DINNER done and I was sitting down ready to watch, again, Mr Inbetween. It’s a great Australian series, quite dark, but also very funny. The guy who wrote it is also the lead character.
Anyway, Ray was about to shoot someone and, the power went out. Now this
may seem a first world problem but it literally happens all the time. And you get that
annoying phone message that Powercor is aware of the outage and it should be fixed
by…some time later. Last Thursday it was originally going to be done by midnight but
that quickly became 12.30am. And it went out about 8pm.
Now, I am sure you are thinking there are plenty of things to do in the dark but
Kyle and I have been together for 29 years so we barely even talk to each other, let
alone do other things. I put out a FB message saying if one of us was murdered it was
on Powercor. Just in case.

So we found our trusty giant torch, some candles and a gas lighter and put some
Spotify music on. Seventies road trip, I think. And then we just sat and listened to
the tunes. And wondered how long the UPS (uninterrupted power supply) would last
to our computers and whether we should shut down our programs before they shut
down themselves and we lost data. You know, stories, photos, graphic design work.
I might have posted a few things on FB. A little complaint perhaps. Might have
used the F word. And some people put smiley faces on it and others said I should
be more careful because “what if someone had of been injured”. I didn’t bother
correcting the grammar but then I saw that someone had not been injured but had
hit a power pole in East Street in Daylesford. Maybe speeding but that is not for me
to say. But you would have to hit a pole pretty hard to take out the power.
Anyway, I am sorry someone hit a power pole but why does that take out
power all the way to Glenlyon? It’s a good 10km – I know that because it used to
be a 20km round trip to pick up a bottle of wine at the end of the day. (Thank you
Cellarbrations for starting up a great delivery service!)
Imagine if you lived in Melbourne and someone hit a power pole in say, St Kilda
and power all the way to Black Rock went out, closing all the businesses along the
way. People would be up in arms.
And it happens all the time here. I asked a few friends who live around
Melbourne how often their power went out and they looked at me like I was starting
a joke. When we had that massive storm in 2021 and they lost power for about four
days in Trentham, all the media reports were focused on power being lost in the
Dandenongs. While all the Trenthamians, is that what they are, got on with life, those
nearer Melbourne were outraged. We are just used to it.
I know Powercor will sometimes reimburse people for lost fridge and freezer food
but I reckon they would be better off giving everyone a free generator when they sign
up for power. Would probably be cheaper in the long run and lead to less “neighbour
envy” when you are sitting in the dark and listening to your neighbour’s generator
whirring away. (Yes, I am talking about you, Gary.)
Anyway, the torch is back in the cupboard, the candles have returned to the
dining table and thankfully, we did not lose data so you are reading this edition of
The Local in a timely manner. And we wait for the next blackout. Perhaps today – it’s
quite hot, next week – might be windy, or any time of the day when someone wants
to drive a bit fast on a country road. I guess I could write to Powercor and see if they
can make sense of it all but I have a feeling I will be left in the dark. Just sayin’…
(I was wrong. Powercor got back to me. Read their reply at www.tlnews.com.au)

Words: Karen Hunt

The Mount Players are stepping back in time with the adaption of a comedy
classic.
2022 marked the 100th anniversary of radio broadcasting – the BBC, then called
2LO, made its first broadcast in November 1922. Australia followed a year later.
Within just a couple of years listeners were enjoying a “theatrical experience”
without leaving their own homes as radio plays took to the air, providing a wealth of
inexpensive entertainment as well as worthy competition to the new talking movies
(‘talkies’) sweeping the world.
Actors wearing tuxedos and Brylcreemed hair, actresses in long gowns, dressed to
the nines, would gather round a microphone, often in front of a live audience, while
sound effects people created the appropriate noises to convince their audience that the
characters really were on a mountain top, in a train or on a battlefield, and present a
theatrical performance just on a canvas of sound.
The production format remains much as it has been for the last century. A small
group of actors playing multiple parts around a microphone, aided and abetted
by one or two sound effects people producing sounds in a most creative and often
unexpected way. Crumpling vegetables, punching cabbages, splashing in tubs of
water, usually accompanied by technical staff with a library of recorded sounds.
The Mount Players’ first production for 2023 is a BBC radio play based on the
1935 Hitchcock thriller The 39 Steps.

