Ballarat Crime Investigation Unit detectives, with the assistance of the Homicide Squad, have been investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of two people in Sebastopol last Friday night.

Police were called to a property on Morgan Street about 9pm after reports two bodies had been located.

A 55-year-old Ballarat man and a 42-year-old Sebastopol woman were located deceased at the address.

The exact circumstances surrounding the incident is yet to be determined at this stage, however detectives are not looking for anyone else in connection with the matter.

Police also believe the parties involved were known to each other.

Anyone with information was urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online via the Crime Stoppers website.

Crime Squad detectives have arrested and charged four people following an aggravated burglary in Clunes, among a series of violent aggravated home invasions in the region.

Western Region Crime Squad detectives have arrested and charged the four following a series of violent aggravated home invasions in western Victoria this month.

As part of the investigation a man, teenager and a woman, were arrested by the Special Operations Group at a property in Sutton Street in Maryborough yesterday, Tuesday February 20 about 2.50pm.

A second woman handed herself into a local police station later in the day.

When the woman was arrested, she handed over the keys to the car she arrived in – an allegedly stolen 2015 Mercedes SK35, believed to have been stolen in an aggravated burglary in Kennington earlier this month.

The arrests follow an extensive investigation following four aggravated home invasions at properties in:

• Green Street Carisbrook on 7 February

• Poplar Street Golden Square on 9 February

• Vale Street, Sebastopol on 10 February, and

• Smeaton Road in Clunes on 19 February.

A subsequent search of the Maryborough property, under firearm prohibition order provisions, uncovered a .223 bold action rifle with scope, alleged imitation Glock style handgun, a quantity of ammunition, stolen registration plates and an axe.

An allegedly stolen Kia Optima was also seized believed stolen from an aggravated burglary in Tootgarook this month.

A 34-year-old woman and 26-year-old man, both of no fixed address, have each been charged with four counts of aggravated home invasion, kidnapping and firearm offences.

A 26-year-old woman from Maryborough has been charged with three counts of aggravated burglary and the 17-year-old boy has been charged with one count of aggravated burglary.

The man and two women had all been remanded to appear before the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court today Wednesday, February 21. The teenager was to appear before a children’s court.

Fans of American alternative country music, folk and westcoast harmony are in for a treat as the Palais at Hepburn prepares to host ‘An Evening in the Canyon’ this Saturday night, February 24.

It’s a special celebration of Laurel Canyon’s distinctive brand of Americana that pulls together two world class exponents of the genre in one must-attend concert.

Canyon Dust (formerly just ‘Canyon’ and pictured above) performs originals inspired by the ‘Laurel Canyon – Westcoast’ tradition of the 60’s and 70’s and interprets some of the greatest songs written in this period.

Canyon Dust’s debut album featured their signature four-part harmonies set in songs about deserts, forests, raging water, open highways and broken hearts.

Canyon Dust blends acoustic and electric instruments, at times singing around a single condenser mic in a traditional Bluegrass style.

Canyon Dust will perform a selection of originals and interpretations of Laurel Canyon mainstays alongside their acclaimed renditions of Crosby Stills Nash & Young classics.

Double-heading the bill is J.D. Delves. J.D has dedicated his musical life to Young and there are few better representations to pay homage to Neil Young’s catalogue of truly inspiring music.

J.D has played 1000’s of shows across the decades and he knows how to entertain crowds with his soaring vocals, skilled guitar playing and quick witted humour.

The show is expected to sell quickly.

Australian folk troubadour Cooper Lower is quickly garnering a reputation as one of Australia’s most captivating young songwriters.

Currently based in London, England, he is nevertheless about to grace the Palais, Hepburn with his presence and musicianship that has been variously described as a “symphony of percussive guitar and melody. Brilliant, articulate, perceptive”.

Lower’s poignant lyrics and soaring melodies have captured the hearts of thousands throughout North America, Europe and Australia, propelling him on a journey from the streets of London into renowned venues and major festival stages.

