City of Ballarat residents $350 or $90 concession for full time students, healthcare card or pension card holders. Places are limited to 25. Applications close Friday 22 March.

Construction of the Creswick (mountain biking) Trails continues to progress toward an anticipated opening in December.

Meantime, there’s an opportunity to get involved by helping to name sections of the trail, the Hepburn Shire Council says.

Hepburn Shire Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said that with the goal of a December completion in sight, an important consideration is naming the trail segments.   

“The Creswick Trails will be a massive drawcard for our Shire, bringing thousands of riders and their families and friends to our wonderful region. We need to name the trail segments and are keen to have input from our community and mountain bike riders,” said Cr Hood. 

“We will be seeking names for 35 segments of the trails from our community. The remaining 35 segments will carry names in Dja Dja Wurrung language,” said Cr Hood. 

“Creating a series of trail names that combine Dja Dja Wurrung language along with input from the local community and user groups is a great way to combine the layers of country we want to showcase. 

“The Creswick Trails will be a world class network with 60 kilometres of trails through the countryside around Creswick. We are extremely proud of how it is coming to life and the enthusiasm within the community,” he said.   

Naming submissions must be lodged by the closing date of 5pm on Wednesday 20 March 2024 with more information available from the council.  

Individual trail segments and areas within the network need names, including where several trails come together.  

“Names are more than just a way to navigate the area, they help us to build a set of values creating a connection to country and place, celebrate the amazing heritage landscapes in which the trails are set, and to help promote the many exciting tourism opportunities,” said Cr Hood.   

All names must be compliant with State Government naming principles. These principles include guidance on how to create names that are equitable, have broad appeal and help to connect the names to the place.   

A list of proposed names will be released in April 2024, and following presentation at a Council meeting, will be presented for final approval by the State Government’s Geographic Names Victoria who are the final approval authority.

Work is scheduled to start in coming days to upgrade the intersection of Barringo and Hamilton roads in New Gisborne, improving access and safety around the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct.

Expected to be completed by July this year, subject to weather and ground conditions, the works will see a realigned intersection with a new roundabout to replace the current intersection.This will support the expected increase in traffic and pedestrians following the full development of the precinct.

A signalised pedestrian crossing will also be installed to the west of the intersection in Hamilton Road and a zebra crossing along a raised platform to the north in Barringo Road, to improve pedestrian safety in mind of MRRSP patrons and nearby schools.

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s Assets and Operations Director Shane Walden said construction would be staged to minimise disruption, with sequential closures expected to Hamilton Road (east), Hamilton Road (west) and Barringo Road.

“The new roundabout and surrounding upgrades will be essential in providing better, safer connections to the new facilities,” he said.

“Council continues to work closely with all those nearby who may be more directly impacted by these works, including supporting the nearby schools to maintain safe connections and minimise disruptions for staff, students and parents as much as possible.”

Traffic management, detours and signage will be in place during the works, with full road closures required at times. Drivers are advised to expect some delays, particularly in the context of the separate Hamilton Road reconstruction works currently underway from the Kilmore Road intersection.

The intersection design was informed and refined through detailed planning work, alongside extensive consultation with nearby landowners and the broader community in 2021, when close to 75 per cent of 200 survey respondents said they preferred a roundabout over alternative signalised options.

The intersection works are part of Stage One of the MRRSP, which is expected to cost $29.7 million.

Stage One includes funding from the Victorian Government ($14.8 million, Local Sports Grant – Major Program and Growing Suburbs Fund), Melbourne Water ($343,200) and AFL Victoria ($100,000).

There was hope of an early opening of the stadium, however the higher-than-average rainfall between November and January has resulted in the opening date returning to July 2024.

“Council is working closely with all pre-booked stadium sporting clubs and user groups, to keep them updated and source alternate locations where necessary,” Mr Walden said.

“We’re looking forward to the facility opening and providing benefits for the broader Macedon Ranges community.”

The Hepburn Shire Council is extending an open invitation to members of the community to get along to a celebration of extraordinary women in the shire happening next month.

