The restoration of Creswick Town Hall is close to completion with scaffolding expected to be taken down in coming days.

As part of the conservation project, the historic hall’s clock face has been meticulously cleaned and painted by a signwriter, a new flagpole was installed in recent days, the repaired and painted cast iron cresting followed it soon after, perched upon a new copper clad roof.

Chimney pots and chimney heads have been carefully restored and painted and the parapets, facades and windows are nearly complete.

With scaffolding now expected to come down, the Hepburn Shire Council has requested pedestrians and onlookers to keep their distance to allow scaffolders to get the job done.

The project is funded through the council along with a $500,000 grant from the State Government’s Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund, and $432,000 from the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Fund.

The Hepburn Shire says it has successfully engaged with over 70 participants over the last 12 months  to help local farmers and land custodians improve land, soil, water and livestock.

The Practical Regenerative Agricultural Communities program is being delivered as a partnership between Hepburn Shire Council, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, City of Greater Bendigo, A Healthy Coliban Catchment project (North Central Catchment Management Authority and Coliban Water), Melbourne Water and the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network.

The program is set to continue from July this year and includes free, on-farm advice, webinars, workshops and field days, short courses and discussion groups. 

Those interested are being invited to visit the Healthy Landscapes Hepburn webpage for detail and links to upcoming events or to book a free property visit, by filling out the expression of interest form.

If you’re among the legion of people who cringe at the sight of discarded, soiled, disposable infants’ nappies dumped in public places, you’ll no doubt be pleased to hear that the Hepburn Shire Council says it will soon be announcing some reusable nappy workshops.

The council, says the local community “has continued to express interest” in the program which has run previously and more workshops will “be announced soon”.

The council, in a recent edition of its ‘Sustainable Hepburn’ e-newsletter also says that last September it thanked and celebrated residents for their interest in switching to reusable cloth nappies by hosting a free online workshop. 

Participants also received a cloth nappy starter pack and go-to guide to help them on their low waste journey.

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council is inviting community feedback to help shape the future direction of the Ross Watt Reserve in New Gisborne.

The local reserve is recognised as an important area of passive and active open space and currently offers grassed areas, a playground, public toilets, BMX humps and tennis facilities with four courts.

Future upgrades that have so far been identified include a new tennis pavilion, two new synthetic grass courts and a picnic shelter with a barbecue.

Like other recreational master plans recently endorsed or underway, this will provide a long-term road
map for the future development and improvement of Ross Watt Reserve in a pre-planned, strategic
manner, with individual projects being subject to funding and detailed design.

The council is receiving public feedback on the draft Ross Watt Reserve Master Plan from 2 to 30 June, with more information available at mrsc.vic.gov.au/your-say

Rope canopy bridges have been installed in Wombat State Forest near Springhill to help wildlife move through storm-damaged tree canopies where trees and branches have fallen or broken.

Community groups and residents were invited to help create sections of simple flat rope bridges as part of our Storm Recovery activities. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action arranged for arborists to install the bridges in key strategic locations where they are needed.

Species expected to benefit from the installation of wildlife rope bridges include Common Brushtail Possum, Eastern Ringtail Possum, Krefft’s Glider, Feather-tailed Glider, Brush-tailed Phascogale, Southern Greater Glider and Koala.

A rope canopy bridge will be installed on the Domino Trail as a display and more will be added in coming weeks.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make these ropes and host workshops. If any community members are interested in getting involved, the council says it plans to source more rope and make more bridges. Those wanting further information are able to contact the council’s environmental works officer on 5348 2306.

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council has adopted a new policy phasing out the use of single-use plastics, among a number of significant decisions made by the councillors at last Thursday night’s May council meeting.

The council voted in favour of adopting the Single-use Plastic Policy (2023), which supports
phasing out single-use plastic items across all of its operations.

The move aligns with the Victorian Government’s state-wide ban that’s been in effect since February this year.

The council had already been actively working to reduce plastic use in operations and in the community
over recent years, including updating the procurement policy; accepting soft plastics at resource
recovery centres and facilitating safe processing; and undertaking the kerbside soft plastics recycling
trial in Romsey in collaboration with the Australian Food & Grocery Council (AFGC).

The new policy is a key item from Council’s Towards Zero Single-use Plastics Action Plan and builds
on the Waste and Resource Recovery Management Strategy 2021-2026 objectives, to support
Council and the community working to reduce waste to landfill.

Repairs will be carried out enabling the reopening of the Romsey-Lancefield Federation Trail following a decision by the Macedon Ranges Shire Council at its May meeting last Thursday.

During the meeting the council endorsed the creation of a new project – and funding of $10,000 – to carry out minor repairs to reopen the Federation Trail, as part of its ongoing capital works schedule.

The work will fill hazardous depressions and scoured areas caused by the October 2022 flood
event, which had resulted in the temporary closure of the trail for public safety.

The council says it will work with a locally based contractor to complete these initial repair works and aim to have the trail reopened by July.

