Agriculture Victoria is asking holiday-makers and travellers to help keep the state’s $17.5 billion agriculture industry safe from biosecurity threats including pests and diseases.

Executive Director Biosecurity Victoria Katherine Clift said there were many ways the community can be biosecurity aware, including complying with state regulations while travelling.

‘Victorians travelling interstate should be aware of border quarantine restrictions around moving plants, fruit and vegetables or risk hefty fines,’ Dr Clift said.

‘Biosecurity measures such as not bringing fruit and vegetables into the state will help protect Victoria’s valuable horticulture industry from exotic pests including Mediterranean fruit fly.

‘If you are planning to visit our excellent wineries, don’t wander into the vineyards in case you get phylloxera on your footwear and spread it elsewhere – this tiny insect can destroy grapevines and significantly impact our $170 million wine industry.’

Beach goers can minimise the risk of pests and diseases by following the steps of Check, Clean and Dry – check all vessels, fishing, diving and surfing equipment and remove anything including water, sand and seaweed. Also, remember to check your catch for signs of disease.

“Clean boats at home or at a commercial carwash. Wash wetsuits, fishing and diving equipment with fresh, soapy water,’ Dr Clift said.

‘Dry all boating, fishing and diving equipment completely before heading out into the water again.’

For those making trips to farms, it’s essential to comply with Biosecurity Management Plans and follow biosecurity signage requirements to help prevent spreading pests and disease.

‘When you’re planning to visit a farming property, call ahead to see if there are any specific biosecurity requirements or potential issues,’ Dr Clift said.

‘When you arrive, sign the visitor record book, wash and disinfect your footwear and arrange to meet your hosts at their house or on a sealed or gravel area away from livestock.’

When it’s time to go home, farm visitors should wash their footwear again to avoid carrying pests and diseases to other properties or regions.

‘If you’re spending a lot of time on farms – or travelling to multiple properties – our Come Clean, Stay Clean, Go Clean learning module has great tips to help build your biosecurity awareness,’ Dr Clift said.

‘The short course will only take around 15 minutes of your time, but could save your friends and relatives so much more if you’re able to keep them safe from biosecurity threats.’

Visit farm visitors and service providers for more information and eLearning modules.

Words: Dr Jeff Cave, Senior Veterinary Officer Agriculture Victoria

It always pleases me when someone reaches out to me and asks, ‘is this animal fit to load?

If you are in doubt about an animal’s suitability for transport, you can always ask your private veterinarian or any Agriculture Victoria animal health officer or veterinary officer the same question.

Furthermore, a guideline titled ‘Is the animal fit to load?’ has been produced by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).This guideline can be viewed electronically on MLA’s website or ordered from MLA at MLA publications.

In summary, an animal is not fit to load if it: is not able to walk normally or bear weight on all its legs. This may be due to a recent or old fracture, an injury, a deformity or an infection is not strong enough to make the journey is suffering from severe distress or injury is in a condition that could cause it increased pain or distress during transport is blind in both eyes is in late pregnancy.

If you identify an animal that is unfit to load you have a few options. You could treat the animal and transport it when it has recovered and is fit to load. Naturally this is not an option in cases that are not readily treatable. Alternatively, you could humanely destroy the animal. A knackery service is available in many areas to help with this option.

,Finally, you could consult a veterinarian and only transport the animal under veterinary advice.In line with community values and expectations for sound animal welfare, good practices are also a regulatory requirement. Remember, it is a regulatory requirement that the person in charge of the animal is responsible for its welfare.

Chambers of commerce, trader groups, industry associations and other business groups can now apply for grants of $20,000 and $50,000 to deliver locally led projects that help flood-affected small businesses to recover and thrive.

The grants program is jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, and will close on Tuesday 31 October or when funds are exhausted, whichever happens first.

Business groups are encouraged to apply with project proposals that will reactivate their local economy and support small businesses in their community.

Applicants must support businesses in flood-affected areas with the higher grant amount available for businesses that experienced acute impact from the Victorian floods.