The International Women’s Day Heather Mutimer Honour Roll event will take place on Thursday 7 March at the Daylesford Town Hall. 

“Our annual event to celebrate International Women’s Day is always very popular and we expect this year will be no different,” said Mayor, Cr Brian Hood. 

“The Heather Mutimer Honour Roll was established in 2005 to pay tribute to local women whose contributions, courage and examples have led to significant social change for women.

“At the free evening event we will congratulate inductees, enjoy performances by students and also hear from Professor Paula Gerber, who is a leading expert on international human rights law, with a particular focus on children’s rights and the rights of LGBTIQA+ people.

“Everyone is invited to join us at the Daylesford Town Hall from 6pm on Thursday 7 March.” 

Bookings are required and can be made through the council’s website.

The theme for IWD this year is ‘Count Her In: Invest in women. Accelerate Progress’. Nominations for the next round of honour roll inductees will open in August. 

Words: Eve Lamb

Victoria’s minister for local government has announced a new electoral structure for Hepburn Shire that will do away with the current ward system later this year.

The changes will see the shire move from having five wards with seven councillors, to having no wards with seven councillors.

Voters will be able to vote for any candidate, regardless of where they or the candidate live in the municipality. There are approximately 16,283 voters in Hepburn Shire Council, with a ratio of 2,326 voters per councillor.

The new unsubdivided structure will take effect from the next local government election which is set for October this year.

The change has raised criticism and concern among some residents, including mayor Cr Brian Hood, particularly in some of the smaller towns and communities where locals fear it may see their community under-represented and sidelined in future council decision-making.

In April 2020, the state government had committed to electoral structure reviews for 39 councils conducted by Electoral Representation Advisory Panels in accordance with the Act.

The panels have since provided their final reports to the local government minister, Melinda Horne MP, who has considered them and accepted the recommendations to alter the electoral structures of all 39 councils.

The protracted process provided for public input and consultation with several different electoral structural models considered in Hepburn.

Submissions not in favour of the move to an unsubdivided electoral structure had expressed concern that the model would not reflect or capture the shire’s distinct communities of interest, its geography or the location of communities in different areas of the shire.

Several submitters from Trentham, for example, felt that without a ward structure, their community would be overshadowed by towns with larger populations.

During the consultation process, the shire’s mayor councillor Brian Hood suggested an unsubdivided structure would result in the election of councillors who were unaware of the issues and interests of communities if they were not from the local area.

Cr Hood felt this would have a negative impact on the Trentham communities of interest in particular and identified the possible impacts on councillor workloads when having to travel throughout the shire.

During an online public hearing held last April, Hepburn Shire Council CEO Bradley Thomas also expressed the council’s own reservations around changing the current electoral structure, which it felt had worked very well to date.

Mr Thomas noted that councillors were divided in their support between two of the considered models; either a shift to the unsubdivided structure or, instead, to a structure with seven single-councillor wards.

However, submitters in favour of the move believe an unsubdivided structure will help reduce parochialism among councillors and the council itself, by making councillors accountable to voters in all areas of the shire, and will encourage councillors to adopt a shire-wide approach to council business.

Among those favouring the unsubdivided structure, the Victorian Pride Lobby’s submission supported the model’s potential to increase the diversity of candidates and elected councillors.

Their submission quoted councillor Tim Drylie’s preliminary submission, and the suggestion the council would include a wider and more diverse range of voices when councillors were elected according to their policies and appeal to all voters instead of their location or ward area.

After considering the requirements of the Act, public submissions and agreed criteria, the panel found that Model 1 (an unsubdivided structure) is “the best model for promoting fair and equitable representation for voters in Hepburn Shire Council and consequently facilitate good governance”.

Hepburn is now among five councils set to change to an unsubdivided structure, alongside Campaspe Shire Council, Gannawarra Shire Council, Moorabool Shire Council and Strathbogie Shire Council.

For those keen to know more and to examine the rationale behind this change, the full report is available on the Local Government Victoria website.

Police caught 39 people drink driving and six drug drivers during a major road policing operation on Melbourne’s Monash Freeway last weekend.

