Trentham Spudfest  Trentham celebrates its long history of potato growing with The Great  Trentham Spudfest, a community-led festival bringing together local potato growers, artisans, music, food vendors, and history to showcase the region’s  finest offerings across the weekend of May 3-4.  

This year marks the 17th iteration of The Great Trentham Spudfest, though the  deep red volcanic soils of the district have provided perfect potato-growing conditions since the 1860s.  

The two-day event, held against a backdrop of spectacular autumn colour, attracts  over 8000 visitors and is hosted throughout the historic town of Trentham and  surrounding districts.  

Festival coordinator Kye Theobald says Spudfest remains a largely free event, with  a selection of specially curated activities requiring tickets.  

New for 2025 is the inaugural Digging Deep: Cooks in Conversation event on  Sunday morning, featuring award-winning cookbook author and TV host Alice  Zaslavsky, local chefs Tony Tan and Liam Downes, and moderator Jacinta Parsons at  The Mechanics Trentham.  

The festival runs a different program on each day.

“On Saturday, our legendary Street Fair is held in the heart of Trentham town,  with four main precincts packed full of spud food, fresh regional produce, our local makers market, live music, and of course the fabulous Spud Olympics. It’s a  great carnival atmosphere,” says Kye.

“And if you want to buy a bag full of famous  Trentham spuds, Saturday is the day all our growers are in town.”  

Visitors can also join a Trentham Historical Society-led bus tour of the heritage protected Spud Huts, dotted across the local landscape.  

Saturday evening the fun continues with the Spudfest Cèilidh, a family-friendly  celebration of Celtic music, food, and dancing, to mark the halfway point of the  festival.  

On Sunday, Trentham Town Square will transform into the Spud Hub, with  freshly harvested potatoes on sale, exclusive Spudfest merch, details about all tours  and trails, and sign-ups for the Scavenger Hut.

There will be horse and cart rides,  guided historic walking tours and Red Beard Bakery tours.

Link: www.trenthamspudfest.org.au/  Words: Contributed | Image: Karen Malbon  

Daylesford’s Lynda Poke says that while many great strides have been made in improving gender equity there is still much ground yet to cover.

“We are still seeing women here in Australia retiring with, on average, about thirty percent less super than their male countreparts,” the founder and operator of successful local walking tour business, Alice’s Journeys, says.

“And while the full-time gender pay gap is at a record low, women are still earning an annual taxable income that is on average of 29.2 percent less than men.”

Such issues are close to Lynda’s heart and her contributions to addressing them have very recently seen her receive International Women’s Day recognition with her inclusion on the Hepburn Shire’s Heather Mutimer Honour Roll.

“I was really honoured and felt really privileged to be recognised,” says Lynda, who is also known as Daizy in her capacity as a walking tour guide leading specialised local tours in Daylesford and Hepburn.

The walking tour business, founded just before the COVID pandemic struck in early 2020, nevertheless has proven to be a survivor and it’s name, ‘Alice’s Journey’s Walking Tours, pays homage to another woman of note, Alice Hepburn.

Lynda explains that Alice was the first child of Captain John Hepburn who is well recognised as a regional pioneer.

The name of Lynda’s walking tour business – she also runs a business consultancy – is in itself an effort to redress a comparative lack of historical recognition for the nation’s female pioneers and fore-founders.

“To be in the company of the women on the Roll is a real honour,” Lynda says when asked about her recent IWD gong.

“ There are really significant women on the Roll going back over the years, and to have women’s work, both paid and voluntary, recognised is really important.

“We have achieved so much  but we know there’s still so much work to be done in terms of gender equity, which benefits everyone including men.”

Lynda has dedicated her career and countless unpaid volunteer hours to gender equity and improving access to essential healthcare services, and her place among the shire’s latest IWD honours acknowledges this.

With extensive experience in financial and strategic planning, she has provided vital support to local community organisations.  As a former general manager of Springs Medical Centre, she spearheaded innovative health programs, including ‘Spring in Your Step’ which won national recognition.