Those who believe they are eligible to apply are currently being invited to Apply here now

A swim teacher with Macedon Ranges Shire Council has been recognised for her dedication to her students at this year’s Aquatics and Recreation Victoria Industry Gala Awards.
Held in recent days, the 2023 awards ceremony by the state’s peak industry body saw Marie
Noonan presented with the Swim Teacher Award For Persons with a Disability. This is her
second career award recognition, having been previously presented with the Teacher of Swimming
and Water Safety Award in 2014.
The annual awards recognise and reward outstanding achievement and commitment to the aquatics
and leisure industry. Council’s aquatics and leisure facilities and staff were well represented on the
night, with finalists across eight other award categories.
Mayor Annette Death said the shire’s facilities, services and staff have a great reputation within the
industry, demonstrated by Council’s previous success and growing number of ARV staff awards.
“This type of industry recognition is particularly pertinent, to emphasise the work of our aquatics and
leisure teams in providing important educational and recreational services for our shire,” she said.
“I’d like to congratulate Marie for her award on the night, and all of our finalists – our Council and our
community are lucky to have such dedicated and professional staff in this field.”
Council’s ARV Industry Gala Awards tally now sits at eight in total in the 10 years the awards have
been running in their current format. Staff have previously won awards in various categories, including
aquatic education and customer service.

A new ‘place of take approvals’ framework will be introduced to strengthen water delivery rights in declared water systems in Victoria.

The framework is due to come into effect during 2023/24 following planned consultation and communications activities.

To help irrigators and service providers better understand these changes, a free lunchtime webinar is being held on Wednesday, 12 July from 1 – 2 pm.

The webinar is being presented by the Sustainable Irrigation Program, a partnership between DEECA, catchment management authorities, rural water corporations, and irrigators.

The new framework will be consistent across all declared water systems and will protect irrigator’s existing rights to have water delivered during the rare event of a water shortfall.

Irrigators will also have more flexibility to manage their own delivery risk.The changes are driven by increasing delivery risk in the Murray downstream of Barmah.

Agriculture Victoria Technical Specialist Rob O’Connor said the webinar will cover what the ‘place of take approvals framework’ changes are, the drivers for the change, and what the changes mean for water users – including private diverters and irrigation district customers.‘

Proposed rules including the cap and trade of water delivery rights will be discussed, along with the broader program of work to manage delivery risk in the Murray system,’ Mr O’Connor said.

Expert speakers will include Penny Clark, Senior Manager Water Reform Legislation Oversight, and Alex Murray, Acting Manager Declared Systems Reform.‘Penny and Alex are both from the Water Markets and Grid branch at Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), which over-sees the place of take approval framework.’Register for the webinar here.

After registering save the confirmation email containing important information about joining the webinar, including a password. More information about ‘place of take approvals’ can be found on the Victorian Water Register web site.

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, has launched a new tool that will help Australia sustainably manage a critical natural resource which sustains lives and livelihoods.  

Now live and available for use, the Australian National Soil Information System (ANSIS) brings together soil data from across Australia, connecting multiple data sources to provide access to nationally consistent soil data and information.

It will equip farmers, policy makers and researchers with the data and information they need to better manage, restore, and protect Australia’s soils.

Speaking at the Soil Science Australian conference in Darwin, ANSIS project lead at CSIRO, Peter Wilson, said it was an important step forward for the future sustainable management of soils in every part of the country.

“Soil is the backbone of our food security, and it is critical that we manage it effectively for climate change adaptation and economic and environmental prosperity to support national and global agrifood priorities,” Mr Wilson said.

“Until now, it’s been exceptionally difficult to find, access, integrate and compare soil data.

“This new system brings together all this information providing easy access to soil data and information that will underpin the effective management of soil.”

ANSIS will be a valuable tool for farmers and farm advisors, allowing them to compare the condition of their soil with other soils in their region; monitor how their soil has changed over time; and inform opportunities for change or improvement in land management practices.

Governments and industry bodies will be able to use data and information through ANSIS to support the development of effective policies to ensure our soil is sustainably used and enhanced for future generations, and to inform policy decisions in areas such as drought resilience, climate adaptation, natural capital accounting and biodiversity conservation.