Additional works to fully restore the trail are still required and the council says it is continuing to pursue funding options for these longer-term repairs.

Unique Trentham business Path of The Horse is among those to benefit after the state government announced more than $1.4 million in funding for 55 projects offering practical support for the veteran community, statewide.
The funding, announced last week, is being distributed through three grant programs focused on veterans and their families.
Mary-Anne Thomas MP said she was proud that the following projects will each receive a $50,000 grant:
Path of the Horse, Main Arena Shed Building Project: Under the Veterans Capital Works Program, Path of the Horse in Trentham will increase the use of their existing facilities so that they can assist more Veterans and their families year-round, by establishing a covered area away from the existing arena. This will ensure they can work with multiple clients whilst maintaining privacy.
Riddells Creek Primary School and the Riddells Creek Lions Club: The Riddells Creek War Memorial.
The Riddells Creek War Memorial was installed in 1950 with a plaque detailing those who died in
WWII. It was opened by Sir Edmund Herring. It is the town’s sole war memorial. In 2000 the gates
were hit by a vehicle and were badly damaged. This application seeks to repair the gates, the
bluestone pillars and fence.

Across Victoria, there are a total of 31 projects receiving funding through the Veterans Capital Works
Grant Program, which funds facility upgrades of up to $50,000 for not-for-profit and ex-service organisations.
Another 13 organisations are sharing in more than $324,000 of funding through the Restoring
Community War Memorials and Avenues of Honour Grant Program, which funds projects that
restore or improve war memorials, honour rolls and avenues of honour across our state.
There are also 11 organisations across the state receiving funding through the Victoria Remembers
Grant Program, which provides grants of up to $30,000 for projects commemorating veterans’
service or educating Victorians about the contributions that veterans and their families have made.
Applications for Victoria Remembers are assessed by the Victorian Veterans Council, an independent
body that provides advice to the Government on issues affecting the Victorian veteran community.
Mary-Anne Thomas, Member for Macedon: “This funding will help ensure we continue to honour the service and sacrifice of the veteran community in Macedon. I commend the Path of the Horse in Trentham and the Riddells Creek Lions Club and primary school, for their important work across our community.”

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s flagship storm waste facility near Romsey has won its second award, having taken out the Special Projects Initiative category at the 2023 LGPro Awards for Excellence in recent days.
The awards recognise the outstanding work by individuals and teams working in local government in
Victoria, with the category recognising a project with innovation, sustainability, clearly demonstrated
outcomes, benefits relative to cost and the ability to meet specific needs.

The storm waste facility was established in partnership with Emergency Recovery Victoria in
response to the severe June 2021 storms. The site has processed more than 65,000 tonnes of tree
and storm debris from the Macedon Ranges and other storm-affected areas throughout Victoria.
Product has been returned back to impacted communities in the form of free timber, fence posts, tree
stakes, firewood, fish habitat, mulch, sawdust and more; totalling over $35 million in market value so
far.
Macedon Ranges Shire Council CEO Bernie O’Sullivan said the award showed what can be achieved
when collaborating positively with partner agencies to overcome adversity.
“The storm events in June 2021 were unlike anything we had experienced,” he said. “There was wide-spread destruction across our shire including a considerable amount of fallen trees and storm debris
which required clearing and disposing of.”
“In partnership with the Victorian Government, we were able to implement the storm waste facility
which was used to efficiently process waste not only from our shire but also from across the state.
“I would like to thank everybody involved in this successful project. So many people and community
groups have benefitted from the innovative ways storm waste has been recycled through this facility.”

The state government is setting one of the most ambitious emissions reduction targets in
the world – aiming to cut Victoria’s emissions by 75–80 per cent by 2035, the Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas says.

Ms Thomas last week welcomed Minister for Climate Action Lily D’Ambrosio’s decision to formalise the new target to cut the state’s emissions by 75–80 per cent by 2035 under Victoria’s Climate Change Act 2017.

Later this year the Government will legislate the emissions reduction target of 75-80 per cent by
2035 and net zero emissions by 2045.

Ms Thomas said: “This ambitious target builds on the Government’s record success to date – having already cut the state’s emissions by 32.3 per cent below 2005 levels. Victoria is decarbonising at the fastest rate in the country, cutting its emissions by more than any other state since 2014.

To achieve this, the Government is taking strong action across Victoria – delivering zero-emissions
transport, helping farmers cut emissions, storing carbon in our landscape and driving down
emissions in the waste sector through the circular economy, she said.

Ms Thomas said: “We’re also ensuring all government operations are powered with 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2025. These new targets will ensure Victoria seizes the enormous economic opportunity climate change action presents – generating $63 billion of benefit to the economy and helping to create thousands of jobs”.

The re-establishment of the State Electricity Commission (SEC) will be a key driver reducing
emissions and bringing down power bills through $1 billion of initial investment into new renewable,
government-owned energy. This investment will deliver 4.5 gigawatts of renewable power – the
equivalent of Loy Yang A.

