Ballarat Crime Investigation Unit detectives are appealing for information following a home invasion in Delacombe where a man who is visually impaired was seriously assaulted earlier this month.

It is understood two men knocked on the front door of a property on Sutton Street about 1am on Saturday March 18.

A 49-year-old man, who is visually impaired, opened the door before the two men forced entry and assaulted him.

He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police were told the offenders ransacked the property, stole a bag containing cash and cards, then fled the scene on foot.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via the Crime Stoppers website online.

Officers from the VIPER Taskforce have seized over $1M worth of various drugs of dependence and charged two men in relation to the haul in recent days.

With assistance from the Major Drug Squad, Box Hill Divisional Response Unit and the Dog Squad, warrants were executed at a residential address and a storage facility in Box Hill on Tuesday morning, March 21.

Police seized traffickable quantities of what appear to be methylamphetamine and ketamine, large quantities of cocaine and heroin and a small quantity of 1,4-Butanediol, as well as other drug related paraphernalia.

The drugs have an estimated street value of over $1M.

Two men from Box Hill, a 37-year-old and a 35-year-old, were charged with two counts of traffick large commercial quantity drug of dependence.

The duo ad been remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday March 22, according to an earlier police report.

The VIPER Taskforce is a tactical and investigative unit based within Crime Command focused on preventing, detecting, deterring, disrupting and dismantling the criminal activities of groups such as outlaw motorcycle gangs, organised crime networks and street gangs.

The taskforce, which commenced in July 2022, supports the work of specialist investigation units and regional police by providing further investigation tactics and enforcement actions.

VIPER is an acronym for visibility, intelligence, prevention, enforcement and reassurance.

Anyone with information about organised criminal or illicit drug activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report online via the Crime Stoppers website.

VIPER Taskforce has charged a man in recent days after locating drugs, a stolen car, ammunition and stolen licences, bank cards and mail in a Hampton Park house during a Firearm Prohibition Order (FPO) compliance search.

Members of the taskforce had been at the property executing the FPO search on a 32-year-old Hampton Park man on Monday morning (March 20).

During the search, police located a suspected stolen Subaru Forester wagon, almost 40 allegedly stolen bank and ID cards, 10 drivers’ licences, eight mobile phones, a number of stolen car registration plates, quantities of what appear to be methylamphetamine and cannabis, a round of ammunition and a shopping bag containing various mail.

A 32-year-old Hampton Park man was charged with possess identification information belonging to another, possess drug of dependence (cannabis), possess drug of dependence (methylamphetamine), theft from motor vehicle and possess ammunition when subject to FPO.

He had been remanded to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (March 21).

The VIPER Taskforce is a tactical and investigative unit based within Crime Command focused on preventing, detecting, deterring, disrupting and dismantling the criminal activities of groups such as outlaw motorcycle gangs, organised crime networks and street gangs.

The taskforce, which commenced in July 2022, supports the work of specialist investigation units and regional police by providing further investigation tactics and enforcement actions.

VIPER is an acronym for visibility, intelligence, prevention, enforcement and reassurance.

Anyone with information about organised criminal or illicit drug activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report via the Crime Stoppers online website.

Police had to do a double-take after watching a car drive past them missing half its front end in Sunshine North in recent days.

Officers were on patrol when a 2022 Hyundai Palisade drove past them on McIntyre Road about 3.30pm on Saturday (March 18).

It wasn’t the 41-year-old woman’s driving that drew their attention, but the fact that the vehicle had no windscreen, back window, or panels to cover its engine.

The Brighton woman had already been issued with a defect notice by police on (the prior) Wednesday, warned it was unsafe and not to drive it.

She was issued with another fine, this time for using a light vehicle in breach of a major defect notice which will cost her $740 plus earning herself three demerit points.

Police Air Wing and Water Police have assisted in the rescue of two people off Wilsons Promontory in recent days.

It’s understood the man and woman were onboard a boat that got into difficulty around 10pm on Monday night (March 20) just off Skull Rock.

