More than 50 regional, state and national environment groups have signed an open letter to Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, calling for an immediate end to logging in the west of Victoria and the legislation of three promised national parks.

In June 2021, the Victorian government agreed to create three new national parks in Victoria’s central west; the Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, Mount Buangor National Park and Pyrenees National Park.

Gayle Osborne, convenor of Wombat Forestcare said: “These areas of public land provide critical habitat for over 370 rare and threatened flora and fauna including greater gliders and powerful owls.

“Recently it was discovered that there is a large population of endangered mountain skinks in the Wombat Forest, much further west than they were previously known to exist. If we want these creatures to continue to exist in our landscape, we need to halt the timber harvesting and ensure that they are protected forever.”

The Victorian Government announcement to end native forest logging by January 1, 2024 unfortunately did not include the west of Victoria where there are approximately 60,000 hectares of public land listed for some form of timber harvesting. This is being carried out in a fragmented and greatly cleared landscape.

“Not only are we likely to see some threatened species become locally extinct, but forestry in the west of Victoria is heavily subsidised by the taxpayer. It does not make sense to continue to fund the destruction of the habitat of rare flora, fungi and fauna,” Ms Osborne said.

Last week, Wombat Forestcare members visited Mount Wilson, the scene of intense logging 21 years ago. Although the forest on the peak is largely intact, there is little left of the magnificent vegetation and tall tree ferns that once filled the lush gullies and hillsides surrounding the mount.

The Wombat Forest provides critical water supply for many Victorians, with six major rivers rising in the forest: the Loddon, Campaspe and Coliban flowing north and the Lerderderg, Werribee and Moorabool to the south. With a changing climate it is important to protect the headwaters of these rivers from the destructive salvage logging operations being carried out by VicForests.

“A Wombat-Lerderderg National Park will help provide a safe haven for all the species in the forest, both threatened and common and we look forward to the Allan government speedily legislating all the promised national parks and creating a legacy for future generations,” Ms Osborne said.

Words and Image: Eve Lamb

Things were way different back in the 1940s when Graeme Orr attended the local Bullarto Primary School. The former pupil at the tiny bush school is a well known local farmer and today he’s aged 86. He’s also among past students being invited back to attend the little school’s big 150th anniversary celebration this Sunday November 26.

Current day Bullarto Primary School Principal, Jo Pegg says past and current students, staff and the wider community are all invited to the big celebration that gets started from 10am and goes through to 3pm.

It will feature the opening of a time capsule that was buried on site at the school almost exactly 50 years ago to the day when the school, in 1973, celebrated its 100th anniversary.

“The school will be open for tours which some of our students are preparing to do, and we will have a display of historic photos, a band playing in the afternoon and a massive cake,” principal Jo says.

“We are also going to lay a time capsule as well and we are fundraising so people can buy a named brick which will be put on the news time capsule along with a plaque so that in another 50 years time it can be found.

“We will also have a sausage sizzle, scones with jam and cream and cakes and slices and the kids will have a stall selling items based around their sustainability and nature studies.”

The little school beside the Wombat Forest has a particularly strong focus on nature-based learning and for many, like school council president and parent Robin Hallett-Martinez it’s a big reason why his kids attend.

“It offers a unique space for kids to learn and focus on nature-based and outdoor learning,” says Robin whose eight year old son Dante and daughter Maya both attend.

Jo has been principal at the leafy little school for the past seven years now. She says one of the sweetest aspects of the big birthday celebration will be the fact that not long ago the student enrolment had shrunk to just four and permanent closure was a distinct possibility.

“For me the key celebration is that in 2017 it was potentially closing but instead it’s gone from just four students back then to 22 students today and we’re still here,” Jo says.

It’s a positive trend that now looks set to to continue.

“Next year we’re looking at 23 students so far, and we’re still doing enrolments.”

Jo says the school’s oldest former student who is still living today is Daylesford resident Rita Lynch now aged 92 and planning to play a special part in Sunday’s anniversary celebration.

“We will have the oldest living past student, Rita, and the youngest current student cutting our big birthday cake,” Jo says.

Graeme Orr says he also expects to get along for the big occasion, and to reminisce on his former days at the little bush school that was also attended by his father and his grandfather before him.

Going back even further than that, Graeme’s great grandfather had attended the local night school – “which was just up the road,” Graeme says.

And, yes, the 1800s children attended “night school” because back then they had to work during the day, he confirms.