As a member of the Hepburn Shire Council’s Gender Equity Advisory Committee and also as a life member of YWCA, Lynda’s many years of advocacy included striving to see safe, affordable housing become a reality for all.

It’s also included addressing social challenges around preventing alcohol and drug related harm and family violence.

The busy Daylesford local’s advocacy extends to grassroots initiatives including a pivotal role in successfully challenging the Victorian Liquor Licencing Commission’s prior decision to grant a license to a proposed Dan Murphy’s outlet in Daylesford.

The Heather Mutimer Honour Roll celebrated five inductees this year: Mary-Faeth Chenery, Mary Harvey, Lynda Poke, Donna Kelly and Jessie Leggatt (posthumous).

Words: Eve Lamb

with Darren Lowe

The Daylesford Hotel has a new bar.  

Bar Bamford is a cosy, intimate new space towards the back of the pub, perfect for those who love great music, good company and something a little different.  

Bar Bamford will play host to a rotating line-up of events including jazz nights, whisky tastings, disco bingo, private functions and more.

It’s a warm and inviting spot to settle in, sip something delicious, and enjoy a bit of fun.  

Things kick off on Saturday, April 12 from 7.30pm with Swing Time – the enchanting duo of Jai and Barbarella, pictured, who’ll take people on a musical  journey through the decades with their distinctive blend of jazz, swing, cabaret and  vintage pop.

Expect clever takes on unexpected tunes and a show that’ll leave you  smiling.  

To follow, DJ Jen Moore takes over the decks with her signature funky soul and  jazzy house vibes, perfect for easing into the night.  

Daylesford Hotel, Daylesford  

Jeremy Beggs – Saturday, April 12, 2pm  Bamford Bar opening with Swing Time with DJ Jen Moore – Saturday, April 12  

Groove Connection – Saturday, April 19, 7.30pm  

Dolly’s Disco Bingo – Thursday, April 24  

The Martini Set – Saturday, April 26  

Got a gig to share? Email news tlnews.com.au  

Road safety enforcement has ramped up during April as police warn motorists to take extra care when travelling throughout Victoria this month.

The warning comes as the Victorian school holidays kicked off last Friday, running for two weeks and concluding with the Easter long weekend.

Police are preparing for an influx of motorists hitting highways and major arterials, heading to holiday hotspots across the state.

Despite lower-than-average road trauma experienced during March, which is historically one of the state’s worst periods for road trauma, police are urging motorists not to be complacent as April gets underway.

In April 2024, there were 17 lives lost on Victorian roads, with three quarters of these occurring on regional roads.

The Goulburn Valley police service area experienced a significant amount of the month’s road trauma, with six fatalities occurring in Seymour, Mansfield, Boweya, Pine Lodge, Enochs Point and Arcadia.

Of the 17 lives lost during April last year, 11 occurred within 15 kilometres of the deceased’s address.

Drivers made up the majority of fatalities with nine lives lost recorded, with a further four motorcyclists, three passengers and one pedestrian killed in fatal collisions in April.

As the school holidays get underway, motorists are being urged to remain alert and extra vigilant around built-up areas, particularly where children, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users might be present.

Those travelling with passengers should ensure everyone in the vehicle is wearing a properly fastened seatbelt or child restraint, avoid distractions, and take regular breaks on long trips to manage fatigue.

In addition to the school holidays commencing over the weekend just gone, police are also reminding all road users to consider the end of daylight savings in Victoria, which came into effect on Sunday.

The changeover from daylight savings means it will start to remain darker for longer periods, with drivers being urged to adjust their driving accordingly, including switching on headlights to help see and be seen.

Police will also be prioritising road safety this month, with several localised operations to be conducted in high-risk areas, culminating in a major statewide road policing blitz over the Easter and ANZAC Day period.

Operation Compass will see police highly visible and enforcing across the state’s roads, commencing on 17 April 2025 and running for an extended 10-day period.

