At the council meeting of November 23, 2021 council was presented with an alternate motion to recommending awarding of the contract for the Hepburn Hub at The Rex – Stage 2 Building Works.

The alternate motion, to not proceed with The Rex project, was not supported with facts, options, or consequences of its adoption.
Further, for a council elected on the platform of community engagement, the motion was silent on community input into a decision so significant in the shire’s history that it will likely result in ratepayers forfeiting some $6M+ – manifest by way of serious lost opportunity over the next decade.
Councillors Jen Bray and Brian Hood provided reasoned support for their intention to vote, respectively, against and for, the alternate motion.
Cr Bray took the position of completing the project to provide the much needed and long overdue staff accommodation, new library, community cinema and community space – and reopen the building as council’s central administration precinct.
Councillor Hood took a financial-based position based on the cost-to-valuation gap, and to quit the building that has been fraught with structural, financial, and other problems since its initial construction.
There was no discussion on how both outcomes could be reached.
There are two options. Sell as is, a drastic move, the history of the project is public and will be taken advantage of by any prospective purchaser, resulting in a savage discount. Complete and sell on a long-term lease back to council, an orderly exit.
The latter option provides council with full construction integrity to completion and presents an attractive investment proposition.
A completed and fully functioning prime centrally located property in Daylesford offering an attractive commercial return on investment.

• John Cottrell, Glenlyon

Having come to Australia over 40 years ago as a Vietnamese refugee, Hang Vo knows what it’s like to feel displaced and excluded.

As board chair of the Victorian Pride Centre, Australia’s first purpose-built hub for the LGBITQ+ community, this experience at a young age has driven Hang’s deep commitment to creating a more just, inclusive and fair society.
Hang, who is also CEO of Whitelion Youth, which provides mentoring, job training and other supports for at-risk young people, will be the guest speaker at the next Birds of a Feather lunch on Friday, December 17.
“Our first lunch last month was a great success with over 60 people attending,” says Belinda Brain, one of the organisers from Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health.
“Usually the lunches will be quarterly but as the first one was postponed by a couple of months we’ve ended up with two close together.”
The gathering at the Shamrock Hotel in Kyneton is an opportunity for adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex to connect. Meals and drinks are at bar prices. RSVPs are essential.
To register your interest or for further information, contact Belinda Brain on 5421 1666 or email belinda.brain@scchc.org.au

SPRINGS Medical Centre in Daylesford has introduced an “Iso Pod” as part of its fight against Covid-19, and any other contagious diseases.

The pod, which is set up for one patient, plus a child if necessary, is sited on land in front of the carpark in Hospital Street.
Clinical Team Leader Lee-anne Potter said the centre’s Covid vaccine working group had looked at long term solutions to keeping potentially Covid positive patients out of the general practice area.
“When the pandemic first kicked off and really nobody knew what we were doing, we had two consulting rooms as isolation rooms at the back of the practice.
“But we realised that was not a long-term sustainable solution. So we sourced the pod and that will be used for any patient deemed infectious, not just Covid. People with cold and flu symptoms, rashes, gastro and other potentially infectious transmissible conditions.
“That protects our staff because they can put on personal protection and equipment if needed, it protects other patients in the waiting rooms and it also provides safety for the greater community.”
Ms Potter said the centre had an allocated appointment book for the pod and patients would be asked to park as close as possible, call the centre and then wait for the doctor to arrive and open the pod.
Once they left, the doctor would clean down the pod, head to the ambulance bay to remove their protective gear, wash up and return to their consulting room.
Ms Potter, pictured above with general manager Emma Wells said the pod had been made extremely private with frosted glass and one-way blinds.
She said Kyneton had its own isolation room and those attending Trentham would be redirected to Daylesford or Kyneton.

BEYOND Blue, Australia’s largest mental health organisation, has a dedicated service to help people manage the stresses and apprehension before, during and after the bushfire season.

Information available covers topics including helping parents, teachers and carers prepare children for the bushfire season, online forums, information for GPs in fire-prone areas and support for businesses.
Contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

THE topic of the moment is The Rex in Daylesford and the abhorrent waste of ratepayers’ money. I do intend to get to that after this quick community safety message.