The two abandoned the vessel and got into a dinghy that was attached to their boat and deployed an emergency beacon (EPIRB).

Around midnight Air Wing located the dinghy and the joint rescue coordination centre (JRCC) contacted a nearby cruise ship that was in the area.

A rescue craft was deployed from the cruise ship in Bass Strait and the pair were taken aboard on Tuesday morning (March 21)

No one was injured during the incident.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s flagship storm waste facility near Romsey has been nominated as a finalist in the 2023 LGPro Awards for Excellence.

The awards recognise the outstanding work undertaken by individuals and teams working in local government in Victoria, with the facility nominated in the Special Projects category, recognising projects demonstrating best practice or the pursuit of excellence in service delivery.

The facility was established in partnership with Bushfire Recovery Victoria (now Emergency Recovery Victoria) in response to the severe 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.

Upcycled product has been returned back to impacted communities in the form offree timber, fence posts, sleepers, stakes, firewood, fish habitat, mulch, sawdust and more; totalling over $29million in market value so far.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council CEO Bernie O’Sullivan said the facility’s approach set a new, collaborative standard for the sustainable processing of trees and storm debris.

“The site allowed us to clear and process storm debris faster and on an enormous scale,” he said.

“By reimagining storm-damaged timber as an opportunity to provide value for the community rather than simply as waste to be cleared, we assisted residents’ practical, environmental and social recovery.”

Winners of the 2023LGPro Awards for Excellence will be announced at the LGPro Conference event in Melbourne on May 25.

Geelong Crime Investigation Unit detectives have arrested a man and a woman following an investigation into an alleged impersonation of police officers in recent days.

Police have been told a woman and three men were driving a black Mazda and stopped on Solar Drive where they approached two men just after 8am on Monday March 20.

The group identified themselves as police and proceeded to search the pair before taking their mobile phones and wallets.

They then fled the scene and attended an Orbit Street residence about 9am where they allegedly told occupants they were police before entering.

The group allegedly ransacked the premises and stole two cars, mobile phones and cash.

A 27-year-old man from Corio and a 25-year-old woman from Corio were arrested in Norlane.

Both have been charged with robbery, false imprisonment, home invasion, impersonate police office and theft of motor car and other offences.

They had been remanded to appear at Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 21 March.

All three cars had been recovered in the area and the investigations remained ongoing.

Police are appealing for public assistance after a donation tin was stolen from a police station in Melbourne earlier this month.

Investigators believe a man entered a police station foyer on Bourke Street about 9.50pm on 9 March.

Once inside the man has removed a donation tin from behind a Perspex barrier and has placed it in his bag before leaving the property.

The man is perceived to be Caucasian, 40-years-old and with a medium build.

At the time of the offence he was wearing a dark coloured hooded top, jeans and dark coloured runners.

The man also had a bandage wrapped around his head.

Investigators have released an image (above) and CCTV of a man they believe may be able to assist with their investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report via the Crime Stoppers website online.

Progress towards the new Trentham community hub has picked up pace in recent days with sub-surface works beginning on the car park.

The hub is scheduled for completion early next year but in recent days the area earmarked to become the hub car park, has been excavated to the future pavement level and stormwater drainage pipes and pits have been installed, the Hepburn Shie Council has resported in its online newsletter.

Underground electrical infrastructure will be installed to allow for car park lighting and an electrical vehicle charging station.

The car park works have been brought forward to make the most of the fine weather.

From keeping chooks in the backyard to grant writing a new series of free or low-cost community workshops offers something of interest just about everyone living in the Hepburn Shire.

The Hepburn Shire Council has teamed up with Trentham Neighbourhood Centre to offer the community a range of free and low-cost workshops over the next few months.

They include:
 
Grant writing workshops: Get tips on writing successful grant applications. Held on Thursday 23 March (in person) or Tuesday 28 March (online).

Optimise wellbeing through nutrition: Get ideas on ways to improve your wellbeing, gut health and nutrition. Held on Thursday 30 March. Cost is $10.

