Last Wednesday, Bullarto Primary School, the little bush school in the heart
of the Wombat Forest, had a celebration.
It was, according to principal of six years Jo Pegg, bigger than Ben Hur. And for
good reason.
Jo started at the school in 2017 with just four students and a memorandum from
the Education Department that the school may, or may not, close that year. Either
way they would support her.
But Jo, who this year was inducted onto the Hepburn Shire Council’s Heather
Mutimer Honour Roll for her tireless work for social inclusion and inclusive learning,
wasn’t ready to let the community lose their school.
“I always said, from the start, that when we hit student numbers of 20 I would be
happy. And while we have not hit 20, just 18, we decided not to wait for the next two
kids, we had to celebrate.
“We have also been able to, for the first time, hire a full-time teacher, and not
with just a 12-month contract, but ongoing.”
That teacher is Liam Kennedy who has been working at the school as a student
teacher for the year. It was hoped he would stay, but in small schools nothing is taken
for granted.
And along with Liam, Jo also has funding for another teacher “we don’t know
who yet, but they will be great” and Ian Hume, who retired from teaching but has
been helping out three days a week, will return next year for one day a week.
“That is what we celebrated last Wednesday, being able to have the staff to create
consistent learning for our kids and let me do the principal stuff I need to do away
from the classroom,” Jo said.
“I could actually not be involved in teaching any more, just work as a principal
which is pretty unheard of in small schools, but that is not me. I am still going to put
aside an entire day for teaching and will keep helping out where I can. That is my
payback to the community for entrusting me with their children’s education.
Thanks to our volunteers!
“The celebration is also about our community, to all
the parents and their volunteer work, who have helped get
Bullarto Primary School to where it is. To Bakers Delight
for providing bread for our Breakfast Club, to the Central
Highlands Goat Society for helping with our goat program
and to the SES for all the work they did to help us during
last year’s storm.
“It’s about celebrating everything that has helped us get
to this point. I am just over the moon.”
Mind you, celebrations, when they are a surprise, are not easy. Jo said she had to
find a way to keep Liam in the dark about the ceremony, while calling his parents to
ask them to come along to the ceremony. And then there were the 24 cupcakes to
order and parents to invite.
“I don’t usually announce my staffing until the end of the year and it’s usually in
the newsletter, but I thought we have hit the goal, let’s celebrate now.
“I know the parents are rapt to know Liam is staying with us and so is Ian
Hume.

And of course Sally O’Leary is still here with me, since I started. She and
I are now going to get excited about being in the office at the same time to get the
administration done, not having to steal time from the classroom duties.”
Bullarto Primary School’s motto is: A great little bush school offering fantastic
personalised education, all in the heart of the Wombat. It could also be: The little
school that could. And did.
For any enquiries contact Jo Pegg on 5348 5559.
Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Kyle Barne

GIVING your time and talent to be a part of a community group or sporting club brings you together with your ‘tribe’ (face-to-face or online if it’s project volunteering), helps you hone skills and
confidence you can use for employment or offers you a chance to have an active retirement and social life.
When we’ve spent the past few years feeling disconnected one of the biggest
battles to get involved is knowing what opportunities are out there. That’s where
www.volunteeringlocal.org helps. Here are just a few opportunities available in
Clunes.
Sharing skills, meeting people, cooking meals, using your hands or working from
afar.

At Clunes Neighbourhood House there are a host of opportunities to help care for people and place, as well as yourself, through volunteering.
Love footy or netball, want to be part of a family club? Did you know there are more
than 80 volunteer jobs (big or small) every game day that you can get involved in?
More of a book person than sport? Love a good festival and the rush of being a part of something, even just for a short time? Find out how you can be a part of Australia’s only Booktown Festival each year.
Thanks to our volunteers!
Getting Started with Volunteering in Clunes
Keen to immerse yourself in the history of your town? Or maybe just a Gold Rush buff
but with limited time to spare? Find out how you can be involved in special projects with
the museum, or become a part of their day-to-day operations.
Proud of the place you call home and want to shout it from the roof tops? Become a part of
the market team and help create that special buzz in the main street, or volunteer to be the
editor of the town’s local newsletter.
Find out about the different opportunities available to boost tourism and
development in Clunes.
This website features the groups participating in the Volunteering Local project, but is also open for any community group in town to register and promote their volunteering opportunities.
Volunteering link: www.volunteeringlocal.org