“I started in1942 in grade one when there was just the one building and just one teacher,” the former Bullarto Primary School student recounts.

“There were about ten kids when I was here but when my grandfather attended there use to be about 100 students.

“When I was here it was war time and we were very patriotic. We used to salute the flag and we had tuck shops to raise funds for the war effort. “We used to salute the union jack. It was scary when the war was on.”

Graeme says many children back then would leave school at age 12, but he went on after six years of primary schooling at the little Bullarto school to do further studies at the Daylesford technical school of the time.

Another big difference back in the day was the use of corporal punishment that was quite frequently deployed to maintain classroom control.

Graeme himself says he was no stranger to its deployment. Obviously, times have changed.

“A lot of students left at age 12 back then but by the time they left they were all very good at mental arithmetic and they all had beautiful handwriting,” Graeme says.

These days, along with all the usual education essentials for 21st century survival, another big extra focus at the little school is music.

Students like eight-year-old twins Will and Aly Dear who are completing year two at Bullarto are quick to tell you what they love most about their school.

“I like that we spend a lot of time outdoors and there’s a lot of space and heaps of animals and music,” says Will.

“And I like how it’s beautiful,” adds Aly.

The first Daylesford Show was held in 1865 and, apart from interruptions for world wars and Covid in 2020 and 2021, has been held annually since then.

In order for our show to be sustainable into the future we need local input in the form of attendance at the show and entries in our many competitions. We aim to be a traditional agricultural show, with horse, sheep, poultry and dog competitions. There are also homecraft competitions including garden produce and flowers, cookery, arts and crafts as well as photography.

We also have the traditional sideshow alley with games, showbags and carnival food, plus some local vendors of wine, cider and food.

Thanks to our generous local sponsors and supporters in 2023 we are able to offer a range of special prizes and awards for both adults and juniors. There are no entry fees for juniors in the homecrafts and photography sections. There will be a sash and a special prize for the best junior exhibit; and there are a range of special awards and prizes in almost all sections of competitions.

We have engaged some special attractions for children (and adults) in the form of the petting zoo, Professor Wallace’s puppet show and the rescue ferrets group. There will be a number of special activities for children in and around the Tom Ford Pavilion, including a Show Quiz Wiz and various games and activities as well as novelty races. There will also be acoustic youth singers.

New in 2023 will be a face painter and pony rides for children (from 1pm-3pm) – all free activities. We will also have the Newport Bush Orchestra organising some called dances.

Our “Hall of Flowers”, the Table Tennis Pavilion, will again be organised by Daylesford Horticultural Society and the Friends of the Wombat Gardens and will include Spring Park Nursery and Vanessa Craven’s Lake Mist. Rijk Zwaan will have a colouring competition for children.

There will be a local spinner demonstrating her craft and the Sew Crazy quilting and sewing stall. A number of local organisations such as Seed Savers and Wombat Forestcare will be represented as well.
The grand raffle, with prizes gifted by local businesses, will be drawn at 2pm. Daylesford & District Agricultural Society president Don Harvey asks people to please remember that the Daylesford Agricultural Show is an entirely voluntary effort, staffed only by local volunteers.

Words: Mary Harvey, Daylesford & District Agricultural Society

Daylesford and Hepburn Shire are definitely open for business and open for visitors, Hepburn Shire Mayor Cr Brian Hood says. Cr Hood said in the aftermath of the (November 5, Daylesford) accident many traders were left wondering if they should close, remain closed or be open for visitors and the vital tourism trade.

“They were looking for guidance, because they didn’t want to be disrespectful, but straight away senior police and other experts said ‘no, you plough on and start to build a sense of normality’ and that gave traders the peace of mind to do that. We are hardly ever confronted with anything like this and there is no script to follow. But the message is we are open.” Cr Hood said the community was moving on but “slowly as you would expect”.

“The council’s primary concern at the time of the incident, and given our role, was one of the welfare of the community, our staff, volunteers and other organisations. Along with Central Highlands Rural Health we got counselling in place very quickly and the take-up rate was very strong.

“We are now continuing with the counselling but also doing operational things in the background and being very mindful of moving at the right sort of pace and taking on board the right sort of advice. We want to avoid any immediate kneejerk reactions.”