Sometimes I get a little worked up at small things. Like when a car is sitting on the side of the road with its indicator switched to pull out while I am bearing down on top of them. Have they seen me or even looked and are they going to pull out on top of me?
Lots of questions pulse through my brain as I fly along our country lanes. Now kids, an indicator is just that, it is used to indicate your intentions at the time it is going. It is not used to indicate your intentions in what you might be doing should the traffic clear.
So, if you find yourself on the side of the road, stopped to take some Instaworthy photo or flicking off a quick text that couldn’t possibly wait until you reached your destination, please put your indicator to the left, letting all passing-by traffic know that it is safe to pass you. Once you have checked your mirrors and it is clear, then apply the indicator to the right and you’re good to go.
Speaking of good to go and this slightly jarring and misplaced segue, I thought The Rex was good to go. What happened? Early this year I received a fine in the mail because I didn’t vote in the Hepburn Shire Council elections. This was my choice as to my mind there are too many levels of government and funding bureaucracy. For example, a local council uses around 80 per cent of the funds that it garnishes on self administration, but that’s an argument for another day. And yes, I was sent a fine.
But now I am really reflecting on the councillors who did make the grade in that election last November and how anyone could see their way clear to delay such a project, as the Hepburn Hub, by years, citing a lack of community consultation.
Guys, I was there. You, yes a former council but still our council, had your consultation process. Admittedly The Rex at that point was not on the table, however you are voted in to gauge your constituents’ wants and needs and vote in their best interests, not to waste millions of dollars.
You will now be responsible for delaying council workers’ accommodation by years, which if I remember correctly at the time was the “how” of it all, as in how can we as a shire afford this? The answer was resounding – through the savings attributed to energy and productivity in the design of the build.
WTF rant over…

Oh, final thing. In the last edition I wrote about the increased cost of paper – about 25 per cent – and we also put a call out for donations to help us continue providing quality local journalism. So, a big thank you to those who have dug deep and donated one-off amounts or taken up subscriptions. It has been very humbling and much appreciated.

THE Local has been awarded three runner-up awards in the highly-contested 2021 Victorian Country Press Association awards. The awards were announced last Friday, December 3.

The Local was highly commended, in the 2000-6000 circulation category, for best print advert, best community campaign and best news photo.
Best print advert was by graphic designer Dianne Caithness for her Bingo at the Bowlo advert for the Daylesford Bowling Club.
Best community campaign was for the Legends of Lockdown campaign, shining a spotlight on people going above and beyond for others during Covid-19.
Best news photo was for Kyle Barnes’ image of Peggy Warren as part of a Hepburn House calendar featuring clients dressed as film stars.
The Local’s editor Donna Kelly said it was fantastic for The Local to be recognised for its achievements during what was a pretty tough year.
“I don’t think anyone would disagree that 2021 has been a hard year so to be acknowledged in such prestigious industry awards is really pleasing.
“All of our crew do an amazing job and support each other. Dianne and Kyle have been individually recognised here but it is only because everyone works together to produce great editions of The Local every fortnight, and every week for a while back there, that we make this work.
“I would also like to thank our fabulous advertisers, readers and those who give us the heads up about the many stories we cover in each edition. The Local is a real community effort.
“Other print and digital newspapers come and go but The Local has been a mainstay of the region for more than eight years now. And we are not going anywhere.”

Judges’ comments:

Best print advert (circulation 2000-6000)
Highly commended – The Local – Bingo at the Bowlo
The clever creative (by graphic designer Dianne Caithness) helps to cut through instantly. A great blend of colours helps to separate important details.

Best community campaign (circulation 2000-6000)
Highly commended – The Local – Legends of Lockdown
Few communities didn’t need a lift during Covid-19 lockdowns. This campaign concept works with
the newspaper showcasing local legends. Nothing inspires others more than reading about people making a difference, no matter how big or small.