Energy Efficient Homes workshop: Join us on Saturday 1 April to learn about energy efficient all-electric homes and cars. Cost is $10.

Edible Gardens workshop: Find out how to create an edible garden in under eight weeks with author and award-winning horticulturalist, Craig Castreeon. Held on Saturday 15 April. Cost is $10.

Beeswax wraps workshop: Learn how to make your own beeswax wraps. Held on Saturday 22 April. Cost is $10.

Keeping Backyard Chickens workshop: Get tips on keeping chickens in urban spaces. Held on Saturday 29 April. More information is available through the council.

Words: Eve Lamb.

Clunes comes to life this weekend – Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 March –  as it hosts its acclaimed annual Booktown festival featuring author and artist talks, workshops and live entertainment. 

The hugely successful Tough Guy Book Club will be among the 100-plus stallholders set to attract bibliophiles from far and wide as a new look Booktown will take advantage of the autumn weather with this major regional event running from dawn to dark over two days, encouraging visitors to immerse themselves in Clunes from cover to cover.

The Clunes Booktown program has been extended to look at the many and various ways we tell stories – through books, film, music, theatre, songwriting, photography and other visual arts, even the houses we make.  There will be first hand stories – this year arising out of ageing, small town crime, imagining other worlds, land management, women’s business, and more.

Organisers say the festival – which has previously been held about a month later – will continue to celebrate every aspect of the book – not just writing and reading but making, illustrating, publishing, retailing, and sharing.

Along with books on display and for sale, there’ll be conversations with writers and storytellers, renowned authors, poets and wordsmiths, creating a wordy feast for weekend consumption. 

And new to the Booktown program will be an evening of live music in the old Central Garage (one of the main locations in Mad Max).  The corrugated iron icon will resound with music from Kee’ahn, The Idiomatics, The Footscray Gypsy Orchestra and there will be a David Bridie album launch to cap it off.

Authors and conversationalists featured in the program include Tony Birch, Aileen Morton Robinson, Jefa Greenaway, Jacinta Parsons, Ponch Hawkes, Sophie Cunningham, Miles Allinson, Emily Bitto, Emma Viskic, Vikki Petraitis, Jock Serong, Chris Flynn, Nova Wheetman, Nina Kenwood, Alice Boyle, Jan Henderson, Janice Simpson, Candice Fox, Michael Cathcart and Nathan Curnow with many more to be announced.

In addition to the author talks there will be a program of art form story crafting conversations with visual artists Simon Perry, Philip Faulks and Deborah Klein, film and TV makers Sue Maslin and Fiona Cochrane, theatre makers Bill Garner, Sue Gore and Hannie Rayson, and song-writing with David Bridie and Maylene Slater Burns.

The town’s Fraser Street will be closed to traffic between Service Street and Templeton Street from 8am on Thursday 23 March to 12pm on Monday 27 March.

Police have arrested 15 people linked to street gangs earlier this month as part of an operation which saw nearly 70 people arrested in total and over 100 offences identified.

As part of Operation Alliance, police from multiple regions and specialist areas joined forces earlier this month to disrupt gang activity, arrest violent offenders and engage with those on the fringes of youth gangs at the earliest opportunity to divert them away from joining a gang and offending.

The western suburbs, northern suburbs, south-east and inner eastern suburbs of Melbourne were all saturated with a highly visible police presence, including Croydon, Dandenong, Melton, Point Cook, Springvale, Truganina and Werribee.

Police arrested 67 people over the course of the operation, which ran from 5 – 9 March. This included 15 with links to street gangs, with the majority aged between 15 and 17-years-old.

A key component of Operation Alliance sees police regularly knocking on the doors of Victoria’s most serious and violent youth gang members to ensure they are complying with their bail conditions.

All up 126 bail compliance checks were performed over the five nights, with nearly 75% of people found to be complying with their conditions.