Director John Rowland promises to take the current audience, as the live audience in a BBC radio studio, on a thrilling, riotous and hilarious journey. The play contains every legendary scene from the award-
winning movie including the chase on the Flying Scotsman, the escape on the Forth
Bridge, the bi-plane crash and the sensational death-defying finale in the London
Palladium. The play runs from Friday, February 24 to Sunday, March 12.
Fifty per cent of takings from the Thursday, March 2 night performance will be
donated to Gisborne Foodbank. Cash and food donations can be left in the foyer at
each performance.
Details and tickets: www.themountplayers.com or 5426 1892.

Hi there. I’m Honey – by name and, obviously, by nature.
As you can see, I’m a super spunky young gal with just three months of fun notched up so far.
Hey, check my coat. It’s grey tabby- tortoiseshell so let’s just say I get noticed.
People say I am a little honey. I love being with people and attention.
But I also would prefer a home with older cats or as an only cat.
So if you are keen for a new best friend, just contact the Mount Alexander Animal Welfare shelter in
Castlemaine on 5472 5277 and we can meet up.
Microchip no. 956000015873245. Link: www.maaw.org.au

Art Simone will MC the All Ages Soundshell event on Saturday, March 11
and co-MC at Carnivale on March 12 with ABC’s favourite weatherman
Nate Byrne! She chatted with ChillOut Festival’s Amy Fabry-Jenkins.

Amy: Art, it’s not your first rodeo. What’’ your favourite ChillOut festival memory?
Art: My favourite memory of ChillOut Festival is always being part of Street
Parade – being surrounded by so many supportive people who come together to
champion and celebrate everything queer is just so special!
Amy: What do you like about performing at LGBTQIA+ events? Is there anything
that makes regional pride events different?
Art: Performing at regional events is super important to me because I’m a believer
that everyone deserves to have safe, inclusive spaces where they can be themselves
and be surrounded by like-minded individuals. Being outside of metro locations can
at times be super-isolating, so it’s important to bring these events to regional areas so
everyone can feel valid and loved. Because of this I often find that regional audiences
are even more fun as patrons are so appreciative and thankful for the glitter & glam!
Amy: What are you looking forward to this ChillOut Festival?
Art: What’s not to look forward to – there is a star-studded program filled with
amazing events, entertainers and everything you could want. But of course I am
looking forward to the All Ages Soundshell on Saturday, March 11 and Carnivale on
Sunday, March 12.
Amy: This year’s festival theme is ‘Find Your Wings’. How did you ‘find your wings’?
Art: I found my wings through the art of drag. I often liken drag to being my
superhero uniform. It’s what has helped me to be a better version of myself and live
life to the fullest.

CRESFEST is back again with a three-day multi-generational and inclusive celebration of music, art and culture in April.

The festival sees Creswick throw open its doors, with contemporary folk and roots artist performances from some of the best local, national and international artists, including Tibet’s Tenzin Choegyal, pictured, hosted across a variety of locations – from goldrush era buildings and local pubs to cafes and outdoor venues.
Yandoit Cultural is starting the year with Raziel Gutierrez Soto and Julian Harrison – a world/ethereal music fusion duo.
Using vocals, aerophone and guitar their music is inspired by nature with a homogeneous blend of influences and spontaneous improvisation.
Both Raziel and Julian are professional musicians with many years’ experience, refined expertise with their instruments and they draw on different cultural and musical backgrounds.
The concert is on Friday, February 17 from 6pm at the former Uniting Church, Yandoit. Entry by donation. Details and bookings: Nikki on 0432 232 073.
Angel Olsen is playing at the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine on February 24.
Having released her latest sixth album, with overt country music influences, this will be a must see in Angel’s first Australian gig.
Got some music news to share? Email news@tlnews.com.au

Words: Eve Lamb | Images: Supplied

Several houses were threatened when a grassfire broke out on Mount
Glasgow near Clunes on the border of Hepburn and Central Goldfields
shires earlier this month.