Best News Photo (circulation 2000-6000)
Highly commended – The Local – My calendar girl
The Local’s photographer Kyle Barnes has recreated an iconic image from the film American Beauty for a cheeky charity calendar. The original image – a nude woman afforded discretion through strategic placement of red rose petals – is immediately recognisable in the calendar image of 84-year-old Peggy Warren. A photo guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and no doubt a big reason the (Hepburn House) calendar was a sellout!

ATTENDING a symposium all about book clubs is a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure book – each participant will come away with their own ideas and direction for the story of their own book club experiences.

“Book clubs are under-researched and under-recognised,” explained Leslie Falkiner-Rose, the director of the first national symposium of book clubs in Australia.

She knows what she is talking about too. Leslie is already a board member of Clunes Booktown, the event that draws nearly 20,000 to the town of Clunes each year and of which the symposium is a new extension.  

As Leslie says, book clubs have a long history in Australia. CAE Book Groups started delivering books and reading guides to the front doors of Australians back in 1947, with the return of soldiers from WWII, as a way to help combat social isolation.

Now, many book clubs are online as well as face-to-face meetings.

“Book clubs are growing at a time when other community elements are breaking down.”

The very clubs that get together to discuss books are themselves going to be the topic of discussion at Book Club Friday – Connections to Stories, Ideas and Each Other, being held in Clunes on Friday, May 1, the Friday before Booktown.

There will be two different streams at the symposium – one for book club convenors and participants, or librarians, who are often the convenors of book clubs.

“The book club’s working session will explore the operational side of running a book club, sharing the ways they are structured, challenges to running them and potential solutions.”

The second stream is for industry representatives, book sellers, commercial book club convenors and authors and will explore potential areas for growth, barriers and incentives for growth and how to sell more books through book clubs.

Surely the most popular session will be the Battle of the Genres, during which representatives from romance and sci-fi, crime and fantasy, will battle to the death over which genre reigns supreme. To be fair, it is billed as a “light-hearted” debate over which genre deserves its own book club, with no actual physical battles. But that must be because everybody knows that “crime” should just win. Easily.

Registration for the event and further information can be found on the Clunes Booktown social media sites.

Words: Kate Taylor | Image: Contributed

Will our garden shield our homes or turn against us in times of bushfires?

Naturally, in times of the extreme bushfires of this summer there is no alternative but to escape to fight another day. But, under normal conditions, good garden design and the use of the many fire-resistant trees and shrubs can, at least, trap flying sparks and embers and reduce wind speeds near the house, if properly positioned. 

Ground cover plants can slow the progress of fire through leaf litter, especially if used in low traffic, open areas, instead of lawn grasses.

Plant shape is subjective. Groups of low-growing shrubs and ground covers are better than tall shrubs, plants with dense foliage are better than open, airy crowns and smooth bark is safer than those with ribbon or rough bark, especially if it is likely to litter the ground or fly around.

Plants with broad or thick fleshy leaves are superior to those with hard, fine ones, which will dry and scorch more rapidly. Obviously, oil-bearing foliaged species, like the eucalypts are definite no-nos, needing themselves to be shielded from the heat and flames.

Whatever you choose to plant, remember dead or drying plants will burn regardless of their flammability capability so it is obvious that you should keep them all well-watered and healthy. Maintaining healthy plants will increase the time they take to dry out and burn.

Many complex factors are likely to have impact on controlling the speed and spread of fires and these can include the planting patterns of trees and larger shrubs which can deflect wind, arrest sparks and absorb radiant heat. Continually remove any dead or drying branches and leaves both from the plants and around them.

If you have no secure place to store the material, pile it in a safe dry place and cover it all with a good layer of soil or sand, for later use as mulch in the garden beds.

If you are unsure of the fire vulnerability of the trees and shrubs already in your garden, when fire restrictions permit throw a small sample of their foliage into the barbeque and see how much they flare up. You may feel more secure if they were no longer in an exposed position in your garden.

It is well to remember that during periods of extreme bushfires such as we are currently experiencing, and no doubt can expect from now on, neither the plants listed here, or other plant types can be expected to protect your property. But good design and use of those plants listed below should reduce your chances of being burned out.

The good news, as such, is that among the list of good guys are notably such all- time favourites as almost all succulents, gazanias, New Zealand flax, pictured below, geraniums, pelargoniums, and even lavender (provided it is kept well watered).