INTERNATIONAL Volunteer Day is held annually on
December 5 to raise awareness of the important role
volunteers play in responding to challenges facing the world.
This year’s theme is Solidarity through Volunteering.
Volunteering Australia says the day is one to celebrate and promote
volunteering. “There are millions of volunteers in Australia and the
contribution that they make to communities around the country is
enormous. IVD is an opportunity to acknowledge, thank and shine a
light on the important work of volunteers.
“This year’s International Volunteer Day asks people to volunteer
now for our common future, it inspires people to take action now
for people and the planet. Encouraging, recognising and promoting
volunteerism is an important part of creating a more equal and
inclusive future for communities worldwide.
“Volunteers and volunteering has been impacted greatly by
Covid-19 and now is the time to invest and commit to reinvigorating
volunteering in Australia.”
This year The Local has highlighted 12 organisations (don’t forget
to check out the back page) but realises there are many, many more and
volunteers who don’t even belong to organisations. Perhaps they check
on neighbours, care for family, or just pick up rubbish once a week
around the streets – this is a real thing.
Those in our pages this edition range from neighbourhood houses
and show societies, to the 5000 Club and Hepburn Wildlife Shelter.
Then there’s also those who volunteer for Hepburn Shire Council,
Central Highlands Rural Health and Sunbury Cobaw Community
Health.
You will most likely know someone in the photos on these pages,
if not quite a few. And for anyone who is thinking about volunteering
in 2023 now is a great time to think about where your skills are, or
perhaps what you would enjoy the most. If you don’t enjoy it, you’re
probably not going to stick with it. That’s human nature.
One of the newest volunteers at Riding for the Disabled read about
the group in our pages some time back and thought “I could do that!”
and now does. And loves it.
Perhaps you need to find your tribe like those at the Daylesford
Community Op Shop where it’s more of a big family helping those in
need not only by selling donated goods but in myriad ways.
And if you don’t want to volunteer long term, you could always
choose something like Trentham’s Twilight Night and put your hand
up to help out for just one day a year.
Or, if your kids are at school, maybe ask if you can do anything to
help out to free up teachers’ time to teach – like what happens at the
little school in the bush at Bullarto.
Anyway, enjoy the read and have a think about whether you have
the time or inclination to make the world a better place. And if you
don’t, that’s OK too. Words: Donna Kell

Words: David Stephens

Our forests are fundamental to water and food security, as well as the habitat and protection of our eco-system. Logging and mining mean pollution and greater risk of flood and fire.

Anyone wanting to see for themselves only has to go to Wombat Creek, south of Daylesford where operations continue to pollute Wombat Dam, which is the town’s water supply.

Other examples can be seen at Osborne Road, Bullarto, or Babbington Road, Lyonville.

Industrial mining and timber extraction are set to continue in the Wombat Forest for at least two more years. Communities around the forest are upset and deeply worried about continued destruction of the environment approved by both major political parties.

After the failure of the state government to intervene, the Barry’s Reef community got together to take non-violent direct action to successfully stop exploration drilling, some of which was to be directly beneath their homes.

The failure of responsibility by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), the government regulator, Earth Resources, water authorities and the elected representative, Mary-Anne Thomas, means no protection for fragile and important areas of the Wombat Forest from heavy industrial mining and logging.

Sadly, the state government is breaking its promise to protect this forest and failed to enact recommendations of a report in June 2019 made by the Victorian Environment Assessment Council (VEAC). This delay increases the devastating environmental vandalism by Vic Forests and new mines in the best and last remaining forest.

VEAC recommended balanced social, economic and ecological approaches. This followed three years of consultation with the broader community, including traditional owners. What’s more, the VEAC report is the closest Victoria has come to a treaty covering future land use.  And it is a vital first step in long overdue planning to reduce the impact of the climate crisis.