The cause of the fire at this stage remains subject to police investigation and, at
the time of writing, remained classed as undetermined.
Nineteen CFA brigades including those from Talbot, Clunes and Creswick, Air
Bendigo crews in Firebird 305 and Helitak 335, plus police traffic control and Forest
Fire Management Victoria were involved in the incident which began on Saturday
February 4 around 3pm.
Talbot CFA captain Ross Andrews said it was lucky that conditions were
not more severe, noting that the changeable whirling nature of the fire direction
complicated efforts to bring it under control. Several houses were threatened as the
fire burnt in hilly terrain off McCallums Creek Road.
About 94 hectares, and one campervan, were burnt after fire crews had battled for
about an hour before being able to contain it.
“It would have burnt about 300 acres and travelled well over a kilometre,” Ross
said. “The cause is still to be determined. Looking at the wider picture, Daylesford CFA captain Alistair Grant says this
year’s milder season has been comparatively kind in the Daylesford patch of the state’s
central fire region – but cautioned against complacency.
“Daylesford is still relatively green but we could get a week of hot weather
and it could dry off quickly. We’ve had a grassfire at Yandoit a few weeks ago, and
we recently had a grass fire at East Street caused by mowing. The weather’s been
reasonably mild and we haven’t had either extreme or catastrophic conditions this
year.
“But north of Daylesford it is quite dry and CFA Region 15 will soon be running
some bushfire planning sessions – one at Daylesford and one at Eganstown. They will
be advertised.”
While the conditions have been milder this year, the next couple of months will
be telling, David Freelove says.
“February and March will be the tell-tale months,” he says, cautioning against
being lulled into a false sense of security by any cooler days.
“From the start of this year we’ve had four larger grassfires and calls to several
(illegal) burn-offs during the fire danger period,” he says.
“Although it’s been a mild season the grassfires we’ve had have run fairly fast and
have not been as predictable as in previous years. It’s been a different system.”
CFA brigade captains are all keen to remind landholders that restrictions remain
in force, and while ambient temperatures may drop it does not mean restrictions – or
the risk of serious outcomes – have ended.

DEECA (formerly DELWP) Midlands District manager David Watson said
FFMV were continuing to monitor forest and weather conditions and conduct
fuel management works, such as planned burning, slashing, or mulching whenever
conditions allow.
“We’re hoping to complete a series of high priority burns in the Daylesford,
Gisborne, Macedon and Blackwood areas over the coming months,” he said.
For planned burns head to www.vic.gov.au/plannedburns or call 1800 226 226.