Australia’s National Soils Advocate, the Hon Penelope Wensley AC said the launch of the new national soil information system was an exciting development.

The tiny samurai wasp is a potential pre-emptive biocontrol agent for the serious agricultural pest Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, if it establishes here, research scientists at the CSIRO say.

Ever get that feeling you’ve lost something really important? Is it in your other pocket? Or down the back of the couch? We can’t find the Samurai wasp, which we know was here before. It’s important as a potential future biocontrol superhero against a serious agricultural insect pest threatening Australia.

Samurai were ancient Japanese warriors, often serving in private armies. The CSIRO now says it’s hoping the namesake wasp could go into battle against one of world’s worst biosecurity pests, if it ever establishes here: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB).

BMSB is in the top 10 National Priority Plant Pests for Australia. If introduced here, it would cause serious damage to fruit and vegetable crops and ornamental plants. It’s a voracious pest, which feeds on more than 300 plant species including key agricultural crops. And it can grow large populations and become a household nuisance as it seeks shelter indoors over winter.

The tiny Samurai wasp, Trissolcus mitsukurii, is about the size of a sesame seed. It is one of the main egg parasitoids of BMSB in its native range in Japan. It can’t sting humans. And it’s so small it’s easy to miss.

The Samurai wasp was first recorded in Australia in 1914, but it was given a different name. It was also introduced in a biocontrol program in 1962 to help control the Green Vegetable Bug (GVB), Nezara viridula.

Subsequently, it was found in the ACT, NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia (WA) and South Australia. But it hasn’t been recorded since 1998, when the last specimens were found in ACT and WA.

If the Samurai wasp is still here, and can be found, then it could be a pre-emptive biocontrol agent ready to attack BMSB if it spreads here. A biological control program would involve breeding the wasp up in large numbers and releasing it to target BMSB wherever it is found in any future incursion.

But first, scientists with the CSIRO say, we need to find out more about which hosts T. mitsukurii uses here. Australia has a high number of endemic stink bug species (94 genera and 330 species) so it probably uses some of these as hosts. This large number of native stink bug species would also make it tricky to import new host specific exotic biological control agents.

Bringing a playful blend of jazz, swing, blues and boogie infused vintage party tune, the inimitable Shuffle Club return to Palais Hepburn on Saturday night, July 15.

For 21 years the Shuffle Club have been filling dance floors everywhere with their playful blend of jazz, swing, blues and boogie-infused vintage party tunes. The band cut their teeth in St Kilda before taking the city, the country and eventually the world by storm.

They’ve played clubs, pubs and bars and cruise ships with the same energy and enthusiasm as concert halls, festivals and theatres across Australia, Europe, Asia and Central America. For over a decade they routinely toured with The Famous Spiegeltent as the late night house band, accompanying a range of guests including vocalists, circus performers, cabaret artists and comedians.

In between all the glitz and glam, the band have always returned home. It seems fitting, in their 21st year, to acknowledge their contribution to the local and international scene with this special show.

The Backyard Banjo Club are a five-piece trad-jazz/bluegrass bonanza and they’re headed to The Palais, Hepburn to strut their stuff, Saturday night July 22.

Think Tom Waits meets Django Reinhardt and plays a jazz cover of a Radiohead tune. High energy up-tempo jazz and the occasional sultry ballad, good times guaranteed.

From sell-out Melbourne shows to folk clubs around the country, the Backyard Banjo Club bring tongue-in-cheek stage banter and a healthy dose of instrumental finesse to the stage.

The City of Ballarat intends to name multiple roadways within the Ballarat Airport precinct and is inviting public feedback.

The unnamed roads are all located within the Ballarat Airport precinct and provide access to the various occupancies. The current council addressing for each occupancy utilises a unique building reference number, however this addressing format is insufficient and ambiguous given the number of occupancies that operate in the precinct on various roadways.

Earlier in 2023, the council asked the community to provide feedback on a number of potential names for use in the airport precinct. There was a great amount of interest in this proposal and some insightful feedback was received. After taking this feedback into consideration, the council has now come back with an updated list of names that it believes embrace the history of the area.