Plants rated as of moderate flammability include canna indica, cassia floribunda, chaenomeles japonica (flowering quince), chrysanthemum, citrus, cotoneaster, eremophila (emu bush), escallonia, myoporum insulare (boobialla), myoporum parvifolium (ground cover), oleander, photinia glabra rubens, rhododendron, roses and sorbus aucuparia (rowan tree).

Plants rated as of low flammability include camellia japonica, camellia sasanqua, gazania, hebe speciosa (veronica), hydrangea, pelargonium, pittosporum undulatum and prunus (ornamental forms).

This is just a precis of what could  be achieved through careful landscape design and some of the most useful plants to achieve a more fire-proof gardening environment.

Links: www.stateflora.sa.gov.au; www.anpsa.org.au

wwwfire.tas.gov.au/publications/1709brochure.pdf

Community campaigns seem to be the power that will direct change in the new year of 2020.

This year’s New Year celebrations were overshadowed by a greater natural disaster. We all experienced the impact from these catastrophic fires in some way and many will feel the devastation for years to come as they grieve their losses and begin on the road of rebuilding.

Fear, loss and devastation was thick in the air in Gippsland in the five days of my CFA deployment, pictured below – a briefing at Buchan. People from all walks of life worked side by side for a common good. I brought back much emotion from the fire- ravaged people and places to share and heal, as many others have done.

The outpouring of community spirit and aid has been astounding. We as a people come together in times of crisis but never before has the unity and action been so extensive. Action has been quick in happening and there are many organisations gathering funds and donations.

Survival of people, businesses and lives need continued strategies. What I am asking for is a consciousness when purchasing goods. Local is always best but when you don’t buy local, instead of turning to instant gratification in the many-aisled faceless shopping centres, look online for goods from fire- and drought-affected communities.

The “Buy from the Bush” campaign was started by Grace Brennan, a small business owner from NSW, to encourage consumers to buy from regional and rural communities affected by the drought. It is now a national movement connecting local and global consumers.

Zoe Manderson launched the “Roadtrip for Good” website to allow businesses in fire-impacted areas to put up their listings for free, to let travellers know what is still open and operating in regions. To drive business back to tourism operators and small business, this site includes a map guide and a trip planner to save favourite spots and allow you to create your own itinerary.

Alternatively, if you want your donation to go direct “It’s my Shout” website by Tenille Bull, allows users to buy virtual product such as coffee, beer, dinner or clothing from East Gippsland communities. You can “pay it forward” for somebody in need plus you are generating some business for fire-affected shops in what should be their high season but is now virtually a ghost town.

People have demonstrated their generous spirit and community-mindedness. There has been a lot of emotion and protests for accountability and change will hopefully arise. The power of the collective in driving change is being witnessed and I guarantee there will be much more to come.

Welcome to the year 2020. A new decade and for me, a new head shot. Gotta keep current.

indre@iokdesign.com.au www.indre@iokdesign.com.au

The Grampians Community Power Hub, led by BREAZE Inc, was officially launched on Friday bringing together community members, those working on the hub and the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio.

The hub is one of seven across the state and will be helping communities to contribute to Victoria’s emission reduction targets, by building capacity and interest in renewable energy. Supported by Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the Victorian Government, the Grampians Community Power Hub will be looking to help local people identify and plan energy projects that meet their needs and interests.

One of the first projects of the Grampians Community Power Hub has been to assess a potential 4kW solar and battery installation for the Halls Gap Botanic Gardens. Peter Boadle, a member of the hubs’ project control group, stated:

“It’s fantastic to see the Community Association of Halls Gap put their hand up for a community energy project for power to be provided at the Botanical Gardens.”

“A big part of the Grampians Community Power Hub is being able to assist local communities with their own energy, and while this project is really quite straightforward, it is a great example of how we can help the community meet their energy needs with simple solutions.”

The Hepburn Shire’s very own Hepburn Wind is part of the hub, delivering the ‘Hepburn Branch’. This Branch will be supporting the shire’s transition to zero-net emissions, as part of the community-wide Hepburn Z-NET collaboration.