Having never met Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher who lived from 1813 to 1855, or studied his work, I must accept that he is in fact the author of the following statement, found on one of those websites that collect and categorise information, this particular one promising 690 quotes about the apocalypse:
“It happened that a fire broke out backstage in a theatre. The clown came out to inform the public. They thought it was a jest and applauded. He repeated his warning. They shouted even louder. So I
think the world will come to an end amid the general applause from all the wits who believe that it is a joke.”
Or, as Michael Stipe of REM sings: “It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine).”
It seems like scarcely a week goes by without someone mentioning the “zombie apocalypse”. Sure, it’s usually me, but it does seem to be part of everyday speech.
Now that the Walking Dead TV series has finished, one of the American streaming services has started a new show, The Last of US, in which a species of the Cordyceps fungus infects humans and turns them
into flesh-eating zombies. Yes – humanity is now being wiped out by mushrooms.
Although ravening, flesh-eating walking dead are heaps of fun, when it comes
to good end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it writing, Station Eleven, the 2014 novel by
Canadian author Emily St John Mandel is among the very best.
In the book, a variant of swine flu emerges in eastern Europe and quickly sweeps
over the entire world, killing almost every man, woman and child on the planet.
Mandel doesn’t bother with gory details such as body counts, she simply guides us
into a world in which a few people, for no apparent reason, do not die from the flu
and continue to exist.
What she does is to imagine how these survivors would respond, adapt, and live,
focusing on individuals and groups alike. She causes us to consider how we might
react, and in a broader sense not necessarily to an apocalyptic pandemic, but to
any event that has a profound effect on us, severe enough that life becomes clearly
marked.
She writes: “Jeevan was crushed by a sudden certainty that this was it, that this
illness Hua was describing was going to be the divide between a before and an after, a
line drawn through his life.”
After the horrific events of September 11, 2001, I began seeing life in that way.
As a frequent flyer, it was interesting and often maddening to watch the security
apparatuses of various countries spin into action, creating strategies and protocols on
the run. There were now security barriers and armed guards where none had been
considered necessary before.
These changes and myriad others were both subtle and obvious, thoughtful and
foolish. But they persisted and they remain with us. Think about people born after
September 11, 2001 – many are young adults now, and the world after 9/11 is the
only one they’ve known.
I asked my parents about this before-after rupture; they’re both in their 90s and I
thought perhaps the attack on Pearl Harbour in Hawaii by Imperial Japanese forces,
on December 7, 1941, bringing the US into the Second World War, might have had
such an impact on their lives.
My mother was born in 1932 – she was nine when the US entered the war. For
her, she told me, rather than there being a line drawn through her life, it changed
gradually. She helped her family grow food in a “victory garden”.
She and her friends collected old clothing, cans, paper – anything that was
useful to the war effort. Eventually there was rationing and shortages. These things
happened, life went on.
Zombies on the way…but time for a cuppa
The Australian author Nevil Shute imagined a different end of the world in his
excellent, horrible 1957 novel On the Beach. You might have seen the 1959 movie, or
the 2000 miniseries, but neither comes close to the book in conveying the awesome
pent-up dread of the impending apocalypse, as deadly radiation creeps slowly,
inexorably southwards, the result of all-out nuclear war that has killed every person
and every animal in the northern hemisphere and has already reached northern
Australia.
Shute writes: “Can you visualise it, Dwight?”
“Visualise what?”
“All those cities, all those fields and farms, with nobody, and nothing, left alive.
Just nothing there. I simply can’t take it in.”
“I can’t, either,” he said. “I don’t know that I want to try. I’d rather think of them
as they were.”
Shute imagines the world ends with dignity.
“It’s too big,” she repeated. “I can’t take it in.”
“It’s too big for me, too,” he replied. “I can’t really believe in it, just can’t get used
to the idea.”
Here’s how he finishes this part of the story:
She said softly, “Of course”.
He stirred. “Have another cup of tea?”
I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective. Some days I can face the thought of
going down fighting, with my back to the wall, hacking away at mindless zombies
with my razor-sharp hatchet (no fooling – I have one hanging on a hook by the
fireplace). Other days, I could go for a nice cuppa while I wait for the end.

After more than 30 years in Australia, Jeff and Carol Glorfeld moved back to California to take
over the family farm: 15 acres of rocks, hard scrub, and trees with no commercial value, where life
is fine. Jeff’s radio program, the Down Under Hour, in which he attempts to justify hauling a
vast number of records, tapes and CDs around the world, is on every Thursday at 8am, streaming at
kkrn.org.

Words: Eve Lamb & Donna Kelly | Main image: courtesy Q1

Celebrity gardener Jamie Durie has bought Paul Bangay’s famed Stonefields home and gardens in Denver for more than $11 million.
The TV personality, pictured below, and his business partners are now reported to be planning to convert the private home into a luxury accommodation venture.

“I am very happy and relieved that the garden which I believe is my greatest life’s
work will be in good hands,” Paul Bangay, pictured below, told The Local.