The songs and stories of Cooper Lower are for thinkers and feelers alike, and locals will now have the chance to share an evening with Cooper at Palais-Hepburn on March 1st.

Notable prior appearances include the Queenscliff Music Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Tollwood Winterfestival (Germany), Melbourne International Guitar Night and the Fretmonkey Records Guitar Showcase (New York, USA).

The Palais-Hepburn is preparing to host Claire Anne Taylor and her band, as they present ‘Giving it Away’ the highly anticipated third studio album from the lauded Tasmanian songwriter.

Taylor brings her ‘Giving it Away’ tour to The Palais on Friday, February 23, an evening performance also featuring special guest Jethro Pickett.

With a distinctively emotive and powerful vocal ability that simultaneously expresses both an inner strength and a vulnerability, Tasmania’s Claire Anne Taylor has garnered a reputation for her powerful live shows – tough and tender performances that command audiences to a silence.

“One of those rare artists that comes along once in a blue moon,” wrote Shane Howard of Goanna about Taylor.

And the Sydney Morning Herald wrote of her: “One could make many a comparison when it comes to Claire Anne Taylor’s voice – Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, early Mia Dyson, all spring to mind and all are evident in Taylor’s vocal delivery. But essentially, it’s hers and hers alone. Husky, smokey, velvet and barbed, it’s an instrument in itself and it commands your attention.”

with Clive Hartley

Grenache offering a fresh approach

Apply within! There is a vacancy in Australian red wine styles at present. Shiraz has lost its Midas touch but there are plenty to choose from and one of them applying is grenache.

It is ideally suited to the hotter regions around the country, being a late ripening variety and having the ability to withstand drought and heat. Globally, grenache is a widely planted grape variety, found principally in southern France and Spain.

It had its origins in Spain and is often blended with tempranillo to produce Rioja and Navarra (Navarre) wines.

In France it goes into Châteauneuf-du- Pape and Côte-du-Rhône wines, as well as contributing to the production of Tavel Rosé. It is found throughout Southern France, so any of our Mediterranean climate
regions are likely to produces some good wines.

McLaren Vale springs to mind and I was recently there and talking to Yangarra Estate winemaker Peter Fraser.

Yangarra specialises in varietals grown in southern France such as roussanne, piquepoul, cinsault, mourvèdre, carignan and counoise. In fact they grow 15 different grape varieties spread over 87 hectares of sandy, sun- drenched soils.

Yangarra Estate is located in the Blewitt Springs subregion. Chester Osborn, winemaker at d’Arenberg, first alerted me to this subregion as a good breeding ground for grenache.

“The sand and clay soil works well. When they haven’t been fertilised the sands give very good aromatics and when the yields are kept right back they get very solid vibrant tannins.”

To add to his use of some lesser-known grape varieties Peter Fraser has heavily invested in the use of 675-litre ceramic eggs for fermentation and maturation. These are used for his Ovitelli Grenache that sees over 130 days on skins.

No oak is used and tasting its elegant and textured fine tannin structure you don’t miss it at all.
Whilst single varietal grenache can be attractive, it is when the grape is used in blends that it really hits the spot as an alternative wine style and brings out the best in the grape variety.

Normally we see grenache used in a GSM blend, but what Yangarra Estate is doing differently is to reduce to a minimum the often-dominant shiraz and mourvèdre.

They replace it with carignan, cinsault and counoise to make a fragrant, floral, light but textured, red fruit-driven wine with a tannin finish.

At the $30 mark the wine is a modern McLaren Vale wine that offers a wine drinker a fresh approach.

Clive Hartley is an award-winning wine writer, educator and consultant. His Australian Wine Guide (7th ed) is available for purchase from Paradise Books in Daylesford or via his website – www.australianwineguide.com.au

The $7.48 million revamp of the Central Ballarat Library is almost complete, with staff beginning to shift equipment and some 75,000 library resources back into the Doveton Street site. 

