The Hepburn Shire Council says it’s making solar power more accessible to low-income households through the Solar Savers program, which is now in its sixth year.

The program was first delivered in Hepburn in 2018, with 102 solar systems delivered to households to date.  

A mail-out to local pensioners had resulted in “yet another strong show of interest” and the program was now working with interested households to assess the suitability and benefits of solar at each property.  

The council says it intends to report back early in 2024 as the project prepares for the installation stage and is directing those keen to know more to check out its website.    

The recently installed reverse vending machine in Creswick received a record 9500-plus containers in just one-week courtesy of 112 customers, the Hepburn Shire Council has reported.

It’s further indication of the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) success in reducing litter and supporting community fundraising, the council says.

CDS is a Victorian government initiative that provides 10-cent refund for every eligible drink container returned. Many sites are now open to accept containers and locations in the Hepburn Shire are:

• Creswick Hub, 68 Albert Street, Creswick
• Daylesford Industrial Estate, 37-39 East Street, Daylesford
• Pig and Whistle Hotel, 705 James Lane, Trentham East.

And a site for a machine in Clunes is being investigated, the council has recently reported.

The machines are operated by TOMRA Cleanaway with those intending to make a deposit also able to download the CDS Vic West app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

The Hepburn Shire Council will introduce a weekly kerbside collection of food and garden organics for township residents this year, in a bid to help divert thousands of tonnes of organic material from landfill.

The roll-out of this service is part of the council’s sustainable Hepburn strategy and the kerbside collection for townships will include: 

• Lime green-lidded food and garden organics bins – collected weekly 
• Red-lidded landfill (general rubbish) bins – collected fortnightly 
• Yellow-lidded recycling – collected fortnightly (no change). 

As of May 2023, almost half of Australia’s councils offered a food and garden organics service, including Macedon Ranges Shire, City of Greater Bendigo, Melton City Council, Central Goldfields, Campaspe, Southern Grampians and more. 

The state government requires all Victorian Councils to introduce a food and garden organics service by 2030. 

The Hepburn shire’s new waste collection regime is expected to make a big impact to reduce waste to landfill.

More than half of the material currently placed in the red-lidded general waste landfill bin is understood to be food waste that would be suitable for the new lime green-lidded bin.

Reducing waste to landfill is forecast to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimise future waste costs associated with using landfill.

The council is creating short videos to explain the new food and garden organics kerbside collection with township residents to receive a lime-green lidded bin and kitchen caddy this year. 

The state government says it’s supporting more multicultural organisations to deliver festivals and events statewide.

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas recently announced Macedon group Victoria Arya
Samaj Inc. has received $2000 for the Holi Festival 2024.

A total of 183 organisations will receive funding to deliver festivals and events throughout
Victoria, with 47 regional organisations funded through the Regional Multicultural Festivals
and Events Fund and over 130 through the Multicultural Festivals and Events program.

The latest round of grants will support organisations to host events between January and
March 2024, with celebrations set to reach more than 220,000 Victorians.

Outcomes of applications for events being delivered April to June 2024 are expected to be announced soon.

Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas: “What an exciting time to live in Macedon, with our fantastic Holi Festival funded through the Multicultural Festivals and Events program. I encourage everyone in the local area to get involved in the festivities.

“This event celebrates the cultural diversity that forms part of Macedon and will encourage
communities to come together and boost inclusion and social cohesion.”

Steve Hoy is an Australian singer and songwriting legend with a career that includes writing and recording collaborations with Joe Camilleri, Dingoes Chris Stockley and Ross Wilson and tours with The Black Sorrows, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, John Farnham, Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam and Warren Zevon.

The Palais Hepburn Springs is a favourite venue for Hoy and right now he’s looking forward to playing live at the local venue next Friday January 12.

Steve Hoy first came to national attention in 1985 with the release of the Joe Camilleri produced Anticipation. The album, released on Camilleri’s Spirit label, contained rootsy versions of nine Hoy originals backed by Ross Hannaford, Wayne Duncan and Gary Young; Daddy Cool in all but name.