“Jamie Durie will be a worthy and able custodian of the garden,” Mr Bangay said.
The property was originally listed with a price guide of $8 million to $8.8 million
before an adjoining land parcel was included.
Forbes Global Properties’ Michael Gibson had the listing and has confirmed the
sale. He declined to comment on the price, however a source with knowledge of the
recent deal has put it at more than $11 million.
“It is going to be a world-class eco-resort,” Mr Gibson said.
In listing Stonefields, Forbes Global Properties Australia had described the Bangay
property as “without question, one of the world’s most celebrated private gardens”.
For almost two decades, it has been home to Australia’s pre-eminent garden
designer Paul Bangay, for whom “it has been both a spectacular showpiece and
cherished sanctuary,” the agents said.
“Spanning some 50 acres in the rolling foothills near Kyneton, just over an hour
from Melbourne, this exceptional countryside holding is home not only to its famous
gardens and magnificent oak trees, but also premium cattle grazing, superbly kept
pastures and a striking five-bedroom Tuscan-inspired residence, featuring dramatically
beautiful interiors curated by Paul Bangay, in partnership with (the late) Stuart Rattle.
“The home enjoys a strong connection with its surrounds, with stunning views
across the exquisite grounds, iconic hilltop pool and onto the mesmerising landscape
stretched out below.”
Following the sale to Durie and partners, Paul Bangay is now reported to be in
the market for another opportunity in the area to create his next dream home and
gardens together with husband Barry McNeill. With his business partners at Opulus Hotels, financier and hotelier Dominic
Lambrinos and investment banker Kim Jacobs, Mr Durie is now understood to be
planning an eco-resort opening in 2025 at Stonefields.
The group is reportedly planning to develop luxurious, sustainable free-standing
villas, investing $70 million in the construction.
Mr Durie described Stonefields as “one of the greatest gardens in the southern
hemisphere”, and was reported to have jumped on a plane to inspect it once he heard
it was for sale.
“We are pinching ourselves that we are able to secure it,” he said.
Mr Gibson said the property had attracted a substantial amount of interest and
inspections during the sales campaign. It was originally pitched as an ideal home for
either an owner-occupier or someone looking for a country retreat.
However, not everyone is happy about the sale, with a community notice being
sent out last week via the Glenlyon Progress Association, and posted on Facebook, on
behalf of a newly formed Denver Community Group.
The notice, which includes information about a public meeting, says the scale of
the proposal is “according to media reports, unprecedented for the Denver area, and
arguably the wider region”.
“In particular, a $70 million development including 50 villas, a celebrity chef
restaurant and health/wellness facility.
“This development raises a number of significant community concerns, from
ecology impacts to local infrastructure to noise impacts.
“The purpose of this meeting is to understand more keenly community sentiment
towards this proposal. This will help inform our ongoing engagement with the
Hepburn Shire on behalf of interested ratepayers and local residents.
“A Denver Community Group has been established, and it is anticipated that
a formal process will be established – including governance and communication
frameworks – to guide the group’s next steps.”
The meeting will be held at the Wombat Forest Vineyard on Sunday, February 19
from 10am. RSVPs to denvervic3461@gmail.com
Hepburn Shire Mayor Cr Brian Hood said he would be attending the meeting
and the first he, or any councillors, had heard of the proposal was reading it in The
Financial Review.
No contact had been made by the developers, he said.

The prolific creative output of Wheatsheaf artist Frances Guerin is informed
by a background in philosophy and transpersonal psychology. Frances began solo
exhibiting in the early 1980s and today her whimsical “humaroos” are particularly popular
with collectors.

Eve: How do you prefer to describe your style?
Frances: My style is eclectic, encompassing ceramics painting and drawing and assemblage. After
retiring from human services in 2005, I completed a Diploma of Ceramics at Federation University, a
fantastic course, then graduated with a Masters of Visual Arts at LaTrobe Bendigo, focusing on Irish
contemporary art that drew links between pre- Celtic spirituality and the Australian First Nations
dreaming.
Eve: How did you come to art?
Frances: My father took me to Bendigo Art Gallery when I was about eight and I was hooked.
My mother had a selection of prints by French impressionists, classical works and a fine selection
of ceramic vases and figurines, and she would often encourage me to paint, probably to get me out of
her hair. I loved art history and did many journeys across Europe, Egypt and Asia trawling through
archaeological sites, museums and galleries, filling journals with sketches of Old Masters works.