There have already been at least 75 lives lost on Victorian roads in 2025, at least equal with 75 at the same time last year, with more than half of this year’s fatal collisions occurring on regional roads.

For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads during April, visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.

Hepburn Shire Mayor Cr Don Henderson, councillors and CEO have issued an apology for the failed Hepburn Hub at The Rex project.

“On behalf of the council the current elected councillor group would like to express our regret to our community of Hepburn Shire for the negative  impact that the Hepburn Hub at The Rex project has had on us all.  

“We recognise that some actions during the project have led to feelings  of mistrust, and we regret the distress this caused. We acknowledge that certain actions taken in the past did not align with the values of our council and needs of our community.

“The Hepburn Hub at The Rex project did not deliver the outcomes promised, and we are sorry for the harm this caused.  

“We acknowledge the impact of past decisions, including the on going impact this has had on the organisation and community. Council has taken active steps to address past shortcomings and has implemented numerous measures that prevent poor project management and improved our  governance and transparency.  

“We recognise that restoring the trust that has been damaged with our  community will take time, but we are dedicated to listening to the concerns  of our community and working to create positive partnerships.”  

The apology, issued on the council’s Facebook page on March 25 after the monthly  council meeting, did not take long to blow up on social media.  

“Congratulations to Hepburn for having the guts to say this. It has only happened because  Council Watch went public with the report the State tried to hide. We accept many were  bound by confidentiality unfairly for far too long.”  

“Unfortunately for council, it’s too little too late! The damage is done, trust cannot be repaired so  easily!”  

“It’s a polished PR statement that gestures at apology without fully embracing it. A real  apology would be more specific, more direct, and include a genuine plan for restitution and  reconnection with the community, and accountability taken by those involved by stepping  down.”  

“Interesting how the comments are turned off on their post. Too scared to hear what the residents  have to say.”  

“You don’t restore trust by applying to raise rates by 10%.”

“It wasn’t hopeless project management, it was hopeless valuation practice, most projects first  start by knowing what they wanted to achieve and then valuing what that would be worth on the  market. The removal of in-house valuers at councils by the state revenue office changes (that put all  GOVT valuers in SRO) destroyed that ability of councils to get excellent opinions.”  

“I will be following council watch with great fervour – keep up the great work.”

“My goodness, a council pretty much apologising for something and saying they’ll do better. It  shouldn’t be as hard or as rare as this. Because it certainly is refreshing.”  

Meanwhile, the council last Thursday issued a media release saying it was aware of harmful  commentary and misinformation being circulated on social media.

“Recently, both commentary on social media along with emails directed to council have  escalated in volume and offensive and threatening language,” the release said.  “These attacks on council as a whole, and attacks on staff personally are nothing short of  intimidating, abusive and unacceptable.”  

Mayor Cr Don Henderson said he and the councillor group “are incredibly disheartened by the baseless rumours circulating in our communities, both online and offline”.  

“We welcome frank, fearless and respectful conversations. We do not expect everyone to  agree all the time. However, we do expect a healthy level of debate and respectful conversations to ensure that everyone is and feels safe.  

“Threats made to staff will not be taken lightly.”  

Words and file image: Donna Kelly  

Former Hepburn Shire Council CEO Aaron van Egmond is now also former Hobsons Bay Council CEO.

Hobsons Bay Council released a brief statement  last Tuesday, April 1 that Mr van Egmond  has resigned effective immediately, to move to  Queensland for family reasons.  

Councillors had voted to suspend Mr van  Egmond at an unscheduled council meeting on  Saturday, January 25.  

“Councillors became aware of concerns about safety in the workplace and  the CEO’s fulfilment of his duties more broadly,” Hobsons Bay Mayor Daria  Kellander said after the meeting.  

“Councillors take these matters very seriously and have made this  decision following thorough and careful consideration, pending further  investigations.”  