Cr Hood said with the reopening of the Royal Hotel, the outdoor tables had been moved slightly, and council was now looking at other outdoor dining areas across the shire. “We are breaking it down into immediate actions we can and should take, and what the longer-term actions are. So, we are not only looking at this particular site, but we are taking into account outdoor dining areas across the shire.

“No-one would have expected this sort of thing to happen at this site and outdoor dining is very popular throughout the shire,” Cr Hood said. “We, like many councils, and in line with state government guidelines, encouraged outdoor dining during and after Covid as part of economic recovery and also to give people some normality.

“Yes, it is council-owned land, but a valid permit was in place, and those tables had been there long before Covid and they stayed during and after Covid. They are the facts.” Cr Hood said while the police and Coroner’s Office investigations would take some time, the council would not wait to take any actions it believed were needed to improve safety throughout the shire.

“Obviously we will very much take on board whatever comes out of those two investigations, but in the meantime, we are talking about what we can do now.” Cr Hood said while some media reports had said locals had long been calling for safety improvements on Albert Street, calling it a “dangerous stretch of road”, in his three years with council he had never been made aware of any issues.

“You wouldn’t consider Albert Street a dangerous street. Unless they are mixing it up with Howe Street? But sometimes freak accidents do happen.” Cr Hood said the idea of a memorial for the site had been raised but would need careful consultation with the community. Cultural issues also had to be taken into account.

“The last thing we want to do is something wrong or inappropriate or that annoys a section of the community. The Dja Dja Wurrung have also said they could hold a smoking/cleansing ceremony but we haven’t made any decisions yet. We just need to move at a careful pace.”

Cr Hood also praised the first responders including Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, the CFA and the SES, along with community members who “sprang into action”.

“To have four helicopters taking people to Melbourne and others on the road to Ballarat in 45 minutes, that was just brilliant. And we are mindful that the CFA and SES are staffed by locals and volunteers, and with the members of the community, they just all did as much as they possibly could with no hesitation. “Fortunately, we are a tight-knit, small community and when something like this happens, people get strength from each other.”

Words: Donna Kelly

Words & Image: Eve Lamb

Those who get along to this Friday’s Creswick Twilight Market can expect to be transported, albeit temporarily, to the Seychelles, Timor and South Africa.

These are just a few of the exotic locations from which the town’s Creswick Chorus community singing group has sourced its repertoire for the pre-Christmas evening market that gets started from 5pm this Friday November 24.

The local group will be performing live at the market from about 6.20pm, adding an extra dash of atmosphere to the annual pre-Christmas dusk shopping experience.

“We’ll be singing for about 20 to 30 minutes and we’re doing songs from Timor to the Seychelles to South Africa and Ghana to local Dja Dja Wurrung country,” choir leader Stella Savy says ahead of the market gig.

Besides offering a prime opportunity to tick off some Christmas shopping with unique hand-made artisan goods and produce, the upcoming twilight market will provide a top opportunity to check out the local Creswick Chorus and consider joining up.

The group rehearses weekly, has about 30 members and is now approaching the end of its second successful year of existence with bookings into the future already including CresFest 2024.

Quite a few of the group’s members will also add their singing talents to the town’s evening Carols at The Courthouse event on Saturday December 9. The free community event is being hosted by Creswick Theatre Company and will feature Creswick Brass Band and a seasonal visit from Santa as well..

“Some of the Chorus members will be coming along to add their voices to the Carols at The Courthouse,” says Creswick Chorus member Jenni Sewell who’s also a committee member with Creswick Theatre Company. Jenni says that in the lead up to Christmas some of the Creswick Chorus singers will also be taking to the streets to sing Christmas carols at various locations in Creswick.

Stella says watching the local singing group grow and thrive in the two years since it started has been rewarding. “Initially I was wondering how many people in Creswick wanted to sing, and I’ve been impressed,” the well known local muso and community choir leader says.

“I’m impressed with the sound of the choir.”

There is still plenty of room, however, for more members to join up, and particularly more male members would be welcome as currently female membership far exceeds male membership, meaning there are far more members singing in the alto and soprano ranges than in tenor or bass registers.

“We’d love to have more men sing with us every week. That would be awesome,” Stella says.

“We have bass parts sitting there waiting to be sung, and the more singers we have in this group, the more supported people feel.

“You don’t need to worry about how your own voice sounds. You just come and add your voice to the community sound.”

Regular additional workshops, public gigs and even the occasional surprise flash mob performance are all on the group’s program.