Clan elders from Wombat Forest traditional owners have long supported local community and environmental activists. For example, the Victorian Aboriginal Embassy in 2002 issued firewood collection licenses to take burnable off-cuts from logging operations instead the being fuel for post-logging industry burns.

Sacred sites were protected by the embassy, with the community, including during the threat to the Hepburn Pool by the Hepburn Shire Council and DEWLP’s predecessor.

As an example of how serious this became, back in 2002 a senior Victorian Aboriginal Elder, accompanied by three generations of her family, approached some timber workers and government logging officials to tell them that they were welcome on country as community members but should take their logging machines out of the forest. The response she got was: ”You want to fight? We will bring out the guns and fight.” She replied, “What has changed in 200 years?” That night this exchange was broadcast on Ballarat WIN news.

A Government department spokesman said DEWLP’s predecessor “does not condone or condemn violence in any form.” There was no apology or retraction of the threat. Next day, the woman’s son was the first to be removed from the forest. This led to non-indigenous local people disrupting logging daily for 10 months. After this, the forest was not logged until this year.      

Labor, with the LNP recently legislated to jail those who interrupting logging from May 2023. I, too, wonder, what has changed? 

By contrast, the Daylesford ALP branch voted unanimously for the forest to be managed to ensure its ecological protection and health.

What all this means is a failure of democracy in Victoria, shown by a lack of policy and operations of departments that reflect the interests of the community. Political parties and government departments are dominated by global forces through lobbyists representing, among others, the Minerals Council, Forestry Council, Victorian Forestry Industry Association, Chamber of Commerce and the CFMEU Forestry Division.

Anyone interested in seeing what is happening may do an Internet search (links below), using the term “Resource Licenses Near Me” to see an interactive map showing many mining corporation licences issued for private land, and around town water supplies and in the surrounding forest. 

While there is no protection for these parts of the Wombat  Forest, by contrast no mineral licences have been issued for the nearby Lerderderg State Park, which is protected by its conservation status.

To see active plans for logging search “Approved T.U.P. Forest Recovery March 2022.” Lifting the Forest Management Zone layer discloses a detailed view. Also available is an interactive map showing more than 1000 hectares of heavy impact industrial log extraction. There are no log extraction sites in Lerderderg State Park.

What is now demanded by Wombat Forest residents, local groups and surrounding communities is for politicians to immediately enact a moratorium on all licensing, permits and works for industrial mining and timber extraction from the Wombat Forest until the promised protections become law.   

(David Stephens is a long-term resident of the Wombat Forest and an advocate of social justice, the environment and First Nations People. This is an edited version of talk he gave recently to the Blackwood Community.)