The proposed names being recommended have been compiled in conjunction with the Airport Manager, Ballarat Airport Stakeholder Reference Group and Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. Each name has been chosen for its relevance and/or historical significance to the Ballarat Airport in addition to conforming with the Naming rules for places in Victoria – Statutory requirements for naming roads, features and localities 2022. The council is only seeking feedback on the proposed names.

1. Kittyhawk Close – a well-known single seat aircraft that were the only effective RAAF fighters throughout the fighting at Port Moresby and Milne Bay in 1942 when the Japanese advance towards Australia was stopped[1](External link)(External link).
2. Winmaling Circuit – (pronounced Win-mar-ling) – the Wadawurrung word for ‘wind’ as supported by Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.
3. Gladys Way– Gladys Joyce Mathews – born in Ballarat, enlisted into the Royal Australian Airforce in 1942 in Ballarat. Gladys was a part of the ‘1 Wireless and Gunners School Ballarat’ (Mathews has been ruled out as it would create a duplicate road name).
4. Avro Anson Approach- The Avro Anson is a significant aircraft in the history of the airport. During World War 2 over 6000 men trained at 1 Wireless Air Gunners School and the majority of them trained in one of the 72 Avro Anson’s used.
5. Terminal Place – an appropriate name for an access road to terminal buildings at an airport.
6. Karndorr Circuit – (pronounced Karn-door) – the Wadawurrung word for ‘track’ as supported by Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.
7. Fairbairn Street – Wing Commander Charles Osborne Fairbairn served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Flying Corps in World War 1 and afterwards in the Royal Air Force, where he was awarded the Air Force Cross. He served as the Commanding Officer of No 1 Wireless Air Gunners School and transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve of Officers in 1944. He was responsible for the training schools’ daily operations and the welfare of the trainees as well as fostering positive relations between the base and the Ballarat Community[2](External link)(External link).
8. Cheetah Road – designed by Armstrong Siddeley in 1930 and had evolved from the 7-cylinder Lynx radial of 1920. Primarily used on pre-war British military aircraft, including the Arvo Anson monoplane bomber which in 1935 was Britain’s’ first twin engine aircraft with retractable undercarriage[3](External link)(External link).
9. Boomerang Road – The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) Boomerang is a fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia between 1942 and 1945. It was the first combat aircraft designed and constructed in Australia.
10. Timmins Lane – Thora Beatrice Timmins – born in Ballarat, enlisted into the Royal Australian Airforce in 1942 in Ballarat. Thora was a part of the ‘1 Wireless and Gunners School Ballarat’.
11. Petch Circuit – Flying Officer Francis Noel Miller Petch was born and educated in Ballarat, wanting to join the air force from a young age. He enlisted in the Royal Australia Air Force in 1942 and was posted to the No 1 Wireless Air Gunners School. Frank was discharged from the Royal Australia Air Force in 1945 with the rank of Flying Officer[4](External link)(External link).

Working with the Traditional Owners

The City of Ballarat says it’s committed to reconciliation, working positively today and into the future with the Wadawurrung (Traditional Owners) and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members to learn, acknowledge and move forward together. In continuing this commitment, it is proposed that the the names;

Winmaling (prounounced Win-mar-ling) – the Wadawurrung word for ‘wind’,

Karndorr – (pronounced Karn-door) – the Wadawurrung word for ‘track’

be used in this renaming proposal as supported by Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.

Commemorative Naming

As part of this naming proposal, the council is considering the use of four commemorative names and would like to make contact with the family of the four people that we have proposed to name roads after. The four names are;

– Wing Commander Charles Osborne Fairbairn

– Flying Officer Francis Noel Miller Petch

– Thora Beatrice Timmins

– Gladys Joyce Mathews

Community Engagement

As part of the council’s legislative requirements for road naming, it is now seeking feedback on the proposed names. Interested parties are encouraged to make submissions, whether for or against a proposal.