A single, Your Heart On My Sleeve picked up airplay in Canberra and Melbourne while the album received positive reviews.

The release of the mini-album Possession, recorded with The Hoy Boys – Mark Greig, Paul Norton and Grant Hampson – in 1987, followed a relocation to Melbourne where consistent live work headlining, or supporting acts such as The Black Sorrows, Paul Kelly, Stephen Cummings and even John Farnham had lifted Hoy’s profile.

A single Where I Come From, a song inspired by Hoy’s hometown of Newcastle, and an accompanying film clip picked up sufficient radio and TV interest to bring Hoy to the attention of music publishers Rondor Music and Jerry Moss, the M in A&M records.

The song also appeared on Three Triple R’s Also Used And Recommended By compilation of 1988.

In 1989 the radio success of the Mark Moffatt produced single Raindance led to the recording of Life Next Door, a critically acclaimed album that ended up in most newspaper ‘best of’ round ups for 1990.

A tour with Melissa Etheridge that year brought Hoy to a wider audience while another single Break Up Fall Out brought more airplay and was later recorded by Cameron Daddo.

A new version of Where I Come From was released being picked up by Triple J. However, the link with A&M was short lived, Hoy finding himself without a label at the same time the critics were praising his album.

Continued live work, principally during an eighteen-month residency at St Kilda’s Esplanade Hotel, saw Hoy develop a new, loyal audience. Hoy toured as opening act for The Black Sorrows, Warren Zevon and Tori Amos at this time, with Zevon offering to produce a record if the opportunity arose.

Hepburn shire residents can can now purchase low-cost e-“waste” items at Creswick and Trentham Transfer Stations.

This follows the success of the e-waste recovery pilot at Daylesford Transfer Station, the Hepburn Shire Council has reported in the final edition of its Sustainable Hepburn newsletter for 2023.
   
Electronic items that pass safety inspections are now available through the shire’s resource recovery Shops (aka tip shops). The function of second-hand items cannot be guaranteed, and they are sold as-is. 

The council, in its newsletter, says “it’s all part of unlocking circular economy opportunities and increasing resource recovery locally in our shire”.

Since commencing the pilot in February last year, more than 550 electronic items have been recovered and made available for purchase and a new lease on life. 

Beat the heat

Hot, dry summers can play havoc with your garden but if proper precautions are taken during its establishment and early stages of development, the summer months should be pleasurable and present few problems.

The first and most obvious step is, of course, to plant only those which are most suitable for your particular area and climate.

It is by far better to plant any tree or shrub that will grow well in your area, than a less hardy one simply because you like it better. A slow tour of your neighbourhood should be sufficient to give you a clue as to what would grow well in your garden.

By planting in stages, beginning with the hardiest varieties and allowing them to become established to provide shade and wind protection for the less hardy, it is then possible to grow a great range of colder climate plants.

Many native shrubs and trees are particularly well suited for this purpose since they have had millenniums of seasons to adapt themselves to the climate, the soils and, of course, the droughts.

Amid the most versatile families are the melaleucas. They range from tiny shrubs to mighty 10-metre high trees. Although they all have the typical brush-like flowers the difference in growth habit and foliage is so vast that several of them can be planted without giving your garden a look of sameness.

Other similarly suitable plant families are grevilleas, acacias, banksias and the proteaceae group – such as protea, leucadendron etc. They are all evergreen. The second step is to make sure you are watering correctly.

To gain maximum benefit from watering, particularly during the hot weather, it is far better to water well, than to water lightly and often.

Remembering that trees and shrubs take in all nourishment via their root systems, it follows that it is best to supply their water directly on to the ground around their roots.

As well as maintaining soil moisture longer it will encourage tree and shrub roots to grow stronger and deeper.

Deep roots will find water and food for themselves and not become so reliant on frequent watering. This makes it possible to lengthen the period between watering – a great help when you are planning to get away on holidays.