Building contractors H Troon have handed the facility back to the City of Ballarat, with only a few finishing touches still being made internally. These works include cladding of the new internal staircase, installation of the library self-check system and installation of the tiered seating in the Atrium. 

The Central Library will re-open to the public in mid-March.  

The Ballarat Library at the city’s town hall — the temporary pop-up library that was installed in November 2022 — will close on 12 March to allow for the books and other resources to be returned to the main library location.  

Following the closure of the temporary site, there will likely be a short period in which there are no library services available in Ballarat Central, however residents can still access the Sebastopol and Wendouree facilities, which will remain open as normal during this time.  

The Ballarat Library at Town Hall has proved a popular alternative during the redevelopment works, averaging about 1,100 visits per week.  

When the Central Ballarat Library re-opens, staff will be operating a reduced programming schedule for a few months to allow Library staff to fully set up at the new facility – as such, some programs that community members regularly attend may be temporarily unavailable.  

The City of Ballarat contributed $6.98 million towards the redevelopment project, with the State Government funding $500,000 from the Living Libraries Infrastructure Program.   

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said it was exciting to see the project moving forward.  

“Once the Central Ballarat Library is complete and operational, we’ll be able to offer our community a bigger and more exciting library space,” Cr Hudson said.  

“While there will be some disruption to library services in Ballarat Central in the coming weeks, I’d encourage all community members to make the most of our other fantastic libraries across the municipality.”  

By Donna Kelly

Wow. Daylesford is the fourth most welcoming place on earth. Who knew. Well the good folk at Booking.com and they are busy spreading the word.

I know, it is easy to be cynical. A few people are saying things like: “Have they had a look at Grapevine?” or “Have they ever been in the Coles carpark on a Friday afternoon?”

I get it, not everyone is welcoming all the time. But I reckon that Daylesford and actually the Central Highlands is a pretty awesome place.

When we moved up here 19 years ago we loved the friendly nature of the people on the streets and in the shops and in the pubs. We chatted to strangers, made new friends and enjoyed wandering around the region, finding things to do and places to see.

And I will say one thing, it was a big change from Frankston, or Franganistan, as we born and bred people are allowed to call the city. I would take a pub in the Central Highlands over a pub in Frankston any day of the week. Sorry Franga.

When I saw the accolade for Daylesford I did stop and wonder if people were still as welcoming and I reckon they are. For our front cover photo we gathered a few people up.

Neil from the Bowlo always offers a big welcome whenever we are there and I get a hug and a kiss now Covid has wandered away, and Roger from Herbal Lore always has a smile. (Roger even made and gave away free sanitiser during Covid. Talk about above and beyond.)

Emma from Springs Medical always has time for a chat and young Pasha from Daylesford Meat Co. stopped after the photo shoot to talk us through the best way to cook a steak.

Then I just had a quick look through this edition. There’s Raman who’s only been here a short while but spends his time creating food and friendships. Check out page 20. And read page 5 about Rob and Annie from Mind Your Pet who for 19 years have provided welcome advice to pet owners.

I used to work next door at the old Advocate office and we shared hundreds of greetings and smiles and coffees – with Theo and the late Geof. Good times.

Oh, the Scottish Country Dancers on page 7 want more people to get involved and “everyone is welcome” regardless of their ability.

Then there’s the Historic Vehicle Show coming up at Clunes, which Jon says “is a time for everybody to come and enjoy themselves and relax”. Go back to page 8 if you haven’t already read the story.

I guess at the end of the day, if we are welcoming and also get some good publicity to increase our visitor numbers, that’s a great thing. I know we sometimes grumble about the tourists but we do need them if the region is going to thrive again.

We are also competing against many other one-day from metro Melbourne drives like the Mornington Peninsula and the Dandenong Ranges, and plenty of other overnight destinations including interstate and overseas again.