The council’s internal investigation into the matter is continuing while  WorkSafe Victoria has also made inquiries.  

Hobsons Bay Council acknowledged his service.  Mr van Egmond spent six years at Hepburn Shire Council before moving  to Hobsons Bay Council in June 2018.  

During his time at Hepburn Shire Council, the council bought The Rex  building with plans to turn it into a Hepburn Hub with council offices, a  visitor centre and library.

The council later sold the building at a huge loss.  Mayor Don Henderson said the financial loss associated with the  Hepburn Hub at The Rex project was $5.65 million.

This included the  purchase of The Rex in 2016 for $6.345 million, additional expenditure of  $3.04 million, and proceeds from the sale amounting to $3.74 million.  

Words: Donna Kelly  

Local artists, poets, and creatives, Words in Winter is returning for 2025, and the event’s organisers say they want your work … now.

The beloved community festival celebrates the power of words and art, and organisers are inviting the region’s talented makers to contribute.

“Whether you’re a seasoned writer, an emerging poet, a visual storyteller, or a performer, we welcome submissions that reflect our region’s unique voice,” the festival’s Devon Taylor says.

“Share your poetry, short stories, spoken word pieces, or even hybrid art-literary works for a chance to be featured in exhibitions, readings, and workshops across the festival.

“Words in Winter is all about showcasing our community’s creativity—so let’s make the 2025 festival our most inspiring yet.”

Theme: Light in the Dark

Deadline: 9 May

Festival Dates: 22-24 August

How to Submit: Head to the festival website- https://wordsinwinter.com/expressions-of-interest-2025/

Questions? Email hello@wordsinwinter.com

Spring Hill’s Paul Jamieson is Australia’s biggest llama farmer – by herd number.

His career has taken a journey from being a physical education teacher at Sacred Heart Primary School in St Albans in the late 1980s to current-day farmer. 

With no farming background, Paul left teaching in 1996, bought the property in Spring Hill and started a mobile animal farm, visiting schools and kindergartens. 

In 1996, the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria was looking for a promotions person and Paul wasn’t sure he could fill the role but said ‘yes’ anyway. He was given the position and worked in promotions for two years and then spent another 17 years with the RASV running the Animal Nursery at the Royal Melbourne Show. 

From year to year, Paul had to ensure enough animals were available to fill the stalls, where children and their parents would pet them and get to enjoy a little slice of farm life at the show. 

During his time with the RASV, he was sponsored to take his mobile animal farm into schools and educate the children about animals and farm life. He had ducks, chooks, sheep, goats, dogs, pigs, emus, camels and llamas.

He eventually sold that business and stumbled into becoming a llama farmer. Sitting with mates in the Spring Hill sun and enjoying a quiet beverage, he saw an advertisement with llamas for sale.

With the powers of creative thinking, generated by a beer or three, they encouraged Paul to make an enquiry about the stock. He called the seller and before long was making his way to New South Wales to collect the herd of 20. 

A short time later, realising he needed more females, he contacted a mate and drove out to see him to purchase “some girls”.

His mate told Paul to make an offer on his whole herd as he was retiring and wanted them to have a new home. Adding 200 plus llamas to the farm set on 24 hectares was a big ask but the offer was accepted, and the existing herd grew larger.

Add to this the emus, chooks and dogs already roaming the property and you have a little menagerie magic happening. 

The herd is currently made up of 100 females and 40 males. As well 40-50 baby llamas, known as crias, are born each year and grow the herd. 

So, what are llamas used for ? Some are sold as guard animals. The llama bonds quickly with paddock animals such as sheep, and their inquisitive nature means any visiting foxes are soon confronted by an approaching llama. 

People owning lifestyle properties love them for guests to feed and pat because they are a very social animal and love being hand fed. Meanwhile, a private Indonesian zoo has acquired llamas on more than one occasion.

Others uses include meat, skins and wool. While Paul’s career wasn’t meticulously planned but materialised from a good idea at the time, his llama idea has grown to a full-time passion. 