Before the arrival of polypipe and micro sprays, it was necessary to control the delivery of water to each specific tree by digging a shallow moat around the drip zone or the outer periphery of the branches) and leave a slow running hose to fill the moat.

It is a rather precarious system requiring a good memory or an accurate timer to avoid under watering or the inevitable wastage of an overflow, to say nothing of the frequent trips out to move the hose on.

The solution is a garden-wide, easily installed, and relatively low priced, brown poly pipe system with inbuilt, non-blocking drippers.

They come in various length rolls, have plastic attachments to enable you to create your own network and require only a sharp knife or secateurs, pliers and a pot of hot water to soak and soften the tube ends.

Our large and rambling garden is now fully installed with six such systems, each on independent taps and the whole garden is watered in hourly stages ranging from one to three hours depending on the season and weather.

The length of watering needed can be judged by feeling the soil to a depth of several centimetres for dryness.

The frequency of summer watering can be further reduced by covering the beds and drippers (actually they’re really dribblers) to a depth of 4-5cm with mulch or compost such as pea straw, dried grass clippings, leaves, almond shells, sawdust or pulverised horse or cow manure.

Got a gardening query? Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

Encouraged by the success of its first ever circular economy breakfast, the Hepburn Shire Council is now inviting more locals to make sure they’re part of the next.

In its last sustainable Hepburn newsletter for 2023, the council reported that it had been “thrilled to see a great turnout in Creswick for the Circular Economy Business Breakfast in November”.

Businesses across construction, fashion, design, education, and engineering heard from the council’s Circular Economy Officer, Jodi Newcombe, on the soon-to-be-released Circular Hepburn Toolkit for Businesses.

Attendees also participated in a mini workshop with the circularity deck and saw a demonstration of Taylor Hay’s plastic injection moulding machine.   

Councillor Don Henderson and Tim Drylie opened and closed the event, which was the first in the series fostering a local circular economy community of practice.

Business and Tourism Creswick and the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre partnered with the council in hosting the inaugural event.    

The council is now inviting residents to sign up for its circular economy newsletter to make sure they’re notified of the next such event. 

During summer the population of some small towns can grow to ten times or more their normal size. Here’s how three brigades are currently dealing with the increased fire risk.

Bright Fire Brigade

Nestled in the heart of north-east Victoria, Bright has a huge surge of tourists during the summer months. Its population can increase from about 3,000 to more than 20,000 overnight as visitors pour in.

“Visitors are drawn to the picturesque landscapes and engaging events and festivals that the area has to offer,” Bright Fire Brigade Captain Brad Drennan said.

However, the vibrant energy and influx of tourists coexists with summer fire risks.

“Our region faces challenges such as dry weather, dense vegetation and occasionally extreme temperatures. These factors create a potent mix that demands vigilance and preparedness.”

To tackle these risks head on, Bright brigade focuses on building strong partnerships with local community groups, Alpine Shire Council, local emergency services agencies and Forest Fire Management Victoria. It also collaborates with Hancock Victoria Plantations to circulate community safety information to the local community and visitors.

“We have a good partnership with the Bright Chamber of Commerce and have a presence at their monthly market in town, ‘Make It, Bake It, Grow It’,” Brad said. “This gives us an opportunity to interact with and educate both locals and tourists about summer fire safety, the bushfire risks in the area, what the various community sirens mean, the new Australian Fire Danger Rating System, and the importance of planning and preparing.”

“There’s only one road in and one road out of Bright, so it’s really important that visitors are aware and plan accordingly.

“We also visit the caravan parks over summer to ensure they have the current AFDRS displayed.

“Ensuring the safety of our community, including the tourist population who enjoy our town, is our top priority. Our collaboration with our partners amplifies our efforts, making our town resilient and safe, even in the face of summer fire risks.

“We continue to work tirelessly, hand in hand with the community and emergency services. We stand steadfast to ensure Bright remains not just a beautiful destination, but also a safe holiday destination for all.”