So if we can be welcoming, and it takes no longer than being taciturn, in fact, I think it’s quicker, why not?

I love that people come here and have the chance to enjoy what we probably take for granted too often. Friendly faces, fresh air, great stores, fantastic food and a wonderful free paper. Not many places have their own local newspaper these days.

Just sayin’…or maybe you’re welcome.

Kerbing works have begun as part of Ballarat’s Bridge Mall redevelopment project.

Kerbing around the garden beds marks seven months since the City of Ballarat and civil infrastructure and landscape contractor 2Construct began works to revitalise the historic retail precinct in the centre of Ballarat.

Paving works are now being prepared for the mall with sample panels being installed, while works will soon begin to lay bluestone pavers along the low-speed carriageway and in Time Lane.

Some of the bluestone blocks, which represent more than a century of Ballarat history, have been reclaimed from the former La Trobe Street saleyards. 

The bluestone has been sawn smooth to provide easy accessibility for pedestrians in the laneways. Uncut bluestone cobbles are also being laid with the weathered side facing up at the entrance and exit of the carriageway to create a textured finish.

In the next few weeks, crews are expected to begin the installation of custom furniture and street furniture, soft landscaping and signage.

Works have started on the demolition and excavation of Time Lane, with new smooth-surfaced bluestone pavers set to be installed. Once these works are complete, works will then begin on Foundry Way.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said the kerbing marks the beginning of works that showcase the final finishes of the project.

“It is exciting to see the kerbing works commence and the redevelopment taking shape,” he said.

“Businesses in the Bridge Mall are open and trading as usual and I encourage everyone to continue to visit, watch the redevelopment continue to progress and to support their favourite businesses.”

Bridge Mall Business Association (BMBA) President Wen McLachlan said the works mark a positive milestone.

“The traders and customers will now be able to really visualise the exciting new space that is evolving every week,” she said.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the City of Ballarat for their vision, 2Construct and all their teams for the great efforts made this far into the project.

“We look forward to its completion and our new entry into the space connecting us with Sturt Street, creating a positive change for the future.”

Once completed, the redevelopment will restore the Bridge Mall as a vibrant destination for shoppers, diners, residents and visitors.

The redevelopment will feature a landscaped entry into the mall, a shared streetscape with one-way, low speed vehicle access via a mixture of salvaged heritage bluestones and Victorian bluestones, as well as a dynamic new play space.

The redevelopment will also include a portal to the Yarrowee River flowing beneath the mall, smart street lighting and projections, limited parking and better access for people of all abilities.  

Works undertaken since the project began in July include:

• Demolition of the centre of the mall, including removal of three fixed canopies, street furniture and pavers, and removal of remnant sections of tram track dating back to 1905 in accordance with heritage approvals
• Bulk excavation from the Peel Street end of the mall right through to Grenville Street, including removal of a significant amount of contaminated soil
• North and south stormwater pipe installation
• Coordination with Central Highlands Water as they replace water mains through parts of the construction zone
• Night works to remove and dispose of asbestos-containing telecommunication pits, and installation of new communications pits
• Installation of services, traffic signal pits and electrical conduits for smart street lighting
• Installation of smart poles, which will light the space and highlight historic facades. These will also be equipped with power supplies and CCTV
• Installation of tree pits to support the growth of the new landscaped gardens
• Reinforcement and stabilisation of the material beneath the carriageway (known as the sub-grade)
• Concreting to form the base of the road alignment and planned central event space
• Concreting of footpaths in preparation for paving works
• Removal and cutting of bluestone salvaged from the former La Trobe Street saleyards
• Opening up the portal to the Yarrowee River.

The Bridge Mall redevelopment is currently on track for completion mid-2024, subject to weather delays or unforeseen issues.