Words: Natalie Poole | Image: Natalie Poole, below, & Kyle Barnes 

Native birds, wildlife, and even pets are at risk because of the unregulated use of Second-generation Anticoagulant Rodenticide poisons in Australia, Birdlife Australia says.

“These silent killer chemicals are still available on retail shelves and online in Australia, despite the known risks,” says BirdLife Australia’s Dr Holly Parsons.

“Australian Governments and decision makers can help us solve the current problem, and ensure that when Australians turn to pest control, we aren’t accidentally leaking silent-killer poisons into our local communities, and killing vulnerable native wildlife and pets.”

As the nation’s largest bird conservation organisation, BirdLife Australia is urging all Australians to Add your voice to their petition, and “help bring these silent killer poisons under control”.

Why are SGARs such a risk?

Second-generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides are powerful poisons that cause internal bleeding, but they have two key drawbacks when compared with other rodenticides:

• SGARs persist in animal tissue for longer than many other rodenticides. This means they are more likely to accumulate within an animal to dangerous and even lethal quantities every time a vulnerable animal ingests these poisons.
• SGARs don’t kill immediately, so poisoned rats and mice, and non-target animals can spread the danger far beyond where they were exposed to poison. This puts native birds and other animals in the local environment, as well as family pets in neighbouring yards and through our local community at risk.

Australian and international studies have proven SGARs pose lethal risks to birds. Dangerous levels of SGARs have been found in studies on dead Australian birds including: Powerful Owls, Southern Boobooks, Wedge-tailed Eagles, Tawny Frogmouths, and more.

The public retail sale of SGARs has been regulated in the US, Canada and EU for years. But Australian regulations lag behind, and SGARs are available for anyone to purchase from supermarkets, hardware shops, and online throughout Australia – literally by the bucketload.

Dr Parsons and BirdLife Australia says Safer alternatives for household use already exist, “meaning we simply don’t need SGARs available for retail sale in Australia”.

They’re urging everyone to Sign our petition and help to protect native birds, pets, and other animals in your community.

You can learn more about how SGARs threaten non-target wildlife like native owls, quolls, and family pets, and discover more ways to help tackle the too-often lethal problem by checking out the birdsAustralia website https://www.actforbirds.org/home.

ART lovers are invited to experience Ballarat’s creative scene in a whole new light with the regional city’s newest micro contemporary arts festival ‘HIDDEN’ set for Friday May 16.

‘HIDDEN’ highlights the work of eight extraordinary local artists who have created unique projection-based works responding to hidden heritage locations.

Visitors will be led through a hidden circuit trail in Ballarat’s CBD to discover the stories behind the new projections and immerse themselves in a spectacle that will transform Ballarat’s heritage sites into breathtaking visual experiences.

Projection-based works by local Ballarat artists Annelise Belladonna, Spencer Harrison, Erin M McCuskey, Christine McFetridge, Diana Paez, Stefanie Petrik, Kirrily Urquhart and Daniel Williams will be shown across eight sites on a specially curated guided tour in Ballarat’s CBD.

The artists have been mentored through a series of masterclasses led by the prolific Yandell Walton from the Centre for Projection Art.

Through experiencing these artworks live, audiences are provided an opportunity to go behind the scenes of Ballarat’s streetscape and celebrate the regional city’s stories, culture and history unpacked by artistic interpretations.

In this one-night-only event, technology, art and imagination come together putting a spotlight on Ballarat’s creative scene as the UNESCO City of Arts and Crafts.

City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves encouraged local residents and visitors to the area to rug up and experience the city’s arts and crafts scene.

“Discovering hidden artworks in corners and spaces of our renowned heritage buildings is a new way to experience Ballarat,” she said.

“Soak up Ballarat’s creative scene over the whole weekend, starting with HIDDEN on Friday night and Craft Hub over the weekend.

“Ballarat will be the regional epicentre of culture and craft this May.”