Lorne Fire Brigade

Lorne, a popular seaside town on the south-west coast, grows from about 1,300 to more than 15,000 during summer. Lorne Fire Brigade Captain Lee Hollmer and District 7 Commander Wayne Aylmer take a proactive approach to the increased risk and carry out a range of initiatives every year to help ensure everyone stays safe.

“In our busy summer period the town hosts the Pier to Pub swimming race in mid-January and that can add an extra 4,000 to 5,000 visitors on top of the 15,000,” Lee said.

From Boxing Day to the middle of January Lorne brigade receives additional support from volunteer structural firefighters from up to 12 brigades in the south west. These volunteers arrive in the early morning and leave in the evening. They respond to incidents along the coast, but their primary role is to support Lorne brigade during the busy period.

“Every day during this period, we get four or five volunteers and an additional pumper. It’s a massive boost to our brigade and relieves our crews who need to run businesses or work in hospitality.”

District 7 set up the summer crewing initiative after the Wye River fire in 2015 to give local firefighters respite. Initially, career CFA firefighters supported Lorne, and then after Fire Services Reform it switched to support from volunteers.

“Potentially, members could leave CFA if we ask too much of them. This summer crewing initiative supports Lorne brigade and makes it more sustainable,” Wayne said.

“Other volunteers assisting us with the majority of structural incidents allows us to support Lorne SES and neighbouring brigades with rescues and car accidents on the Great Ocean Road,” Lee said. “It also means on Total Fire Ban days we can work with FFMVic to check on campgrounds and illegal campfires in the Otways, and support our group with strike team requirements.

“We regularly drive through caravan parks to make sure there’s enough room for a fire truck and we visit them on days when the Fire Danger Rating is high.

“We also support the PAVS [Property Advice Visit Service] team which sets up in different parts of the town to engage tourists. We talk to real estate businesses and give them fire safety information and we also use social media to pass on safety advice.”

Yarrawonga Fire Brigade

Situated on the Murray River, Yarrawonga normally has a population of about 8,500 but there’s been extensive growth in tourism in the past 10 years as people enjoy the climate, boating, fishing, golf and forest walks.

“I reckon the population between here and Cobram goes up to about 20,000 in summer,” Yarrawonga Fire Brigade Captain Cade Phillips said. “It gets that busy on campsites it’s almost as if people are camping on top of each other.”

Before the fire season Cade visits bush areas with Parks Victoria staff to assess fuel loads.

“The river backs onto farmland, so we practise our skills to protect assets,” Cade said. “People have to be wary when they are near the riverbanks because of the high fuel loads.”

Cade is pleased that most tourists behave responsibly and know the fire risks.

“They are aware of what’s happened in the past and they are proactive rather than reactive. But in the summer, we still get four or five turnouts a week to unattended campfires or grass and scrub fires that can spread quickly.

“We’re usually pretty quick to respond to an incident, and some campers help by starting to put out the fire. Although most people do the right thing, there are people who light fires in dangerous places and some people drive their four-wheel drives through long grass.”

The brigade has 20 operational members, a heavy tanker and a light tanker, and they usually have no problem getting a full crew out to incidents.

This year, the brigade attended the Yarrawonga-Mulwala Agricultural Show at the beginning of October to pass on fire safety messages. As well as taking a truck, the brigade borrowed the district’s information trailer which contains CFA’s fire safety leaflets.

Words and Image: CFA

The Hepburn Shire Council is inviting local residents to participate in an upcoming Nature Stewards course.

Nature Stewards is a short educational course which aims to foster a connection with nature and provide ways to get active for the environment.  

In autumn 2024, the council will co-host the Nature Stewards program in partnership with the Mitchell and Macedon Ranges Shires and the Victorian National Parks Association.  

The ten-week program will allow people to discover more about their local environment, connect them with others in their community, and help them learn how to volunteer for nature as a citizen scientist, advocate for nature or a nature guide.  

More information about how to participate is currently available via the council’s website.