I don’t need all the mod cons in my car. I have a little noise which comes from the passenger seat if I am about to run into danger, it normally squeaks “chout” an abbreviated “watch-out”.

Recently we have been looking at upgrading our ute and this is not a decision I take lightly as since the age of when I could afford it I have only procured new cars.

I never buy top of the range as I don’t see the value of something that I am going to flog to death once I drive it out of the showroom. And I only ever swap my cars after 10 plus years to get the most out of them. So now you can understand why it is such an important decision.

Since I was last in the market and settled on my Mitsubishi Triton, lots of things have changed in terms of cars’ technology and their shapes.

The market is teaming with SUVs which are a great invention for those of us who grunt when we get out of a low sedan, they ride well, don’t have the bounciness of a ute and we do like a good road trip.

The issue is that although they now come with air conditioning in the seats, (yes what an invention, no longer pulling your trousers out of your backside after a couple of hours on the road), they also come
with all the other whizzbangery.

There are lane wandering warnings, entertainment system controls that would have a professional film editor scratching their heads, and handling controls that change from sport to rough for those on the road that have the time to think about the road surface or even give a crap.

The roads around here would have you spinning that dial, hardening up the suspension to get through the potholes and back to sports mode for the odd bit of tarmac that hasn’t suffered the rigours of
the road trains.

But the one thing all the SUVs that I have looked at have in common are pretty homogenised bodies. My first car was a Morris 1100, it was a flat-looking thing that did its job.

In fact it was so flat the bigger 1800 version was nicknamed the “Land Crab”. Back in the eighties I would never have considered a new car, I always had the arse hanging out of my pants.

Besides, as a young seaman I spent a lot of my time on the water part of the earth, so a big investment didn’t make sense.

But back in those days we were spoilt for choice with the most vibrant cars to choose from including the American models, Australian Holdens and Fords and English cars like the Triumph and MG brands.

At one point in my life, once every week for around six months, I would go to the Auckland car auctions on a Wednesday night where my uncle and father divulged a few tricks and tips to buy the cars for a bargain.

Like crossing the spark plug leads to make the car run rough and putting off the other buyers. Or pouring a small spoonful of oil over the manifold so about the time the vehicle was presented for auction the manifold had heated up and smoke billowed from under the bonnet.

I would buy these cars for a bargain, quickly repair their newly discovered faults, drive the 200 kilometres to my hometown of Whangarei and make money at the Friday auctions.

A history I am not necessarily proud of, but it was colourful, and it was not like I was stealing things, it was just a way to get a bit more of a bargain.

Yes, on reflection it was bad behaviour.

Because of the boringness of the new car designs I have decided to hang on to my old ute, after all it runs nicely, has always been well maintained and I don’t need “whizzbangery” I have a Donna.

Without her observations and remarks, I would be running red lights, crashing into buildings and taking out the elderly. New car rant over…

(Ed’s note: Hmmm. Who has been in a car accident, or two? Kyle or me?)

The City of Ballarat’s team behind the impressive begonia displays at the annual Ballarat Begonia Festival will debut a never-before-seen begonia flower at this years’ festival.  

The brand-new begonia cultivar, which was bred by the Gardens and Nursery team at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, is named after the Gardens’ inaugural curator George Longley.  

The highly anticipated colour of the Begonia George Longley will be unveiled at the festival.

The Ballarat Botanical Gardens team members are no strangers to developing new cultivars of begonia, having released two other new begonia cultivars in recent years.  

The latest begonia to be released is the Begonia George Longley. It was bred from two existing cultivars within the Ballarat Botanical Gardens Collection by Erin Brennan and Sheree Blood. The ‘parent’ cultivars were chosen for specific flower qualities.

The other two begonias previously bred in-house at the gardens include a Begonia ‘Peter Marquand’ named after recently retired Curator Peter Marquand, and Begonia ‘Lady B’ named for Erin and Sheree — both of whose last names begin with ‘B’.  