Operation Colossus, which was conducted over last Friday and Saturday night, saw police targeting impaired drivers with 4317 preliminary breath tests conducted.

Of the 39 motorists caught drink driving, one driver returned a BAC reading of 0.137 and six drivers were detected drug driving from 112 preliminary oral fluid tests.

Officers nabbed 23 drivers speeding with one driver clocked at 152kmp/h in a 100km zone on the Monash Freeway.

Police also impounded 11 vehicles and detected 7 drivers who were either unlicenced, disqualified or suspended.

Victoria Police is warning motorists there will be zero tolerance to drink and drug driving, with significant penalties for those who disregard the rules.

First time offenders who are fully licenced and over 26 years of age caught with a blood alcohol limit between 0.05 and 0.07 receive a $577 fine and immediate three-month licence suspension.

The penalties increase substantially for those under 26 years of age, those required to have a zero blood or breath alcohol level, those caught for second or subsequent drink driving offences, and those caught over 0.07 or above – including larger fines, longer licence suspensions, alcohol interlocks, attendance at court and even jail time for the most serious offences.

Operation Colossus was conducted by Southern Metro Division 3 Highway Patrol, with support from uniform members, State Highway Patrol and Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section.

Sergeant Alastair Clement, Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol: “It’s disappointing that we continue to detect far too many motorists for drink and drug driving.

“Choosing to drink and drive, or take drugs and drive, demonstrates blatant disregard not only for your own safety but the safety of your passengers and all other road users.

“We need people to completely separate these behaviours. It’s evident we caught a lot of motorists off guard with Operation Colossus over the weekend – so if you think you won’t be caught, think again.

“We’ll continue to be out conducting alcohol and drug testing at every opportunity, and we won’t hesitate to remove impaired drivers from the roads.”

The Hepburn Shire Council is preparing to host the Sustainable Hepburn Day Out at Daylesford’s Victoria Park on Saturday March 16.

The returning event will feature workshops and activities which align with the four focus areas of the Sustainable Hepburn Strategy: learn how to electrify your home (Beyond Zero Emissions); learn how to garden for wildlife (Nature Conservation and Biodiversity); learn about how to run a zero-waste kitchen (Low Waste); and sign up to play the Adaptation Game with your neighbours (Climate Resilience).

The event will offer fun and interactive ways to manage household waste, with a focus on the council’s new food and organic service scheduled to start in early April.

Mayor, Cr Brian Hood says the event will be a fun day out for the whole family and will showcase some of the businesses and community organisations addressing issues of sustainability in the shire. 

“There will be live music, games, a treasure hunt, local food and drinks, alongside workshops, art and interactive displays to help the community with their sustainability journey at home and at work,”Cr Hood said.

“A highlight of the day will be the circular fashion precinct with the chance for community members to pick up op shop bargains and to craft costumes from waste for the circular catwalk.

“I encourage the community to come along and learn more about what we’re doing and how they can take more action to protect our environment,” Cr Hood said.

“There will be a bin audit as a display and Sustainability Victoria’s Resource Smart Schools will be there with activities.  There will also be fun activities for kids around waste sorting and there will be a composting guru offering advice for adults,” he said.

The council will also launch its Circular Economy Business Toolkit at the event while the Hepburn Wildlife Shelter will also use the fair to launch their Living with Wildlife pamphlet.

Detectives from the VIPER Taskforce have arrested a man and seized illicit tobacco products following a ram raid at tobacco store in Ballarat last week.

Shortly after 6am on Thursday 15 February, police were called to reports of a ram raid on a tobacco store on Curtis Street in Ballarat.

It appears a vehicle was reversed into the front entrance of the store before the driver fled without gaining entry.

Members from the VIPER Taskforce today executed on a warrant on that same premises, locating over 1000 sticks of illicit cigarettes.

A 45-year-old Winter Valley man was arrested and interviewed by police in relation to possessing drugs of dependence, possess illicit tobacco, possessing proceeds of crime and weapons offences.

He was expected to be charged on summons.

Anyone with information on illicit tobacco was urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via the Crime Stoppers website online.