Yarra Crime Investigation Unit detectives are now appealing for public assistance after $30,000 worth of jewellery was stolen from a storage cage in Collingwood in October.

It is believed the male offender gained entry to a secure carpark at an apartment complex on Wellington Street on Sunday, 1 October about 3pm.

Once in the carpark the man forced entry to a storage cage where he stole a green suitcase containing various assorted jewellery items.

Police were told the man left the carpark on foot.

Investigators have released images (above) of a man they believe may be able to assist with their enquiries.

He is described as being Caucasian, with a solid build and dark hair. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online via the Crime Stoppers Victoria website.

Last financial year saw a further 18% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from Hepburn Shire Council operations, and good progress on community-wide emissions, the council has reported in the latest edition of its Sustainable Hepburn newsletter.

The council’s Sustainable Hepburn newsletter, final edition for 2023 reported: “Here in Hepburn Shire, we are continuing to make big strides on reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as a host of interrelated sustainability and circular initiatives through our Sustainable Hepburn and Hepburn Z-NET strategies, and the community-council partnerships that help us drive climate action together across the Shire.”

The newsletter also reported: “The latest global climate summit COP28 saw solid progress on the road to eliminating fossil fuel use globally, giving us a chance of limiting global heating to less than 1.5 degrees celsius. Catch up on all of the details from the COP28 climate summit in the United Arab Emirates online.”

Geelong Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged a man following an alleged aggravated burglary where a woman was located with serious injuries in Grovedale on Monday morning this week.

It is alleged a man entered a property on Torquay Road and assaulted a woman.

The 35-year-old woman managed to escape and was located on the nature strip about 3.15am.

She was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

It is alleged the man also stole the woman’s car and fled the scene.

The vehicle allegedly crashed into garage doors on Dunwinnie Court in Hamlyn Heights a short time later.

The driver, a 20-year-old man of no fixed address, was arrested at the scene.

He’s been charged with:

– aggravated burglary

– assault causing injury

– theft of motor vehicle

– conduct endangering persons

– handle stolen goods

– theft

He had been listed to appear at Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday this week.

Following the success of Hepburn Shire Council’s first Sustainable Hepburn Day hosted at Trentham in 2022, the informative community event is set to return on Saturday 16 March 2024 at Victoria Park in Daylesford.

The council is encouraging locals to “save the date for what promises to be a fun, interactive and educational expo of what’s going on in our shire and how residents and businesses can join in nature conservation, climate action and circular economy.”

Business or community groups who would like to share their sustainability work, wares or engage people through an activity, are also being invited now to register to be involved in the event via an online form before Friday 12 January.   

CFA members have conducted a planned burn in Western Victoria trialling new technology for the first time.

The trial, conducted in recent days, at Stoneleigh, looked at how drones could potentially speed up planned burning to create large fuel breaks and a safer environment for volunteers conducting the burns.   

Vegetation Management Officer West Region Joshua Hodges, said the use of drones to conduct planned burns are a great way to create fuel breaks ahead of a fire season.  

“It’s difficult to burn large areas in a short period of time when you are on foot,” he said.  

“A drone can complete breaks faster, provide a safer environment for volunteers and is easier to use in areas of rocky terrain.” 

The trial burn was six kilometres in size and was a success.  

“It was certainly fascinating to watch and we learned a lot on our first attempt that can be integrated into further burns,” Joshua said.  

Westmere CFA Planned Burn Coordinator Mark Gubbins, who was also at the trial, said drones had a place in environments with rugged terrain., “Everything is fit-for-purpose, everything has got its place, like a drone during a planned burn,” he said. 

“Especially if on foot and there are snakes around, so there are many advantages to using a drone.” 

Planned burns are an important part of fuel reduction to help reduce the risk of bushfire in Victoria. Planned burns are usually conducted using different methods such as hand ignition. 

CFA delivers planned burns on behalf of, and at the request of, private landowners or managers of other reserves such as roads and rail corridors, council reserves and water authority land.