“We’re really grateful to be part of the Grampians Community Power Hub which is supporting our efforts to reach zero-net energy by 2025 and zero-net emissions by 2030”.

Hepburn Wind’s first completed project under the hub will be the Heat Pump Hot Water Bulk Buy, which wraps up next week.

“Our bulk-buy has been a great example of how simple projects can make reducing emissions and energy costs easy for community members,” Said Taryn Lane, General Manager of Hepburn Wind.”

If you would like to find out more about the Grampian’s Community Power Hub you can attend their online Community Energy Forum on Thursday 18 November at 7.30PM. Register via Humantix.

If you would like to get involved with the Hepburn Branch, please complete the EOI form online here https://www.hepburnwind.com.au/projects/.

The Community Power Hubs are delivered by Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the Victorian Government.

THE controversial Hepburn Hub at The Rex project has been scrapped.

Hepburn Shire Council voted at its November 23 meeting to sell the building. The council bought the Vincent Street, Daylesford former theatre in 2016 for $6 million. It has since spent $3 million on the building which was to house a cinema, staff offices, a library and public toilets, with another $6 million needed to complete the project.
Council officers had recommended that the council continue with the project. Councillors in favour of continuing with the hub were Cr Jen Bray, Cr Tessa Halliday and Mayor Cr Tim Drylie. Those against were Cr Lesley Hewitt, Cr Don Henderson, Cr Juliet Simpson and Cr Brian Hood.
The decision has been met with disbelief and anger by many people including the Daylesford Cinema committee and volunteers, who have asked council to revisit its decision.
Newly elected mayor Cr Tim Drylie said councillors realised the decision would “result in mixed feelings across our community”.
“While we recognise the value in creating a community hub and consolidation of our council offices, we ultimately decided that the best choice for the community is to discontinue the project, which now provides a clear direction for The Rex site.
“The Hepburn Hub at The Rex is a legacy project from decisions made by the previous council. We fully understand the disappointment that many in the community will be feeling, including those who were looking forward to having a community auditorium, our passionate library patrons, and council staff who were to be consolidated into one office building.”
Daylesford Community Theatre president Gina Lyons has sent an official complaint to council asking councillors to revisit their decision.
“Council’s decision on Tuesday evening came as a huge shock. We were not expecting you to abandon the project because your public statements about The Rex have been positive, for example: ‘At the council meeting on 20 July 2021, then mayor Lesley Hewitt said council’s vision was to return The Rex Theatre to the community as a public facility. In repurposing The Rex for this purpose, a number of contemporary uses have been included to maximise its use. These uses include a public auditorium, a library, public amenities, a digital co-working hub and council offices and customer service. This is to make the best use of these impressive spaces and ensure the building is preserved for the future. All its heritage features are being retained and the works completed in a way that preserves its heritage while bringing it up to current standards.’
“The council paid $6 million for a building worth $3 million, another $3 million was spent on it, if you sell for $3 million, you will be locking in a cash loss of $6 million – with nothing to show for it.
“By abandoning the project in the way you have, council has effectively killed off the cinema because you will only be focusing on alternate arrangements for staff offices and the library. The cinema is on its own. The fact is there is no other building in Daylesford which lends itself to being used as a cinema and which is available for this purpose.
“Our complaint is that the council should have consulted with Daylesford Community Theatre and the broader community about the intention to abandon the Hepburn Hub at The Rex and sell the building.
“On any reading of the (council’s community engagement) policy, the Hepburn Hub at The Rex meets the criteria of high strategic importance, high impact and with high community sentiment, therefore, there should have been consultation prior to making such a shocking, final decision to end the project, the outcome of which will spell the death of the community cinema.
“We are calling on council to revisit the decision to abandon the Hepburn Hub at The Rex and sell the building.
“We believe that council’s own policy has not been adhered to and as a result the community will not get to enjoy the many benefits the Hepburn Hub at The Rex would provide.”
Former Holcombe Ward councillor John Cottrell has sent an open letter to the council suggesting it “completes the project, brings the property to full operation – then – offers the property for sale with a long-term lease back to the council”.
“The option provides council with full construction integrity to completion and presents an attractive investment proposition – a completed and fully functioning prime centrally located property in Daylesford offering an attractive commercial return on investment.”
When the council bought The Rex in 2016, former Hepburn Shire Council CEO Aaron van Egmond said community support was overwhelming.
“I conducted 10 public consultation sessions in The Rex attended by approximately 200 people. We also made a media announcement, published newspaper and Facebook information, and provided hard copy feedback forms. The Rex is an iconic building that has been viewed by many in the community as a white elephant. The Hepburn Hub project at The Rex means this building becomes an important community asset,” Mr van Egmond said at the time.
The purchase of The Rex building and other matters relating to the project remain under investigation by the Local Government Inspectorate. It is not known when the Inspectorate will release the report.