Eve: Which artists have influenced your own work?
Frances: Early on I loved anything ‘trippy’ like Salvador Dali. Then the feminist
artists who opened the door for women, like Judy Chicago and Paula Rego. More
recently when I was travelling through Ireland, I saw the public art was both
enchanting and moving…
Eve: What’s your medium and subject matter of choice?
Frances: I move between drawing and ceramics. Ceramics is demanding, a week’s
work can be lost during a firing. The terrible ping of a cracking or shattering can put
me off for weeks. At the moment I work between large face pots, figurines, and small
animals. The humaroos are my ‘iconic’ best seller, so I like to keep a number in stock.
More recently after the Australian Ballet performed Harlequinade last year, I have
made several sets of the Commedia del’arte characters.
Eve: Have you ever worked in any other area besides your arts practice?
Frances: I worked as a therapist for many years, with individuals and groups,
after training in transpersonal psychology. Then worked as an education officer in
health and did some teaching at tertiary institutions. After establishing a vipassana
meditation practise, I taught hundreds of classes in Melbourne and Central Victoria.
On several occasions I had the opportunity to do some event management, including
two tours of Tibetan monks and nuns creating sand mandalas.

Eve: When you work do you like to play music and if so what is your music of choice?
Frances: Dead Can Dance, Buddha Bar, Clannad, Lisa Gerrard, classical music.
Eve: To date, what have been your career highlights as an artist?
Frances: Craft Lab Ballarat Mining Exchange 2022, UNESCO listing Folk Art
and Craft best exhibit Royal Melbourne Show and a Julia Gillard face pot purchased
by the Art Gallery of Ballarat.
Eve: Finally, do you have any exhibitions or special arts events coming up?
Frances: Immortal Diamond Exhibition is showing at the Southbank Vitrines,
152 Sturt Street, Melbourne until February 26. And I will have an open studio at 55
Whitegum Drive, Wheatsheaf during the ChillOut weekend, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm.

DAYLESFORD’S Victoria Park has been chosen as the site of Tinder’s Big Rainbow with the aim
to have installation completed by the ChillOut Festival in March.
Daylesford was selected from a shortlist of four locations around Australia, including Broome in WA, Hay in NSW and Katherine in the NT, and announced as the winner in October last year.

Hepburn Shire Council then invited feedback from the community on where the Big Rainbow should be located with four potential options in Daylesford – Victoria Park, the Lost Children’s Reserve, the Community Skate Park and Lake Daylesford.
The landmark is six metres high by 12 metres wide and painted in the colours of the 2018 Progress Pride Flag. It is made from marine-grade plywood.
Mayor Cr Brian Hood said Victoria Park was the standout position from both a community and council view. Cr Hood said each of the other three sites had concerns which played against them being a viable option. The Lost Children’s Reserve was not the place for a “secondary feature” for historical reasons, the skate park did not have the room and Lake Daylesford was seen to be a natural environment. Victoria Park also had the connection with ChillOut and the LGBTIQA+ community, along with staging other events, plenty of parking and easy accessibility for people wanting to visit the Big Rainbow and have their photo taken.
“It just seemed like the logical choice of the four – and it certainly had the strongest vote from the public of the four sites.”
Cr Hood said things like lighting and signage were still under consideration with the issue of vandalism also being monitored closely once the installation was complete. Most “big” installations in Australia are privately owned and closed at night.
Tinder will pay for the installation and maintenance for three years after which
“the council of the day” will make a decision on its future.
Cr Hood said accepting the donation of the Big Rainbow from a dating app was carefully considered but at the end of the day, the symbolism of acceptance, understanding and diversity won out.
“Tinder was a topic of conversation, and we are mindful that dating apps have
their problems, but on balance overall we thought the positives were pretty strong
and it was compatible with council’s policies and that swayed us.”
Cr Hood said extra visitors, keen to be photographed with Australia’s latest “big thing” would also bring an economic benefit to the region.
Asked if people might try to climb the structure for the ultimate selfie, Cr Hood
said, with a height of six metres, that would be “fraught with danger”.
“I hope that people would just want their photo taken from the ground but you
can’t rule out that people might be tempted to try and climb it.”
Tessa Halliday, the council representative on the shire’s LGBTIQA+ Advisory Committee said the need for a symbol of pride was still relevant.
“We have come a long way but until we can say that every member of the LGBTIQA+ community is safe, accepted and included we still have work to do.
“We are lucky to live in a very supportive community, however this doesn’t mean that there aren’t people in our community that are struggling with their identity or sexuality. “The symbol of pride lets them know that they are important to the community and that they are safe to be themselves. The Big Rainbow says ‘you are safe here’.
Daylesford is also a haven for visitors, a place where they feel safe to be themselves as
they may not be able to at home.”
Cr Halliday said it was easy to look at the positives in the community, “from amazing accepting parents to supportive health providers, however not everyone has this experience”.
“Mental health and suicide rates are still the highest in the LGBTIQA+
community compared to the wider community. It is important that we remember
that the rainbow is a symbol for the LGBTIQA+ community, not a symbol for a
dating site. The dating site will not have any signage on the Big Rainbow.”
In answer to a few other questions from The Local, a council spokesperson said
the Big Rainbow would be a public structure with time-controlled lighting to be
installed to illuminate it.
The spokesperson said the council was still planning signage options and would
ensure the Big Rainbow was well signposted.
In relation to people climbing the structure, this will be discouraged by plantings
around the base.
The Big Rainbow was designed in collaboration with members of the LGBTIQA+
community and the First Nations community.
As part of the promotion, Tinder is also donating $100,000 in grants to a number
of community groups around Australia.
Tinder did not get back to The Local after emails asking which groups would be
in the running for the grants.
Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Contributed