Weekly rehearsal sessions take place from 5.30 to 7pm every Wednesday during school term at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre Hall where Stella also leads the local children’s choir from 3.45pm on the same day. Further information about joining the Chorus is available through the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre.

“Absolutely no-one goes to the (police) academy and trains for something like that.” They are the words of Golden Plains Hepburn operations manager Senior Sergeant Simon Brand (pictured above) almost two weeks after the accident which rocked the Daylesford community.

But the two Daylesford police officers who were the first police to arrive on the scene are doing OK, he said. “The two members were at the station, which is so close you probably could have heard it (the accident) and they were aware of people running down the street to the station. They knew it was going to be pretty bad. They took off up the street and were confronted with the scene about six minutes after it happened.

“And while there is only so much two police officers can do there were off-duty paramedics and off-duty nurses and then people out of the Royal Hotel and the Daylesford Hotel, passersby, who just did everything they could, people with no medical training who had never been exposed to any sort of trauma, doing whatever they could.

“It was a fantastic community response and became a real team effort. It was impressive and the support this community has given those police since is just fantastic.

“I guess the other thing is that this was a busy Sunday afternoon in Daylesford, so it wasn’t just this community that was impacted, people from all walks of life then went to their homes in other parts of Victoria, and Australia and even internationally. The impact is widespread.”

Sen Sgt Brand said the Major Collision Investigation Unit had interviewed around 100 witnesses but if anyone had not yet talked to the police and felt they had something to share, they should contact Daylesford Police who would then pass that information on. “You can never say you have interviewed every witness. All of a sudden someone can come forward at a later date with a critical piece of information.”

Sen Sgt Brand said the two first responder police officers were linked into police welfare services, who along with a police psychologist, arrived on the Sunday night. “It is a small team here, a sergeant and six members, and they are all pretty close, but the surrounding stations of Trentham, Creswick and Clunes have also been very supportive.

“And they know they have many avenues to seek help if they need it, with the support of Central Highlands Rural Health and they also have very supportive and close families. So they are going OK at this time but we know that can change and will continue to provide support as it is needed.”

Sen Sgt Brand, whose role takes in 12 police stations from Hepburn, Golden Plains and Moorabool shires, said most of his work had come after the accident in supporting the police members, the emergency service departments and community mental health.

“From a Victoria Police point of view, we understand that it is a very traumatic experience for the community, very impactful, and we understand we need to provide support ongoing and that is going to be for months.

“And we really want to say how grateful we are for the support of Central Highlands Rural Health, Daylesford Hospital and the general community.”

Three days after the accident, the churches of Daylesford came together to hold a Community Memorial Service. “All Faith – No Faith – Everyone is Welcome.” About 220 people attended Christ
Church for the combined service of the Anglican Parish of Daylesford, St Peter’s Catholic Church Daylesford, the Daylesford Uniting Church and the Daylesford-Hepburn Springs Baptist Church.

Anglican minister Father Neil Fitzgerald said the service started with an Acknowledgement of Country and then each minister played a role. “We all came together for the last part, a hymm and then sang Over the Rainbow and it really felt like a big hug. It was lovely and the reaction from the congregation
was terrific.”

Fr Neil said he had been thinking on the Monday how a faith community could let people know they were there for them. “I rang Father Justin at the Catholic Church with the idea of the service and he said ‘yep’, and Lorelle at the Uniting Church was in. And then when I was doing a shift for the community chaplains, I met the Baptist pastor Ross’s wife and they were in.

“Alicia from Verey’s (Funeral) rang and said she was going to bring up a sound system because the church was going to be full and she was right. It was standing room only.” Fr Neil said there was just one hymn “because we didn’t want to over-church people, it was more about faith and the community and that is what people appreciated. We weren’t passing a collection plate around or asking for donations or saying come to church next Sunday. Afterwards people gathered out the front and said it was what they needed at the right time.”

Fr Neil said since the service many people had visited the church to chat about the accident, or what was happening in their lives or how they were trying to cope with numerous traumatic events. Others just wanted to sit in the silence of the church and meditate. And just this year Fr Neil had trained to be part of the Victorian Council of Churches’ emergency ministry team, so found himself doing four 4-hour shifts in the main street as a community chaplain.

“So my first call out was on the doorstep and I had two hats on, a community chaplain and the local vicar because people recognised me. We spoke to lots of businesses, just to make sure they were OK, and many said they appreciated the tourists being around and not staying away. And the tourists we spoke to said they were not sure if they should be here but we told them they were appreciated.