Words & image: Donna Kelly

Victorian scientists and manufacturers have created Australia’s first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate – Australia’s
first ever mRNA drug product – in just five months, enabling clinical trials to begin in the new year.

Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford today announced 450 doses of the
COVID-19 vaccine candidate have been produced in Boronia, enabling 150 people to take part in Phase 1 clinical
trials run by the Doherty Institute, with results expected later in 2022.
The Andrews Labor Government invested $5 million to enable manufacture of the vaccine candidate, with
dedicated equipment shipped to manufacturer IDT Australia from Canada. The machine processed nanoparticles
into final liquid drug form, sterilised the product and filled vials with mRNA vaccine.
Victoria is one of the few places in the world with the capability to develop and manufacture mRNA therapeutics
and vaccines and the mRNA-based vaccine breakthrough demonstrates Victoria’s leadership in the mRNA sector.
The project has been led by mRNA Victoria in partnership with Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS),
the Doherty Institute and IDT Australia – a landmark collaboration between Victoria’s renowned medical research
and manufacturing sectors.
The State Government established mRNA Victoria to drive the establishment of a sovereign mRNA manufacturing
industry and earlier this year supported a number of proposals from Victorian industry and consortia as part of the
Commonwealth’s Approach to Market (ATM) on mRNA manufacturing capability.
Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford said:
“This is an Australian first that confirms Victoria as a leader in mRNA therapeutics and manufacturing – it is an
incredible achievement to have made an mRNA vaccine candidate that is ready for clinical trials.”
“We’re serious about developing our mRNA manufacturing capacity and doing it quickly as we can, because it will
save lives.”
Doherty Institute Head of Vaccine and Immunisation Research Group Professor Terry Nolan said:
“This is a major milestone in Australia’s ability to manufacture home-grown COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and we are
excited to commence Phase 1 clinical trials of this candidate, along with the protein vaccine candidate developed
by the Doherty Institute, in the coming months.”
Monash University Professor of Pharmaceutical Biology Colin Pouton said:
“We have worked with determination and in close collaboration with IDT to develop the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine
candidate – reaching this milestone demonstrates that the skills and experience to make mRNA products are
available in Victoria.”
IDT Australia CEO Dr David Sparling said:
“We’re honored to be a part of this collaboration. We believe this product will be the first locally developed mRNA
COVID-19 vaccine candidate and the first locally manufactured cGMP mRNA drug product.”

The State Government will protect our farmers and agricultural businesses from biosecurity risks, with new legislation to be introduced to Parliament today to deter trespassing on farms in the name of animal activism.