SINCE Covid changed the way we live our lives, getting involved in your community through volunteering is no longer as straight forward as it once was.
With so many people no longer volunteering, communities could be forgiven for
surrendering to the downward trend. But in Clunes, this threat to the town’s capacity
has provided a blue-sky opportunity to reimagine volunteering in their tiny, rural
town.
Clunes in Victoria (Dja Dja Wurrung Country) has a long history of building
capacity and social cohesion through volunteering. Prior to the pandemic Clunes
boasted a volunteering rate of 30.2% (well above the state average of 19%). So
perhaps it was no surprise in August 2022 Clunes was selected to receive just one
of 19 grants awarded to support local partnership and innovation projects to reengage volunteers, broaden the volunteer base, and strengthen volunteering in local
communities.
Called Volunteering Local, this six-month project is funded by the State
Government of Victoria, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. The project
takes a uniquely place-based approach to volunteering, focusing on reducing barriers
to volunteering in Clunes, working collaboratively to make it easier for people to
volunteer and finding new ways of volunteering here, as well as showcasing the
different contributions volunteers make to the town.
“In Clunes there are more than 40 community and social groups active at
different times,” said Lana de Kort, manager of Clunes Neighbourhood House,
pictured left, with coordinator Deb Bright at Christmas in Clunes, who is the lead for
this town project, “Often these groups are completely volunteer-led and involving.”
The Volunteering Local project will start with five of these community
organisations; Clunes Tourist & Development Association, Clunes Football and
Netball Club, Clunes Museum, Creative Clunes and Clunes Neighbourhood House.
“This diverse group have volunteer opportunities that appeal to different target
markets (so are representative of a broad cross-section of our population) and are
some of the more formally structured organisations where people volunteer in town.
“Working together with this pilot group, our goal is to develop practical (and easy to use) volunteering tools to help recruit and retain volunteers in town, as well as learning and promotional opportunities that will also be inclusive of the more informal groups,” said Lana.
Volunteering Local (www.volunteeringlocal.org) will provide a single entry point for anyone in town wishing to find a way to connect through volunteering.
“The website is a handy ‘volunteer bank’ for all our community groups to use to advertise opportunities,” said Lana,
“As well as a space where we can join forces to ensure people can give of their time and skills in a safe and welcoming way. Behind the scenes, the functionality of the site will help groups induct volunteers, share resources across the town when we have big events or crises to respond to, as well as ensure people know about the different (and more flexible) ways of being an active part of our town.”
In October 2022 this project was further boosted by support from the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal, Strengthening Rural Communities Program, allowing Clunes to add an innovative training and development component to the project.
“This was an incredibly exciting boost because it means Volunteering Local is not
only about developing and sharing tools to assist volunteering, but that we can step
outside our usual day to day pressures and reimagine what volunteering can look like
for us all going forward,” said Lana.
The pilot groups involved with Volunteering Local will be working with Australian volunteering expert, Mark Creyton through a series of workshops and one on one sessions.
“We are excited to share our learnings as we go through this process,” said Lana,
“Because we know that we are not the only place working hard to rebuild momentum – and reimagine a stronger future – since Covid.”
For more information about this project visit www.volunteeringlocal.org.

A free discussion is on the menu as the Goldfields Library Corporation’s Woodend Library hosts ‘The Memory Place: Kitchens and cooking in days of old tomorrow, November 24.

The free event promises a trip into the household kitchens of yesteryear – and includes refreshments.

All who are interested are invited to get along to share in memories, conversation and fun as the hosts of this session share some beautiful themed memory kits.

The free event takes place from 10-11am tomorrow at the Woodend Library on the corner High & Forest Streets Woodend, with bookings available online through the Goldfields Library Corporation’s website. 

A free afternoon session coming up at Kyneton library aims to help locals solve tech issues that may be troubling them.

The tea and tech session takes place at the library from 2.30pm-4pm on Monday, November 28 and is part of the Goldfields Library Corporation’s ongoing free library event series.

It offers a chance to get together with others over a friendly cuppa, bring along your phone, laptop or tablet and let those in the know help you solve your tech problems!

It’s also a chance to share what you’ve learned, get help, and try some fun and useful skills in a relaxed session with bookings available online through the library website.

Horse owners will have the chance next month to join Jason McAinch, Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s private Land Conservation Officer, to discuss and learn how to graze their horses in a sustainable way.

The upcoming free Face to face field day session is part of the Healthy Landscapes: Practical Regenerative Agricultural Communities program and is a chance to learn from each other and discuss the current situations on your own property. The location of the field day is on a property in Drummond.

Once registered, the property address will be sent to you prior to the event on Sunday, December 4 from 10am to 12 noon.

More information is available through Hepburn Shire Council or Macedon Ranges Shire Council with registrations available online through Eventbrite.

A free field day offers the chance to learn some of the fundamentals of identifying introduced and native grasses seen in paddocks.

Martin Roberts, Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s Bushland Reserves Officer, will be special guest on a walk through Malmsbury Common.

Martin will give a practical demonstration and discuss the key characteristics in identifying the grasses you have on your property and in your paddocks. Be aware this is an outside event, so make sure you wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

The field day is part of the Healthy Landscapes: Practical Regenerative Agricultural Communities program series that aims to raise awareness in their community about sustainable land management practices that improve soil health, reduce exposure to climate risk, enhance biodiversity and increase on-farm productivity.