“A lot of people stopped us to say thanks for being here, or ask if they could talk to us, or just gave us a hug and burst into tears. “I was a bit fortunate because I was on the special assistance team for Qantas for 20 years so that came in handy knowing how to approach things. Still, it was pretty confronting here on your own doorstep.” Fr Neil said many in the community also said they felt they had a duty of care for those involved in the accident.

“They had come here to spend their money, enjoy a long weekend and people felt, not that they had let them down, but that they had a connection with them. They were a part of our family for that afternoon. A lot of people are still pretty raw about that.”

Fr Neil said he felt many people were slowly moving forward but the first responders were going to need a lot of counselling support – which is available for as long as it is needed. “I think my way of coping was organising the service. I had something to do. And the enthusiasm for it was just amazing.

“And a woman I met at the accident site was part of the Melbourne Sikh community and I asked her if it would appropriate for us to read a Sikh prayer in a church and she said absolutely and sent me one.

“It was great to be able to share something different and I have had a lot of people ask for a copy of that prayer.” Fr Neil said more combined services were being planned for Christmas including a Blue Service on Christmas Eve for those who had lost someone or had gone through trauma.

Words: Donna Kelly

Narelle Groenhout, a journalist of many years, including with The Local, was enjoying a drink at the Daylesford Hotel on Sunday, November 5 when her life changed. She and her husband Pat, like many, raced to help those involved in the horrific accident in which five people died – Melbourne lawyer Pratibha Sharma, 44, and partner Jatin Chugh, 30, Pratibha’s nine-year-old daughter Anvi, family friend Vivek Bhatia, 38, and his 11-year-old son Vihaan. Bhatia’s 36-year-old wife Ruchi and other son, Abeer, aged six, were injured and both remain in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
Narelle, who comforted Abeer, told me a few days later, after an hour of just talking, that she would like to write something, not sure what, but something about love. And about reaching out for help. It would be hard but also, as a writer, help her heal, she said. This piece is about her memories and thoughts.
This November 20, current edition, of TL also includes interviews with others involved, from Central Highlands Rural Health’s Shane Richardson and Victoria Police’s Senior Sergeant Simon Brand, to Hepburn Shire Mayor Cr Brian Hood and Anglican minister Father Neil Fitzgerald. We have also listed a range of
phone numbers which anyone can call if they feel they need to talk or have counselling. I realise that for some, it might be too soon to read this, and perhaps triggering. For others, they have moved forward. Each person has their own journey or reality. Editor Donna Kelly.
A sunny afternoon in Daylesford, rocked by a tragedy so devastating, so incomprehensible, it’s hard to conceive how we can even try to recover. For those of us who were there, lives have been altered in ways that can’t be fixed.
My husband and I weren’t even meant to be there – a last-minute cancelled trip to Gippsland, some friends rang and said we’re coming through, do you want to catch up for a drink? Long weekend. Beautiful day. Why not?
We are now all broken by what we saw. Tormented by our own reactions to trauma. Doubts, what ifs and grief. Lives lost and torn apart in an instant and lives left behind. The sadness is palpable. The grief is so deep it hurts. Our town is hurting. We are a community collectively in mourning.
I’ve been a journalist and communications professional for more than 30 years, working in regional and city areas, in radio and print media. My 15 years as a beat reporter saw me cover stories of hope and joy, sadness and despair, tragedy and loss.
Stories that became part of my life. Part of my own story. Amongst all the work I have ever done, this story is the hardest one I will ever write. But if there is a chance that one person reaches out for help, if one person who is struggling to deal with their grief and sadness reaches out for support, then there will be purpose in these words.
The team from Central Highlands Rural Health had garnered trauma counsellors within hours, reaching out to as many of the witnesses as possible to begin the healing process. I know I personally have a long way to go. Some days I’m paralysed by sadness. But the support locally is extraordinary. They can help us all heal – in time.
We just need to all know that healing through support is a phone call away. For my husband and me, a quick catch up with friends saw us end up at the Daylesford Hotel. Our office is between the Royal Hotel and the tyre shop. They are our work neighbours. Our community. But turning the corner from Howe Street we gravitated to the spare table outside the Daylesford Hotel remembering that one of
us remarked this isn’t our usual pub. But there we were. In full view of our office, the tables either side of us and the joy being had on the beautiful lawns in the heart of town. Within minutes everything had changed.
I know the word chaos has been used to describe the scene. Someone mentioned that not even the emergency services are trained for what unfolded that evening. But through the confusion, shock, trauma and disbelief, strangers came together.
I remember the gentle way people were being held, talked to, comforted and loved. Love is a powerful thing and easy to say. But that evening, among the mayhem and chaos, those victims were surrounded by the love of this community. It was tangible.
Every single person played a role that night. Some shielding families, some praying, some stopping traffic and many locals and visitors running to the victims. Staff and the owners of the pub reacting in such a way I find it hard to find the words that describe their actions. Calm, caring and measured, despite their own shock and grief.
At one stage I was with a woman comforting a little boy who was injured. So small. So scared. So brave. Kissing his forehead in that moment, my entire life was wrapped up in this little boy’s survival. When an ambulance driver appeared and we knew this beautiful little soul was going to be cared for, my husband appeared. A young family witness to the event were recovering in the pub. In shock. For Pat and I, it was a moment of purpose. The act of comforting a young family, feeling a desperate sense to offer love and support was a godsend for us. Somehow going into mum mode, singing Wiggles songs
away from the sadness and holding the hands of innocent children was a moment embedded in my heart. Our lives are now entwined. There are many stories of those on the night connecting. Strangers brought together through trauma now friends.
A special young woman from Melbourne who witnessed the event from the pub’s balcony. Consoling and comforting each other hours later in the pub, it was this woman who had the strength to come back to the site days later, who gave me the strength to stand by her side in that moment.
For those who lost their lives, for those left behind, for witnesses, first responders and for everyone who has reached out to others with love and kindness, hope and prayers, we will all somehow be connected by grief but united by love.