Words: Kevin Childs | Image: Contributed

LIKE a never-ending game of chase, the campaign to protect the Wombat State
Forest manages to save some trees, then logging starts elsewhere in this vast area.
Now it appears to enter a new phase with a threat to Daylesford’s water.

And one of the many odd aspects is that taxpayers subsidised VicForest’s logging with $54 million
last year, a figure predicted to double this year. The increase is expected to come from the cost of paying
retainers to contractors, who may have no work.
Another curiosity, according to Daylesford forest activist David Stephens, is that it is 21 years since the
local ALP branch voted to have the forest managed as a national service, providing clean air and water.
That same year the party pledged to create a Wombat National Park.
Instead, according to Mr Stephens, the most massive equipment to enter the forest has been
clearing swathes. “There has been overwhelming forestry reduction, with the greatest damage ever
seen,” he says.
“Muddy water is running into the Wombat Dam, which is Daylesford’s water supply.
“Removing ground cover leads to erosion and pollution. Then the fine regrowth increases the fire
risk because there is more fuel. It takes 40 years to get sufficient regrowth.”

Intriguingly, VicForests did not comment on the water supply threat but acknowledged that it has
paused all commercial harvesting while a new survey is done, while insisting that its work is recovery, not harvesting, subject to external audits and independent sustainable forest management standards.
Another worry for locals, says Mr Stephens, is that six B-double trucks have been seen on narrow bush roads, concerning parents of children at Bullarto Primary
School.
Such was the worry that a woman, pictured, supported by about 20 peaceful
protestors chained herself to some equipment on January 30. After talking to
authorities she undid her lock and was allowed to leave but is expected to be charged
by police. Logging has stopped in this area.
Mr Stephens, long a community activist and mentor to forest community groups,
says up to 20 hectares have been cleared at Barkstead, off the Daylesford-Ballan road.
“We would like to see a moratorium on all industrial-scale extraction until laws
are introduced to protect Wombat Forest.
“We have seen logging protection lifted in 2019, allowing drainage lines to run
into Wombat Creek. Anything dead on site is washed by rain into the catchment.”
After an exacting inquiry, state government agreed to adopt almost all
recommendations, including preserving and protecting the forest, but no laws have
been introduced.
The Supreme Court agreed to protect the vulnerable greater glider in the Central
Highlands, but there is no such protection in the Midlands.
Logs from here go to mills in Sale, Orbost, Beaufort and Heyfield. “This,” says
Mr Stephens,” is the last resort.”
And the future? More than 7000 hectares are listed for logging. As for VicForest,
it said “recovery work” in the forest is in response “to removing debris and treating
hazardous trees” after the 2021 storm.
“Timber removed through these operations will be going to the highest and best
end use. This potentially includes community use, utilisation by traditional owners,
customers, as well as community firewood.”

Police are appealing for assistance from the public after a mobile traffic camera vehicle was damaged and the operator threatened in two incidents in Altona in January.

Officers were told two men approached the mobile traffic camera vehicle parked on Civic Parade between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Wednesday, 25th January.

During the first incident a man on a bicycle approached the vehicle and was verbally aggressive towards the operator, spitting on the window and proceeded to punch the driver’s side mirror.