The Livestock Management Amendment (Animal Activism) Bill 2021 will address the serious impacts of trespass on Victorian farms and recognises the significant biosecurity risks that breaches from animal activists can pose.
Those who fail to comply will face penalties among the heaviest in Australia, with on-the-spot fines of $1,272 for an individual or $8,178 for an organisation.
Further penalties of up to $10,904 for an individual and up to $54,522 for an organisation could apply for more serious offending.
The proposed legislation seeks to:
• reduce biosecurity risks and the spread of diseases on Victorian farms
• deter people from trespassing on farms with the introduction of new offences
• better enable prosecutions of trespassers and allow for the issuing of infringement notices.
Victorian farmers have been impacted by a series of events involving animal rights activists intimidating farmers, stealing livestock, and disrupting businesses.
Farmers will soon be able to implement biosecurity management plans (BMPs) which can include measures such as requiring consent from farmers before entering a property covered by a BMP.
These new measures are part of the Government’s response to the Inquiry into the Impact of Animal Rights Activism on Victorian Agriculture, which delivered its report to Parliament last year. The Labor Government supported 13 of the report’s 15 recommendations in full.
Peak industry bodies which represent farmers and agribusinesses, as well as animal welfare organisations were consulted during the development of this legislative framework and will be further engaged as the regulations are finalised.
The new arrangements will come into effect in 2022.
Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas said:
“Farmers and the agricultural industry should be able to do their work without fear of being targeted by animal activists. This sort of activity is highly distressing for farming families and puts the biosecurity and safety of the animals that activists purport to protect at risk.”
“Victorian farmers work hard to keep their animals safe and protect them from pests and diseases with robust biosecurity systems. This new legislation will deter behaviour that puts that hard work at risk.”

Congratulations to Cr Tim Drylie, who Councillors voted to be the new Mayor for the next 12 months, with Cr Jen Bray as Deputy Mayor (both pictured with Town Crier Philip Greenbank). CEO Bradley Thomas said the election of Cr Tim Drylie as Mayor and Cr Jen Bray as Deputy Mayor is recognition of the great work they do on behalf of their communities.

“Cr Drylie and Cr Bray will be important leaders as we deliver the commitments outlined in the Community Vision and Council Plan, a significant milestone over the last year. I look forward to working with them as we navigate the changing COVID environment and storm recovery, while delivering many services for our community,” said Bradley.

“Thank you to outgoing Mayor Cr Lesley Hewitt, and outgoing Deputy Mayor Cr Brian Hood. Crs Hewitt and Hood have played vital roles over the past year, and have done a great deal of work on behalf of the community. They have also been an enormous support for me, and for the new Councillors as they transitioned into their roles.”

The State Government is delivering on its promise to provide more bed capacity and better-trained workers across Victoria’s mental health system – with work underway on a major expansion of mental health beds, and more support to give doctors vital training in psychiatry.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Mental Health James Merlino today marked the beginning of construction on a new 22-bed acute mental health facility at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), delivering on a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
The Royal Commission recommended 135 more mental health beds be delivered in health services across the state – but the Labor Government will deliver 144, investing $492 million to future-proof the mental health system as Victoria grows.
The RMH facility will support an extra 488 Victorians to get the acute care they need each year, while the total 144 beds across the state – to be located at Barwon Health in Geelong, the Northern Hospital in Epping, Sunshine Hospital and in Hospital in the Home as well as RMH – will support 2,500 more Victorians every year.
The new beds have been designed in consultation with people who have lived experience of the mental health system – including consumers, carers and staff – to deliver a safe, welcoming hospital environment for Victorians experiencing acute mental health concerns.
The RMH project will create 237 local jobs in construction, with 1,450 jobs on new mental health beds across the state – delivering good jobs when Victorians need them most.
The Labor Government is also investing more than $18 million to support 132 junior doctors to undertake psychiatry rotations in 20 health services right across Victoria in 2022.
This support will give more Junior Medical Officers on-the-ground mental health training early in their career, helping them recognise and better support Victorians experiencing mental health concerns – no matter what speciality they eventually choose.
The Government will provide $285,000 to support the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists to develop a training program to support junior doctors on psychiatry rotations ─ ensuring they have a positive learning experience and encouraging more early-career doctors to consider specialising in psychiatry.
Premier Daniel Andrews said
“We know our mental health system needs to grow to care for every Victorian who needs it. That’s why we’re not wasting a moment in delivering the Royal Commission’s recommendations – because lives depend on it.”
Minister for Mental Health James Merlino said:
“More mental health beds in our hospitals, and more doctors trained in psychiatry across our healthcare system, means Victorians will get the specialist care they need, as soon as they need support.”
Member for Northern Metropolitan Region Sheena Watt said:
“We know our mental health system needs to be expanded – and we’re getting on with delivering more beds so people in Melbourne get the support they need, close to home.”