‘HIDDEN’ will take place on Friday 16 May in Ballarat, Victoria and is a curated walkable tour, accessible to all, and takes approximately 90 minutes to complete.

Sessions run from 6pm, with a capacity of 15 people in each session, and a meeting location provided upon ticket purchase.

Story based on a City of Ballarat media release. Image: Supplied

The state’s Ambulance Victoria Museum opened its doors on Sunday, giving visitors a unique opportunity to explore the history of Victoria’s ambulance service and how emergency care has evolved.

On show at the Bayswater-based museum were the volunteer-run museum’s extensive collection of vintage ambulances, medical equipment, uniforms, communications technology and more.

Ambulance Victoria Chas Martin OAM Museum Curator Ralph Casey said the historical vehicles are always a drawcard.

“We have 30 ambulance vehicles in our collection, including ambulances used as far back as 1887,” Ralph said.

“The collection also includes ambulance motorbikes, the first Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance vehicle and even a mass casualty bus which could have transported up to 12 patients on stretchers and six seated patients.

“At the open day, visitors are welcome to sit in the ambulances, take photos, touch the uniforms and equipment, and meld into what it was like back in the day.”

The museum was the brainchild of a group of retired ambulance officers who formed the Ambulance Historical Society of Victoria in 1986 and began acquiring and restoring vintage ambulances, starting out with just six vehicles.

Currently, the museum is open between 10am and 2pm on Mondays and by appointment-only on other days, so Sunday’s open day was an opportunity for more Victorians to see the collection on display.

Story based on an AV media release. Image: Supplied

The City of Ballarat held its first Let’s Chat Ballarat Community Expo last month with about 500 community members through the doors over the two days.

The Expo was held at Civic Hall and gave community members a unique opportunity to engage in face-to-face conversations with councillors and staff about local services and priorities.

The expo was made up of 32 stalls representing business units across the City of Ballarat and was designed to enable direct engagement with the community.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the Let’s Chat Ballarat Expo had proven to be a successful engagement opportunity for residents, ratepayers, the City of Ballarat and its councillors.

“I am thrilled with the way the community and City of Ballarat staff came together at the Expo,” Cr Hargreaves said.

“It was wonderful to see so many positive, constructive conversations being held across the 32 stands.

“We look forward to building on the Expo’s initial success as it becomes an annual fixture in Ballarat’s events calendar.”

The Let’s Chat Ballarat Community Expo spearheaded a commitment to community engagement in the new council term.

Visit the Let’s Chat Councillor Roadshow page to see additional information and schedule updates. The sessions will be promoted to the community in advance of each session.

Words & Image: Supplied

The RSPCA Victoria has confirmed it received multiple animal cruelty reports over several months regarding horses at properties in the Macedon Ranges and Mitchell Shire council areas, many of which referenced social media posts.

In a statement released in recent weeks the RSPCA said: “We appreciate the community’s concern, and can assure those who are worried, our Inspectorate has active investigations into these matters and have attended the properties reported more than 20 times over the last few months and will continue to do so based on animal welfare needs”.

The RSPCA statement also stated:

“This is a complex matter, with multiple animals, properties and multiple different owners now involved.

“RSPCA Inspectors have previously dealt with two primary properties, however with movement of horses this has increased.

“We can confirm any previously reported injured horses have all received appropriate veterinary care.

“Our Inspectors will continue to attend the sites and monitor the wellbeing of the horses ensuring those responsible for their care comply with their legal obligations to provide food, water and vet care.

As we receive new reports with any new information, we will continue to investigate them; however, it is vital reports are based off eye-witness accounts and not only from what is seen on social media.

While we understand how distressing it can be to see photos of injured and neglected animals on social media, it can be incredibly challenging for our Inspectors to investigate matters when cruelty reports only contain details of what was seen on social media posts.

“These often contain incorrect or out of date information such as inaccurate addresses making it difficult to investigate causing unnecessary delays in an investigation.