The man fled the scene in a westerly direction along Civic Parade.

The man is described as having a medium build, grey hair and stubble. He was wearing a black and white ‘Lonsdale’ singlet and he has a distinguishing black flame tattoo on his right calf.

An hour later a man wearing a beige balaclava splashed white paint over the vehicle and threatened the operator with a tomahawk.

The man fled the scene in a westerly direction along Civic Parade into Bent Street before getting into a black Mercedes C-Class or similar.

He is described as having a slim build, approximately 182cm tall and was wearing a camouflage top and dark jeans.

The traffic car operator was not injured during the incidents.

Police believed that the two incidents are linked.

Police have released vision and images of two men who may be able to assist with their enquiries.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, or with dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report via Crime Stoppers online.

He’s cool. He’s smooth. He’s one of Australia’s premier exponents of Jazz and he’s coming to Hepburn Springs to play the Palais next month.

Jazz icon Vince Jones plays the Palais – Hepburn on Sunday March 5.

Vince is that rare genre-defying artist who creates music without borders. Australia’s leading legendary Jazz vocalist with a voice as cool as a long G & T. Jones is also a remarkable interpreter and composer of songs in a contemporary unique style. A style that appeals equally to listeners and his musical peers. As a vocalist he resists showing off technique to the detriment of feel. Confident in his musical literacy and sings like there’s nothing to prove! It’s a refreshing approach that gives the audience the chance to be really moved.

His phrasing and interpretation are second to none. His voice remains distinctive and endlessly interesting, contrasting and blending with the gorgeous sound of the band.

With a career now in its 50th year of performing; Jones has a catalogue of 22 albums, ARIA awards and has sold close to a million CDs worldwide. Reaching many milestones along his path that have internally sustained and enriched him. Often being invited to mentor and share his pearls of wisdom with the next generation of up-coming Jazz musicians at Conservatoriums around Australia.

As a man who thinks deeply about the state of the world and our need to get back to a simpler way of living, themes of love, loss, injustice, nature and peace are woven through his original works. He is not afraid to speak out for causes close to his heart.

Audiences will enjoy his mellifluous timeless tones. As Jones performs original material as well as new contemporary interpretations of his fave jazz standards by other greats, such as Ray Charles, Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield, etc

Vince’s musical roots stem from his Scottish parents who were both musicians, his mother a singer and his father a horn player. Who both imparted their astute understanding of music in their time, which had always stayed with him and informs his own unique style.

Vince comments, sometimes uncomfortably, about the world we live in from an unashamedly idealistic perspective. His readings of the Great American Songbook are true to composer and artist as are his ‘Van Morrison’s Masterpieces’ concerts; respecting the song, while making it his own.

Still, his creative output remains intense. New music with long time collaborator, Paul Grabowky, is due in early 2023 while his 2020 retrospective, ‘A Personal Selection’ confirmed how important his contribution to Australian music has been.

Always particular about the musical company he keeps, he’s enjoyed playing with the best musicians the country has to offer and for this upcoming show at the Palais – Hepburn Springs, the tradition continues with the extraordinary Matt McMahon – piano/md, Melbournes Ben Robertson – bass,’ John Mackey – saxophone and welcoming Felix Bloxom – Drums (Barney McAll trio)

Homicide Squad detectives have charged a woman following the death of a child in Albanvale last Monday February 6.

The 31-year-old woman has been charged with one count of murder.

The charges follow the discovery of a three-year-old boy’s body at a property in Dover Street on Monday 6 February about 4pm.

The Albanvale woman had been held over to appear before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday.

Daylesford’s Alexis Saville and Odin Jonsson, who has just moved from
Trentham to Ballarat, have been dating for just one month but have known each other
for 10 years and been best friends for seven.
“So it feels like it’s been forever,” Odin says.
The 21-year-olds are working on Valentine’s Day, Alexis at Kadota and Odin at Bells’
Watergardens, but Odin has a suprise weekend planned.
In the spirit of love the couple agreed to meet for a photo on the ‘Love Locks’ bridge at Lake
Daylesford – adding their own lock to the 453 already there.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Images: Kyle Barnes