Sometimes the universe puts the right people in the right places – and on the day of the (tragic Daylesford) accident (Sunday, November 5) more than a dozen off-duty healthcare professionals from across the state were in the vicinity.

They all stepped up and without hesitation the emergency medical response was underway. Many of the healthcare professionals are employed by Central Highlands Rural Health.

Speaking with Community Health & Wellbeing operations manager Shane Richardson (pictured above), it’s obvious he is emotional about the past couple of weeks, when expressing how proud and inspired he is by those who provided immediate care for the victims and witnesses to this tragic event.

Funded by the state Department of Health, CHRH is the lead agency for delivering the psychosocial health response, and working together with Hepburn Shire Council, CHRH had established a drop-in mental health support space in Raglan Street within 24 hours of the event.

Over the first week, a team of seven counsellors helped 64 people either with face-to-face or over the phone counselling. There had been a move to close at the end of the working week but the decision was made to continue over the weekend to be available to support community attending Remembrance Day services and mourners visiting the scene from Melbourne’s Indian and Sikh communities.

“Our counsellors were present and available every day for the whole week. We saw people as they needed help, there was no barrier to seeking support. Many people who came in opened up with ‘I need to talk to someone’.”

Mr Richardson said more than 120 hours of direct care and follow up, was provided during this time, with people able to return multiple times. “We had a combination of counsellors available; mental health accredited social workers, drug and alcohol counsellors and trauma-informed practitioners. We were also very fortunate and appreciative that we had current and former staff make themselves available to ensure that we had the best fit for the nature of the event. All have strong trauma-informed experience.”

Mr Richardson said other community agencies also supported his organisation and staff with Uniting, and Ballarat Community Health providing additional key workers. “The community health organisations just came together and worked seamlessly, and everyone was looking out for each other, ready to respond.”

A number of trauma debriefings have been held taking in healthcare-based first responders and staff from directly impacted hospitality businesses. There is a calendar of future debriefing/support gatherings planned in consultation with those most affected. “We will be there when people are ready – whether that is this week, next week, next month or next year. We have a commitment from Uniting to continue providing key worker support from now until whenever it is no longer needed.”

Along with his staff and other healthcare workers, Mr Richardson has high praise for emergency services including Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police, the various local CFA crews who turned out, Springs Medical and Hepburn Shire Council.

Mr Richardson said the Council of Churches and Red Cross support workers had also done a wonderful job reaching out to people for a week.

“Further, VicPol has been amazing, continuing to have an active police presence focused on supporting the community recovery. And the community has been amazing as well – witnesses who just stepped in to help any way they could that night. People like our healthcare workers, who were out enjoying a Sunday night.