Any proposed names must conform with the Naming rules for places in Victoria – Statutory requirements for naming roads, features and localities 2022. Further information on the naming guidelines is provided by the State Government at Place Naming – Naming Rules(External link)(External link).

Submissions on the proposed name are being invited and will be received by the council until 5pm Friday 7 July 2023 with more information on the council’s own website.

If no submissions are made it will be assumed that there are no objections and Council will proceed with the road naming process.

Following fairly on the platform heels of the first Aquarius Dreams live music event at The Palais- Hepburn, comes the second edition – and it’s all for a good cause.

This locally hosted event will take place at the Palais on Friday night, July 14 and proudly supports Wombat Forest Care.

Five percent of proceeds from all ticket sales will go towards this community group with more information about it and it’s work at wombatforestcare.org.au

The upcoming second edition of Aquarius Dreams promises to celebrate the substantial musical talents from the shire – and beyond.

There will be live musical performances from a diverse group of artists, ranging from ambient dreamscapes to dance oriented beats, all accompanied by visual wizardry from Michael Groth & Darren from The Electric Light Brigade. DJs AYABLOOM & Clay Ravin will close out the night.

Mount Alexander Shire Councillors have unanimously endorsed the adoption of the council’s new Climate Change Strategy at the council’s most recent scheduled meeting last month.

The Climate Change Strategy sets the direction for Council’s climate action now, and into the future. It is an organisation-wide document that will influence future priorities and projects across the council.

The strategy had been informed by extensive community feedback, collected through an online survey at www.shape.mountalexander.vic.gov.au, community workshops and pop-up sessions, and from information provided by Council’s Climate Change Community Reference Group.

“Climate change affects all of us, and we recognise the importance and urgency of the issue – that’s why this strategy is so important,” mayor Cr Rosie Annear said.

“It clarifies Council’s role in responding to climate change, and highlights how we’re changing the way we do things so that climate change is front-of-mind across our operations and service delivery.”

“The story of our commitment to tackling climate change began over twenty years ago with the adoption of Council’s first greenhouse gas action plan. More recently, community momentum for the 2019 declaration of the climate emergency highlighted just how important it is that we all work together and play our part.

“We’ve continued to listen to our community’s feedback on the issue, and referenced much of that input in the drafting of this strategy.

“Thanks to everyone who’s provided feedback along the way – your input is helping us work towards achieving something great,” said Cr Annear.

The new Climate Change Strategy sets six long-term climate change response goals for Council.

These focus on integrating climate action, supporting just and equitable transitions, enhancing our natural environment, incorporating climate into our infrastructure planning and renewal, supporting community connections, and moving toward a circular economy. Council’s role in fulfilling these goals is clarified through action areas.

Alongside the strategy is an action plan which details the steps Council will take to deliver the strategy in the 2023/2024 financial year. The action plan will be updated each year and available for community input through an annual climate response planning meeting with local community groups.

Actions identified for this coming year include:

• promoting sustainable programs and rebates to the community
• reviewing how climate change is considered when we build and maintain assets
• reviewing land use planning policies to strengthen climate change considerations
• partnering with community organisations to educate and promote benefits of making homes more resilient to climate impacts.

The strategy complements Council’s Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, which is guiding us toward net zero emissions for Council’s operations by 2025.

Community members and interested others are able to view the council’s newly adopted Climate Change Strategy at www.shape.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/climate-change-strategy with hard copies also available through the Civic Centre in Castlemaine during business hours.

Sporting facilities at Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve are set for an upgrade thanks to both local and state government funding.

The Victorian Government has committed $250,000, alongside Mount Alexander Shire Council’s $398,953 contribution towards the construction of a new competition standard netball court making the facilities at the reserve inclusive, safe and assessable.

Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Mayor, Cr Rosie Annear, said that the upgraded facilities will support the shire’s growing community.

“New and improved facilities will make a huge difference to the Campbells Creek Football Netball Club,” said Mayor Annear.

“The club will able to host training and home games, enjoying the club even in the darker months.

“It will also go a long way to encouraging people of all ages, genders and abilities to get involved in sport.