This program is being delivered as a partnership between Macedon Ranges Shire Council (MRSC), Hepburn Shire Council, the 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 Daylesford Lawn Tennis Club is offering an exciting new program to help you get back on the court

To be part of the Get Your Racquet On series you don’t need: skill, a racquet or mates.

The club is simply inviting those who are interested to get along to the club’s courts in West Street, Daylesford on Mondays at 6pm. 

More information is available from Di Van Baalen on 0481393342

The final Hepburn Shire Council Listening Post of the year will take place at Glenlyon Hall tomorrow, Wednesday, November 23, from 4pm to 6pm.

It is an opportunity for residents and ratepayers to meet with councillors and staff and share your thoughts on any issue of concern.  

Central Highlands Rural Health is calling for more volunteers to help deliver Meals on Wheels and allow older residents to live in their homes for longer.
CHRH’s Daylesford Health campus hopes to find more community-minded people like Eddie (pictured) who has been delivering Meals on Wheels for nearly a decade.
Eddie delivers up to 10 Meals on Wheels daily, three times a week.
“I love doing it,” Eddie said.
“It’s about giving back to my community.
Volunteers need a driver’s licence, covid-19 and flu vaccination certificates.
CHRH will provide orientation, a vehicle and insurance and pay for a police check.
If you know someone who might like to volunteer, you can go to www.chrh.org.au/volunteer.

Trentham Aged Care residents are pretty chuffed with their new landscape and wildlife mural which now adorns their dining room wall.
It was commissioned with $3000 donated by the Trentham Easter Art and Craft Show committee.
Residents contributed their creative ideas for the mural and took an active role as it evolved under the brushwork of local artist Louise Otten.
“We are thrilled for our residents that Louise has created this incredible artwork that features wildlife and beautiful scenery,” Central Highlands Rural Health CEO Maree Cuddihy said.

Work has started on the third and final stage of the refurbishment of Creswick’s John Curtin age care facility.
The minister for health Mary-Anne Thomas and local Labor candidate for Ripon Martha Haylett took time out to tour the facility recently and meet and greet with residents.
Both marvelled at the redevelopment which has so far included constructin of 12 bedrooms, each with private ensuite, a central living drining and kitchen area, two smaller living rooms, a library space and a landscaped courtyard, complementing the purpose built dementia specific unit that was completed in Stage 1.

Hepburn Shire Council is inviting the community to come forward with any bright ideas or insights to help increase affordable housing across the shire.

The most recent national census shows there are 2,008 unoccupied homes in the shire, twice the Victorian average, while rents have risen by 51% over the past ten years.

And around ten percent of homes in the shire are listed on short stay accommodation websites, which means even though there might be enough houses, there is not enough housing.

Acknowledging the issue, the development of a housing affordability strategy and action plan is a key output of the Council Plan 2021-25 to create a healthy supported and empowered community.

And the council last week held an online webinar to discuss the themes of affordable housing and how people can be involved in the project  with a public survey now open until Sunday,  December 4.

Printed surveys and the issues and options paper are available at council libraries and hubs with more information available at the council’s Participate Hepburn website at https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/affordable-housing.

Pop-up sessions are also being held over coming weeks in Creswick, Glenlyon, Clunes, Trentham and Daylesford.

The council will also host an Affordable Housing Solutions Forum in February 2023, with community members able to register their interest to attend.

Hepburn Shire housing facts 

Of the 9,477 private homes in the shire, 2,008 are unoccupied (21%) – twice the Victorian average (2021 Census).

Nearly all homes (94.5%) are separate houses, and most of those have three or more bedrooms (72.8%).

Rents have increased by 51% over the past ten years. The median rent is $295 per week.  A single person on the aged pension would be spending more than 60% of their income on rent at that level.

In the year to June 2021, there were 20% (or 58) fewer private rental listings in Hepburn Shire.

At least 1,000 homes are listed online for short stay accommodation (e.g. Airbnb), roughly 10% of all dwellings.

There are currently 500 active short-stay rentals advertised in the Daylesford area, 96% are entire homes. This has increased by 51 properties since July 2019