“As this is an active investigation, we urge people not to take matters into their own hands as any interference from the public could compromise the outcome, so we ask people to please show restraint.

RSPCA Victoria’s Inspectorate currently has only 28 Inspectors on the road to investigate more than 10,000 cruelty reports across the state, and as a necessity their work is triaged to ensure the most vulnerable animals are investigated first along with continually monitoring ongoing situations like this.

“RSPCA Victoria Inspectors are the only authorised officers under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act who can enforce and prosecute horse welfare in the state and we have received nearly 390 jobs related to horses since December 1, 2024.”

Anyone with concerns about the welfare of animals with first-hand information was urged to make a report to RSPCA Victoria at rspcavic.org/cruelty-report or by calling 03 9224 2222.

It’s estimated it will cost RSPCA Victoria more than $10.7 million to operate the Inspectorate this financial year.

This story based on an RSPCA report. Image: Supplied

The key issues being faced by Ballarat’s young people are now clearer after an initiative led by the City of Ballarat.

The ‘Youth Profile 2024’ was adopted by Ballarat City Council last month, outlining the leading challenges confronting young people in Ballarat.

The Youth Profile was last updated in 2022, with the current Youth Strategy 2022-2026 highlighting a need for periodic updates to ensure the City of Ballarat continued to meet the needs of young people in the municipality.

A young person is classified as being aged 12-25, which accounts for more than 16 per cent of the Ballarat population.

Among the key findings were:

• Mental health remains the number one chronic health condition for young people aged 18-24 years.  
• Youth unemployment rose to 13.6 per cent in July 2024. This figure has more than doubled in a 12-month period.  
• Loneliness is a prevalent concern for young people.
•  
• Of the total Victorian homeless population, 25 per cent are aged 12-24 years.

The Youth Profile was formally launched at a Future Forward Youth Forum at the Ballarat Town Hall on Monday March 31.

The forum provided young residents the opportunity to have their voices heard on the issues that most matter to them, also bringing together industry experts and people interested in youth development.

The City of Ballarat’s Youth Services team will use the Youth Profile, as well as insights gained from the forum, to guide future strategies to best address the needs of young people in the municipality.

City of Ballarat Councillor, Samantha McIntosh said the Youth Profile was a vital piece of work to gain the best insight into the city’s young people.

“Young people are an enormous part of Ballarat and will be the group who shape the future of the city,” she said.

“It is so important that we listen to them and understand the issues they face today, so we can plan for their future.

Words & Image: Supplied

Paramedics have ventured under Melbourne’s CBD to ensure they are ready to respond to any emergency when the Metro Tunnel opens later this year.

Responding to an incapacitated train driver was just one part of a deployment training exercise completed by Ambulance Victoria (AV) paramedics and Metro Tunnel station staff in recent weeks.

The exercise was a collaborative effort with Metro Trains at the new Parkville Station. It involved AV’s manual handling coordinators, health and safety representatives, and metropolitan paramedics.

AV Emergency Management Unit Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator Olivia Howarth said the training was a great way for staff to familiarise themselves with the new station.

“We were able to use the exercise to determine the most appropriate extraction method, while ensuring we maintained our safety from a manual handling perspective,” she said.

“As the exercise involved a new train and station, it was valuable for us to go through the motions alongside Metro Trains staff to understand the layout and features we need to be aware of.

“We were also able to refine how we would extricate an unresponsive driver by practicing in the confined area of the driver’s compartment.”

Ms Howarth said the group exercise was eye-opening for all involved.

“We were able to educate Metro Trains staff about our manual handling skills and equipment so they know what potential emergency responses would look like in the future,” she said.

“It was a great opportunity to talk through these potential cases to ensure we’re all on the same page before the tunnel opens to the public.”

AV have been working closing with the Metro Tunnel Project Office and Metro Trains to prepare for the opening of new stations.

These hands-on training scenarios further enhance AV’s ability to provide Best Care to all Victorians.

Words & Image: AV