“I’d like to thank Maree Edwards MP and the Victorian Government for their generous funding.

“I’d also like to thank and congratulate the Campbells Creek Football Netball Club.

“This project wouldn’t have been possible without all the work the club did to advocate for funding.

“You’re an incredibly passionate group of people and it’s inspiring to see the work you’ve done.

“This is a fantastic example of how we, as Council, the Victorian Government and the local community, can work together to make meaningful change at a local level.”

This project is thanks to Victorian Government as part of their 2022-2023 Country Football Netball Program.

Other improvement works planned for Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve include the installation of temporary change facilities at the reserve.

This is outlined in Council’s proposed budget 2023/2024, which is set to be considered for adoption at the council’s most recent scheduled meeting held last month.

The temporary change facilities at the reserve will help create a safe, respectful and equitable environment for all users, improving access for more people to get involved in local sport.

The council says it will continue to work closely with the reserve’s users to understand and develop the best long-term strategy for permanent pavilion and change facilities at the reserve as part of the Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve Master Plan implementation.

The Mount Alexander Shire Councillors have voted to remove permit requirements for people wishing to camp or occupy a caravan or tiny home on wheels on private property where there is an existing dwelling.

Councillors made the unanimous decision to change the permit requirements, which are outlined in Local Law 13 – Camping on Private Property, at last month’s scheduled council meeting in recent days.

“This decision was informed by long-term community advocacy and the 1616 residents who made submissions to Council on the matter,” said Mayor Rosie Annear.

“With 91% of people supportive of the proposed change, there was little doubt that this is what our community wants.”

“We know that this change won’t fix the housing crisis we’re experiencing in the shire, but we hope it will provide another option for people who are struggling to find a place to live or for those who just want a lifestyle change.”

“I’ve lived in Castlemaine almost my whole life and have never seen people struggling with housing availability, security, and affordability to the extent that they are now. I’ve also never witnessed so much visible homelessness and rough sleeping in our shire. 

“We’re hoping to mitigate risk by only amending the local law to allow people to camp, or stay in a caravan or tiny house on wheels, on land where there is already an existing dwelling without a permit. This way, a lot of aspects such as bushfire and flood management, environmental impact, and access, will have been managed already by the existing dwelling.”

The changes to permit requirements will come into effect following notification of the change in the Local Government Gazette, which is planned to occur on Thursday 29 June 2023.

People interested in camping or occupying a caravan or tiny home on wheels on private property where there is an existing dwelling can do so without a permit as long as the camping does not cause any detrimental impact.

Wastewater will need to be removed from the site for disposal at suitable locations, such as a dump point. Penalties may apply for property owners who do not comply with these requirements.

Mayor Annear said the move by Councillors to remove permit requirements will increase options for people during the housing affordability crisis, but more work needs to be done.

“This Council has made housing a real priority, reflecting the needs of our community, and we’ll continue to work on other ways we can address the housing crisis in our shire,” said Mayor Annear.

“This is an important step in the right direction, but it’s not the end.”

Background:

July 2022 – Councillor Driscoll introduces a Notice of Motion at the Council meeting requesting Council officers investigate the impact of the proposed amendment change.

December 2022 – Councillors recommend community consultation on proposed amendment change.

February to March 2023 – Community consultation occurs, in which more than 91% of survey respondents indicate their support for the proposed amendment change.

June 2023 – Councillors adopt the proposed amendment to Council’s General Local Law 13: Camping on Private Property, to allow where there is an existing dwelling, limited to one tiny house on wheels, caravan, tent or the like to to camp without a permit.

Mount Alexander Shire Council has adopted a $48.5 million budget for the year ahead, following community consultation and feedback.

Highlights from the budget include commencement of construction of levees, graffiti management, Christmas celebrations and significant investment in local organisations.

Other features include $14.5 million in capital works, which will see upgrades to sports and recreation facilities, continued restoration of the former Wesleyan Church in Chewton, and replacement of bridges over Myrtle Creek and Fryers Creek.

Council is responsible for delivering more than 100 services to the community, including family and children’s services, youth programs, aged and disability care, business and economic development, community planning and development, waste management, library services, and emergency management.

Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Mayor, Councillor Rosie Annear, said that Council is proud to deliver a budget that was developed in consultation with the community.

“It’s a collaborative effort to put together the budget,” said Mayor Annear.

“As well as the input of Councillors and Council staff, we received over 100 submissions from residents during our initial community consultation, and another 40 in our second round of consultation.

“Our community told us that the shire’s sports and recreation facilities need an upgrade, so we’ve made plans to construct gender-neutral change rooms at Camp Reserve and Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve. This will be in place at the reserve’s while we work to upgrade facilities at these sites over the next few years.

“These changes will significantly improve safety and remove barriers to participation for a lot of people, particularly women, girls and gender-diverse people.

“Other plans to improve our sporting and recreation facilities include the installation of lighting at the Bill Woodfull Recreation Reserve. We’re also creating a youth space in Taradale, installing a new netball court at Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve, upgrading lighting at Harcourt Recreation Reserve – and that’s just to name a few projects!

“We know that Christmas decorations and celebrations are important to our community, so we’ve allocated funding to make sure everyone can enjoy the festivities.

“We’re also progressing our work on affordable housing, which is a priority for all Councillors and our community.

“We’ve taken community feedback on board, synthesised it and incorporated it into our budget.

“New initiatives in the budget that are a direct result of feedback from our community include projects to support community organisations such as Business Mount Alexander, Maldon Inc., Castlemaine Safe Space and Castlemaine Fringe Festival.

“Every year we hear from more and more residents about what they’d like to see included in the budget.

“It’s really rewarding to be able to include so many of these community requests and suggestions into the budget.

“I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to have their say on the draft budget, and to those people who came to a Council meeting to speak to us in person.

“We learnt so much about your ideas and what projects are important to you.”

The budget includes an increase to average rates income of 3.5%, in line with the rate cap set by the Victorian Government. Waste charges have been increased by 1% to reflect the rising costs of waste management.

“The rates rise is difficult but necessary. We’ve spent a lot of time discussing and thinking about what is appropriate for our community, and what is financially sustainable for the organisation.

“There’s been a significant increase in the costs of construction over the last 12 months, and Council will have to do more with less which is something we need to keep in mind.

“Overall, I’m proud of what we’ve achieved with this budget, considering the current economic climate.

“I’m thrilled that we’re able to put funds towards so many things that will make big and little differences to residents in our shire.

“Thank you again to our community – for your engagement, your patience and for helping us to make our shire such an incredibly special place to live.”

Budget highlights

Capital works

The budget includes $14.5 million for capital works to improve infrastructure such as roads, bridges, drains and footpaths.

• A number of recreation projects including:
  • construction of additional change rooms and installation of sports lighting at Bill Woodfull Recreation Reserve ($1.2M)
  • creation of a youth space in Taradale, including a playground renewal ($510K)
  • lighting upgrades at the Harcourt Recreation Reserve ($357K)
  • installation of temporary change facilities at Camp Reserve and Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve while facilities are upgraded over the coming years ($751K)
  • installation of a new netball court at Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve ($649K – subject to government funding).
• Progression of multi-year projects including:
  • commencement of construction of Castlemaine and Campbells Creek levees ($2.27M)
  • restoring of former Wesleyan Church in Chewton ($409K)
• Replacement of the following bridges $2.32M – depending on successful recipients of grant funding):
  • James Bridge over Myrtle Creek.
  • Burgoyne Street Bridge over Fryers Creek, Vaughan.
• Continuing a number of annual renewal and replacement programs across a range of assets including:
  • community buildings ($165K)
  • plant and machinery ($1.34M)
  • swimming pools ($135K)
  • road resheeting and resealing ($1.3M).
• Several minor projects including:
  • bell mouth sealing program ($51K)
  • construction of storage shed at Newstead Recreation Reserve ($77K)
  • potential installation of outdoor exercise equipment in Newstead and one other site ($51K).
• Commencing investigation and design for a section of Newstead flood levee ($92K – subject to government funding) and replacement of flood gate ($143K).