“This event has had a profound impact on many people – it is the most traumatic community event I have been involved in – and we have faced some pretty challenging times over the years. Being such a public location, with hospitality workers and visitors from many countries present at the time, the impact has been felt so widely. We have fielded calls seeking support from across the country. And of
course, with the Indian and Sikh communities – it is sadly worldwide. The incident’s scale and reach are phenomenal.

“The fundamental thing for me is that everyone has worked collaboratively, at the top of their game, and made sure they are listening to the needs of the community. The community wanted a vigil and a vigil was organised, they wanted a church service and we had one. The council and every agency involved is listening, sharing and collaborating to best respond to what the community is indicating they need.”

Mr Richardson said while it was “a terrible, terrible incident”, to watch people stepping forward to help in any way was the most rewarding thing he had seen in a 25-year career in healthcare. “Our community has just been amazing.”

Hepburn Shire Councillors have returned Cr Brian Hood as Mayor and elected Cr Juliet Simpson as Deputy Mayor.

Following the decision last week Cr Brian Hood thanked his fellow councillors for the opportunity to again lead the council in the final year of this term.

“I am honoured to have been re-elected as mayor of Hepburn Shire,” he said. “Council has achieved much in the past year. As we enter the final year of our term there are significant and fundamental challenges before us as an organisation – including the extensive and ongoing program of road repair works and the pressing need for long term financial and strategic planning. 

“I look forward to working with my councillor colleagues, the CEO and his executive team as we embrace those challenges on behalf of the community,” he said.

Cr Brian Hood was elected to the Coliban Ward in October 2020.  He has held a number of senior management positions across public and private sector organisations, mostly as a Chief Finance Officer. He is a company director and chair of the company that operates the Trentham & District Community Bank.  Cr Hood was an AFL level umpire and secretary of the AFL Umpires Association and is a life member of that organisation.

Cr Brian Hood acknowledged the contribution of former Deputy Mayor Lesley Hewitt.

“Cr Lesley Hewitt was a great support to me in my pervious term as Mayor. Her professionalism and dedication to our community is evident and much appreciated,” said Cr Hood.

“Congratulations to Cr Juliet Simpson on her election to the role of deputy mayor. I look forward to working closely with her,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Cr Juliet Simpson was elected to represent the Holcombe Ward in October 2020.

Council Chief Executive Officer Bradley Thomas extended his congratulations to Crs Hood and Simpson.

“Cr Hood has shown strong leadership throughout the Council term and has provided ongoing support for staff,” said Council Chief Executive Officer Bradley Thomas.

“We have a lot to achieve in the coming year to deliver the final actions of the Council Plan 2021-25. It is a challenging environment for local government, but we look forward to working closely with Councillors in a positive way for the community,” said Mr Thomas.

“I congratulate Cr Simpson on her endorsement as Deputy Mayor and thank Cr Lesley Hewitt for her contribution in the role over the last 12 months.  With Cr Hood and Cr Simpson in these roles, the community can be confident of continued transparency and good governance,” he said. 

The Hepburn Shire Council is encouraging local business operators to attend a circular economy themed business breakfast on Thursday 30 November at Creswick Neighbourhood Centre.

The event takes place from 8am to 9.30am and is being hosted by Hepburn Shire Council and Creswick Business and Tourism.  

The circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling and composting. 

Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said that Council is committed to developing and promoting the circular economy to diversify our local economy and support sustainability goals. 

“Given the economic and climate change challenges we face today, expanding circular economy practices is a practical step we can all take to build a healthier, stronger and more resilient economy, community and environment,” said Cr Hood.  

“This work is underpinned by our four-year Council Plan and Sustainable Hepburn Strategy, which was developed in partnership with the community,” he said. 

Council’s Circular Economy Officer will provide an overview of the circular economy and introduce the Hepburn Shire Circular Economy Business Toolkit, currently in its final stages of development. Attendees will be invited to be amongst the first to trial the toolkit when it is released later this year. 

The toolkit is full of strategies that businesses can deploy to improve their bottom line through designing out waste, keeping materials in circulation and regenerating natural systems. Over time the toolkit will expand to include many more local examples of circular economy businesses and practices.  

Designed for businesses of any size or sector, the toolkit will help businesses understand more about what the circular economy is, learn about circular strategies and how businesses and value chain partners can benefit from becoming more ‘circular’. 