City of Ballarat Curator Gardens and Nursery, Donna Thomas said the gardens’ practice of breeding begonias had arisen out of curiosity, and because importing plants had become increasingly difficult. 

“Traditionally, we have imported begonias from the UK,” she said.  

“However, we weren’t seeing a lot of variation we were looking for – such as unique colours, flower forms or scent that we don’t currently have in the collection.” 

Experimenting with breeding their own begonias was the logical next step for Ms Thomas and her team, which also has some added bonuses.  

“Breeding our own begonias also reduces the risk of accidently bringing pests in — it protects our current collection and enriches the uniquely Ballarat identity within the collection,” Ms Thomas said.  

Ms Thomas and her team chose to name their newest begonia after George Longley because they wanted to honour the legacy George had left behind after his 41 years as Curator in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.  

“Whilst George didn’t design the gardens, he implemented the original design of the gardens, much of which was from the original plan,” Ms Thomas said.  

“He oversaw the building of the original fernery and the statue pavilion, the arrival of the Stoddard marble statues, he would have planted the Giant Redwood Avenue, and much of the path work that you see today would have been done by George.  

“George is around us everywhere in the gardens.”  

City of Ballarat Councillor Samantha McIntosh said naming a new begonia after George Longley was a fantastic way to honour his legacy. 

“The Ballarat Botanical Gardens have been a source of pride for Ballarat residents since their inception in 1858. It is only right that we honour George Longley for his significant contributions to the gardens,” she said.  

“I very much look forward to the unveiling of Begonia ‘George Longley’ at the Ballarat Begonia Festival this year and I know the community will be very eager to see just what colour it turns out to be.”  

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

With local government elections set for later this year, 2024 will be a significant year for the Hepburn Shire council and its elected councillors, the Hepburn mayor, Cr Brian Hood has foreshadowed.

“2024 will prove to be an exceptionally busy and important year for council and for councillors in particular,” he says.

“As this is the fourth year of our term we are heading to elections in late October, as are all Victorian councils. Our final council meeting will be held on 17 September after which we go into caretaker mode.

“Councillors are therefore determined to advance a number of critically important pieces of work by the end of our term.

“In that regard community members should watch out for draft town structure plans being released in coming weeks for further consultation.

“We are aiming to finalise these plans by the end of the term and then forwarding them to the state government for formal adoption.”

Arrangements for the October election are yet to be released by the state government. Their announcement will clarify the ward structure for Hepburn Shire, following last year’s electoral review.

“Ahead of the election we expect there will be legislative change aimed to strengthen oversight of councils by the state government, improve dispute resolution mechanisms, reforms to strengthen
council leadership and performance and greater controls over councillor conduct,” Cr Hood said.

After a successful trial series, the City of Ballarat’s Parent Place Outreach service will continue in 2024.

Parent Place Outreach brings the same vital support as the facility at 39 Sturt Street, but directly to communities with a high proportion of vulnerable families across Ballarat.

Parent Place supports families with young children to thrive, providing timely and relevant information and community connection in a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment.

Some of the services include playgroups, kindergarten, maternal and child health, community-based lactation services, immunisation, childcare, family day care, family violence and family law support and advice.

Parent Place Outreach began as a trial project in December 2022 via funding from VicHealth.

Due to the service’s success, which had more than 330 visits in its first year of operation, the City of Ballarat committed to funding the project and committed to strengthening the presence in the community in 2024.

The best way to stay up to date with Parent Place, including the Outreach programs is via the Parent Place website or by following Parent Place on Facebook.