Anyone with information about criminal activity is urged to report it to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via Crime Stoppers online.

The Hepburn Shire Council is seeking new members to join its Gender Equity Advisory Committee with locals urged to submit an EOI before the April 28 cut off.

In 2021, the council established the GEAC to advocate throughout the shire for equity by using the lived experience and knowledge of the community members who are providing valuable advice through this committee.

Over its time, the committee has been able to provide specialist advice to assist the development of Council’s first Gender Equality Action Plan and implementation and progressing of Gender Impact Assessments. 

Gender impact assessments are a way of critically thinking about how policies, programs and services will meet the different needs of women, men and gender diverse people. As the committee continues its important work, it will use its skills, experience and knowledge to positively impact gender equity.

Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said that Council is proud of its diverse community, and everyone has a right to feel safe and empowered.

“We believe that communities are enriched when all people, regardless of their background or identity, are embraced and supported to participate and contribute to community life.”

“If you are passionate about assisting Council to reduce gender related imbalances, we invite you to submit your Expression of Interest before 28 April 2023,” he said.

Creswick’s Hamond Park Trail Head is expected to open next month – weather permiting – according to the Hepburn Shire Council’s latest update on the project.

Crews are reported to be making great progress at the town’s Hammon Park with a new pedestrian and cycling bridge installed this month.

The Melbourne-manufactured bridge has been designed with guidance from the North Central Catchment Management Authority and meets the required guidelines for a flood-prone area.
 
Work is also moving well at the rest of the trailhead, with the underlayer for the rubberised softfall in place at the all-abilities playspace. The BBQ and picnic setting have been installed under the shelter, with connections to services taking place soon.
 
The whale tail – a challenging cycling jump structure – was opened in time for the recent March Labour Day long weekend and proved to be a popular activity for riders.
 
 

If you’ve ever thought about ditching your climate-change fueling petrol guzzler for an electric vehicle then now might be the time to make it happen with an EV Bulk Buy scheme set to launch in Malmsbury at the Malmsbury EV Expo on 15 April.
Climate action focussed social enterprises, the Good Car Company and Hepburn Energy are
joining forces to bring the 2023 Community EV Bulk Buy to Hepburn Shire and the broader region
of Central Victoria.

In addition to offering affordable second-hand and new EVs a $1000 discount
Voucher will apply to listed EV prices.
If 50 locals join in by buying an electric vehicle through the Bulk Buy, over five years the central
Victorian community will have accumulated to $440,000 in EV benefits and reduced carbon
emissions by 650 tonnes.
Transport is the largest source of carbon emissions in Australian households. Changing your
internal combustion engine car to an electric one saves at least 2.6 tonnes of carbon emissions
every year (assuming the car is charged from the grid).

Australia’s third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and cars are responsible for roughly half of these emissions.
“Hundreds of Australians are now driving 100% electric cars because of our bulk-buy campaigns”
according to company co-founder Anthony Broese van Groenou.
“The EV Bulk Buy will offer more affordable prices for quality used Nissan Leafs, the Peugeot
e2008 SUV, electric vans as well as access to straightforward Novated Leases on new Polestar 2
and Tesla Models 3 and Y,” he said.
Taryn Lane of Hepburn Energy said they had teamed up with the Good Car Company a second
time alongside local climate groups to help people wanting electric cars to get them at a more
reasonable price.
“Buying an EV is a key piece of the climate action puzzle for Australian households, but it’s often
seen as being too expensive for most people. As an affordable pathway, we are pleased to be
running the second EV bulk buy for the region with the Good Car Company and local partners
BREAZE, Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group, Moorabool Environment Group, Trentham
Sustainability Group and Transition Creswick ” said Taryn.
Residents in the region are being invited to join the Hepburn Energy 2023 EV Bulk Buy by signing up online at https://www.goodcar.co/hepburn23.

The campaign runs from 15 April to 15 May and anyone can register to learn more about EVs, receive all event invitations, take a test drive, ask questions, learn about the available models and/or purchase an EV.