“With the help of state and federal governments, we are designing local systems of production, procurement and service delivery that minimise waste and pollution and build economic, social and ecological resilience,” said Cr Hood. 

Taylor Hay, local entrepreneur, will be demonstrating an Injection Moulding machine which he has designed and has been selling to schools across Australia to turn plastic waste into useful objects. Taylor is working alongside Precious Plastic, a movement which originated in the Netherlands and has inspired innovation across the globe.  

Attendees will hear stories of other local Circular Economy champions and projects and will leave with a better understanding of what a transition to a circular economy might look like in Hepburn Shire.  

This is a free, fully catered event. Registrations are essential and can be made via Circular Economy Business

The council will also be hosting a networking event for business owners, operators and industries from across the Shire to celebrate the achievements of the year and build future connections. It will be held from 5.30pm on Tuesday 28 November.

Headed to Trentham to perform at The Cosmopolitan Hotel next month, Charles Jenkins is a Melbourne songwriter/musician, producer and performer with more than 30 years experience in the Australian Music Industry.

He has released 21 albums, toured Europe and the USA several times and been nominated for two ARIA awards with the Icecream Hands. In 2014 he won the AGE/Music Victoria award for best folk/roots album and in August 2020 Icecream Hands released their first album in 13 years – No Weapon But Love. In Dec 2022 he released his latest solo album Radio Sketches 2 – the Death Of Stars.

A published songwriter of more than 30 years, his songs have featured in local and international television and film and have been recorded by other artists.

Charles has run songwriting, vocal and performance workshops over the last 20 years with a wide cross-section of the Victorian community.

His Trentham gig happens Saturday evening, December 9 with more info through Trybooking and The Cosmo.

Keen local field naturalists, citizen scientists and anyoneone who appreciates getting out in the forest is being invited to join an upcoming wildlife monitoring event being hosted by the Victorian National Parks Association.

Spotlight on Wombat Forest takes place Tuesday, December 5 from 10am to 4pm and will involve carrying out some valuable wildlife monitoring activities.

After 10 years of surveying wildlife across the forest, the Victorian National Parks Association took a break after the massive storm in 2021, but is now heading back with a new project aimed at surveying for threatened species across the areas impacted by the storm.

Those who participate in the event will help collect, reset and reinstall a series of wildlife cameras. No experience is necessary and all training will be provided. However, the activity is not suitable for children.

Registrations are required with the event being run through the NatureWatch Program.

Ella Hooper was still a teenager when she burst onto the Australian music scene.

Unearthed by Triple J when she was just 13, Ella scored her first number one with the single ‘Mascara’ on her 17th birthday. At 18, she became the first woman to be awarded APRA’s Songwriter of the Year.

After releasing three hit albums with Killing Heidi, Ella embarked on a solo career. Her forthcoming album, Small Town Temple – written in her hometown of Violet Town – has been hailed as a new beginning, showcasing Ella’s deeply personal songwriting.

After a multitude of gold and platinum records and four ARIA Awards, Ella remains committed to her craft and is headed to Hepburn to play The Palais on Friday evening, December 1.

Which is better – gas or induction? It’s a question an increasing number of householders looking to upgrade a tired old kitchen find themselves asking.

Tomorrow a special event being hosted by BREAZE (Ballarat Renewable Energy And Zero Emissions) in Ballarat aims to provide some answers.

Backed by funding from the City of Ballarat, the Smart Living Ballarat November session takes place tomorrow Wednesday November 22 from 12:30-1:30pm at Barkly Square kitchen, next to Tegan Crosbie’s Workshoppery at 25-39 Barkly St, Ballarat East.

“For years we’ve heard (from the gas industry!) that gas stovetops are the best option – quicker, cheaper, more precise. But are they?” a BREAZE spokeswoman says.

She says tomorrow’s demo aims to allow househlders to see and decide for themselves. Those who attend will get to hear about the dangers of cooking with gas, and to learn more about the reasons to consider switching to an induction cooktop.

Tomorrow’s session will be focused on renter and budget friendly, cheap and accessible plug-in induction cooktops. This is a free session, all welcome but due to capacity limits of the kitchen you must register for a free ticket here.

This session will complement Ballarat’s Green Drinks this month, where Sue Broadway and Ian Rossiter will be speaking about built-in induction cooktops and the science behind how induction works.

Smart Living Ballarat is a free monthly workshop, hosted by Ellen Burns and sponsored by the City of Ballarat and BREAZE.