Victoria’s target of 95 per cent renewable energy generation by 2035, renewable energy storage
target of 6.3 GW by 2035 and offshore wind energy targets will also enable the state to make this
historic transition, Ms Thomas said.

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas: “The Andrews Labor Government is taking real action on Climate Change and I’m proud that Victoria will continue to lead the nation in this space.”

Minister for Climate Action Lily D’Ambrosio: “Victoria is continuing to lead the way on climate action in Australia with our target to reduce emissions by 75-80 per cent by 2035 and net-zero by 2045.”

The state government is drafting Victoria’s Mineral Spring Master Plan 2023-2032 and is asking locals and community members to provide their input.
The 10-year strategic Master Plan will ensure Victoria’s public mineral springs remain safe, continue to support local communities, attract new visitors and create a greater understanding of the cultural importance mineral springs have for Traditional Owners.

The Master Plan will also aim to highlight the importance of understanding the history of the springs and be a helpful guide for future management and investment. The document will include four objectives that support:

Traditional Owners

Health and water quality

Land manager operations

Mineral spring aspirations

These objectives are expected to set service expectations and investment priorities across Victoria’s
publicly accessible mineral springs, which remain significant natural tourism destinations across the state.
Victorians are encouraged to view and send feedback about the draft Master Plan at engage.vic.gov.au/mineral-springs-masterplan before 26 June 2023.
The Mineral Spring Master Plan 2023-2032 is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The State Electricity Commission (SEC) is being resurrected because it meant a fair deal on
power prices and good, stable jobs for workers, Member for Macedon   Mary-Anne Thomas says in the wake of the state budget.
Ms Thomas said the SEC is being brought back to drive down power bills and create thousands of jobs
in renewable, government-owned energy.
An initial $1 billion investment in the SEC will help deliver 4.5 gigawatts of power – the
equivalent replacement capacity of Loy Yang A – through renewable energy projects.   
Speaking on the delivery of the new state budget last week Ms Thomas said bringing back the SEC won’t just mean more renewable energy, lower power bills and reduced carbon emissions – it’ll also help create 59,000 jobs.

Two grassroots sport and active recreation organisations in Macedon are set to bolster their
coaching skills, administration expertise, or score new sports equipment thanks to a share in
more than $6,000 from the Victorian Government.
Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas last week announced the successful applicants from
Macedon of the latest round of the Victorian Government’s Sporting Club Grants Program.
The grants provide clubs up to $1000 for new uniforms and equipment, up to $2000 for
training coaches, officials and volunteers, and up to $5000 to improve club operational
effectiveness.

Local recipients also include Riddells Creek Junior Mixed Basketball Association Club who scored
$1200 to provide training for coaches, and the Daylesford Football Netball Club, which is
receiving $5000 to develop a new club website.
The Program is part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to make community sport
more accessible and inclusive, stimulate local economies, build sustainable sport and
recreation and volunteer opportunities, and increase local participation.
Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas: “The Sporting Club Grants Program is giving grassroots sports clubs in Macedon the support they need to grow their ranks and help more people than ever play the sports they love.”
Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence: “Congratulations to our latest batch of Sporting Club grant recipients. I look forward to seeing a new generation of local champions get their chance to take their sports to a whole new level thanks to this support.

Lake Bookar State Game Reserve, north of Camperdown, is closed to hunting from Saturday, 20 May 2023 to prevent disturbance to significant numbers of threatened Hardhead ducks. 

On 10 May 2023, a survey of Lake Bookar detected more than 1,300 threatened Hardhead ducks (pictured above).  

Signs will be installed at Lake Bookar alerting hunters to the closure and Authorised Officers will patrol the wetland to ensure compliance. 

To see which wetlands are closed or partially closed to hunting for the 2023 duck season, visit Wetland Closures – 2023 duck season 

Wetlands will continue to be monitored throughout the season. Hunters are reminded to check the GMA website regularly for updates. 

Report illegal hunting and breaches to public safety laws to the GMA, visit Report Illegal Hunting or call 136 186. 

The Hepburn Shire Council is inviting the community to provide feedback and ideas on the future of townships around the shire as it develops township structure plans for Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, Glenlyon and Trentham.

These plans will look at future options for each town in terms of housing, business and economic development, transport (including walking and cycling), protecting the environment and cultural heritage, neighbourhood character and urban design.

“This is your opportunity to influence what type of development is allowed in your town and what changes and improvements are needed to ensure the Shire continues to be a great place to live,” said Mayor, Cr Brian Hood.

“A structure plan provides more certainty about how development occurs in the future. Residents rightly feel a sense of ownership of a town so it’s critical that our community provides input into what they want to see protected and what opportunities there may be,” he said.

“Council is co-designing these township structure plans with the community and the first step is for residents to complete an online survey on our Participate Hepburn website or your local library or Council hub.

“We want to work closely with the community on this project as we plan for a prosperous future together.”

Those interested can complete a survey via https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/future-hepburn before 11pm on Sunday 18 June 2023.