Some upcoming Outreach service locations for term one will include:

• Tomorrow, Monday 19 February from 9.30am to 10.30am – Sebastopol Library | 181 Albert St, Sebastopol followed by Ballarat Libraries storytime.
• Tuesday 20 February from 9.30am to 10.30am – Lucas Community Hub |17 Coltman Plaza, Lucas followed by Ballarat Libraries storytime.
• Friday 1 March from 9.30am to 10.30am at Delacombe Salvation Army | 104 Greenhalghs Road, Delacombe followed by Ballarat Libraries storytime.
• Monday 4 March from 9.30am to 10.30am – Sebastopol Library | 181 Albert St, Sebastopol followed by Ballarat Libraries storytime.
• Monday 18 March from 9.30am to 10.30am – Sebastopol Library | 181 Albert St, Sebastopol followed by Ballarat Libraries storytime.
• Tuesday 19 March from 9.30am to 10.30am – Lucas Community Hub |17 Coltman Plaza, Lucas followed by Ballarat Libraries storytime.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said the continuation of the project would be vital for parents and carers to be able to access the services available at Parent Place, even if they could not physically visit the Sturt Street facility.

“Parent Place Outreach is the perfect opportunity for parents and children to play, relax, connect with other families as well as receiving important local information,” Cr Hudson said.

“We saw some really promising signs during the trial that this project is providing benefit to the wider suburbs.

“To be able to remove those physical barriers is so important and we are proud to keep the service going for parents and carers who have used it.”

Hepburn Shire Council officers have been working with the Department of Transport and Planning on a proposal for a new 40 kilometre per hour speed zone in the central business district of Daylesford.

A formal application has previously been submitted to DTP, who have worked with the council in considering the proposal which will now be submitted to the relevant minister for approval in the coming weeks.

The proposed zone is envisaged to encompass the Daylesford Primary School, Daylesford Preschool, outdoor swimming pool, bowling club, Coles, police station and the Howe/Vincent Street shopping precincts.

The council’s website states:

“The Department of Transport has ultimate control of speed limits in Victoria. However, any requests to change speed limits on local roads needs to come from council.

“Where evidence of a required review exists, officers will review the speed limit against the standards. If a change in speed limit has some merit, Council receives additional input from local police.

“Enforcement of speeding is responsibility of Victoria Police.

“Some roads have no sign posted speed limit. These are default limits. Currently all urban speeds limits are 50km/hr unless signposted differently and 100km/h on rural roads. Default limits exist because it is not possible to fully evaluate every road in the shire, often they have low traffic volumes and are predominately used by local vehicles.”

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council has renewed its reusable nappy, sanitary and incontinence product rebate program to reduce waste in landfill and assist residents in accessing affordable reusable items.

The program, which was piloted last year with over 100 rebates given back to the community, provides up to 50 per cent back on the cost of reusable items such as cloth nappies, nursing pads, cloth pads, leak-proof and period underwear (capped at $100 for reusable cloth nappies and associated products, and $50 for sanitary and incontinence products).

The council’s Director Assets and Operations, Shane Walden, said the rebate not only offered an incentive to reduce waste, it would also help residents save money on essential items.

“We know people are doing it tough with the cost of living, so this initiative goes some way towards helping with that while at the same time helping the environment,” he said. 

“Around 660 million disposable nappies, sanitary and incontinence products end up in landfill in Australia each year, so every little bit we can do to help reduce this number helps.”

The rebate program is open until 30 April or until funds are exhausted, and all Macedon Ranges residents are eligible to apply.

The council has also launched a Waste and Recycling Secondary School Grant Program, where secondary schools in the shire can apply for up to $2,000 to tackle a waste problem at their school.  

The proposal must consider long-term solutions and sustainability under one of three categories: 

• Recycling solutions (e.g. updated bin signage around the school)
• Food waste reduction (e.g. ‘Eat what you pack’ campaign) 
• Waste reduction (e.g. swapping to reusable materials at the canteen)

“Young people in our shire are very proactive in wanting to help the environment, and this program will get them thinking about what else they can do in their day-to-day activities to help with waste reduction,” Mr Walden said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what innovative initiatives our local schools develop to help tackle this issue.”

Applications for the grant program close on 30 April with more information available from the council.