A farm dam in Central Victoria is playing a leading role in the restoration of a critically endangered fish considered a canary in the climate change coal mine.  

The flat-head galaxias is a small-bodied silver fish that was once prevalent across the southern Murray Darling Basin.  

Climate change and river regulation has decimated their population over the past 50 years, to the point experts have begun calling them ghost fish.  

“Ghost fish rely on connected billabongs and slow-flowing creeks and rivers to get where they need to go. Climate change means hotter and drier conditions and  more intense rainfall events, the total opposite to that,” North Central Catchment  Management Authority project manager Peter Rose, pictured above, said.  

“Ghost fish were declared extinct in New South Wales and South Australia, and up until recently we weren’t sure whether or not they were extinct in Victoria.  

“The Arthur Rylah Institute surveyed 60 sites in 2022 and found four populations in north-east Victoria and since then have been working with a range of partners to  bring them back.

“We put about 50 adults into a dam near Castlemaine in March, and we have been  monitoring them ever since.”  

Dr Rose said ghost fish have struggled to breed in captivity, so he wasn’t sure how successful the Faraday site would be.  

“We went back in November and were very excited with what we found,” he said.  

“We managed to capture about 50 juvenile fish, which means they have been breeding successfully.  

“This is great news, because we can now start harvesting them with a goal of repopulating natural wetlands and breeding them up in other dams.”  

The ghost fish project is part of the CMA’s Native Fish Recovery Program, a key plank in the organisation’s work to protect communities, economies, and native plants and animals from the impacts of climate change.  

The Faraday work is funded by the state government’s Nature Fund, established to support high impact projects that deliver on the goals of Biodiversity 2037.  

Words & image: Contributed     

Clunes Quick Shear promises a day of hot competition in more ways than one.  

Staged at the town’s local showgrounds on Saturday, February 22, it draws gun  shearers from across the state and much  further afield, notably including Kiwi  shearers who share a fair bit of healthy  rivalry with the Aussies.  

And then there’s the Undie 500.  

“This year we’re introducing a few new things including a women’s-only shearing category and the females-only Undie 500,”  says Jenny Redpath, treasurer of the Clunes and District Young Farmers who run the annual fundraising event.  

“We’ve run the open Undie 500 for the past couple of years and we always get a few  girls who enter but this year we thought we’d also give a females-only Undie 500 a crack as  well, and put up the prize money for it.  

“So get your good jocks on and if we can get at least 10 girls we’ll run it. It only costs  $5 to enter.  

“It’ll be the same course over the (showgrounds) oval covering 500 metres with a few obstacles thrown in like hay bales to get over, and you’ve got to skull a glass of  water. It happens after the shearing sashes have been presented, on dusk.”

If that’s not enough to give you your fill of classic country entertainment for the day, there’ll also be a couple of live music acts set to hit the stage when the day’s competition is done and the winners’ spoils awarded.  

“We’ve got Billy Menhennet who was on Australian Idol and then we’ve also got the band No Plans on after him,” Jenny says.  

As to the (often blisteringly) quick shearing itself, competition categories include novice, intermediate and open divisions as well as this year’s newly added women’s and seniors’ (over 50s) divisions.  

Shearers race each other against the clock and are also judged on shear cleanliness – with qualifying heats culminating in a three-sheep shear off.  

“Because we’ve added a few new things we’ll be opening a bit earlier so we can get  cracking,” Jenny says.  

“We’ll be opening the gates from 11am and the shearing will get started from 12.

“The prize money is the main draw-card and the chance to win your section. The  open section winner gets a perpetual trophy and the Bushy Hill Memorial Shield.”  

Now in its ninth year, the Clunes Quick Shear regularly draws around 50 competing shearers including some noted top guns with last year’s reigning open category winner, Caleb Morgan, among those set to return again this year.  

“His blistering winning time last year was 24.22 seconds…unbelievably fast. It’s  pretty amazing watching them.”  

Over the years it’s been running the Clunes Quick Shear has raised plenty of  money for many good causes. Last year it raised $5873 for the Royal Flying Doctor  Service.  

This time the dollars raised will be going to benefit the region’s own Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute in Ballarat.  

The event is family friendly with entertainment available for the kids and onsite catering including food, coffee and bar. It’s a gold coin donation to get in the gate.  

Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Supplied    

GDTA track builder, life member and naturalist, Richard Piesse, died peacefully at Peter Mac Hospital on December 28, 2024, after a long battle with melanoma, aged 82.

Richard managed the building of both the Lerderderg and Leanganook tracks on behalf of the Great Dividing Trail Association (GDTA)

He had great knowledge of central Victorian plants and initiated a flora guide for the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club.

In 2013, he won Bushwalking Victoria’s Distinguished Service Award (Gold) for his role in advancing the development of recreational bushwalking in Victoria. He was a founding member of the Old Scotch Collegians’ Walking Club.

Richard was a contributor to our community in many  ways: as a member of the Great Dividing Trail Association, the Field Naturalists Club and the Friends of the Box Ironbark Forests and as a volunteer for the Chewton Domain Society and the Castlemaine Tourist Information Centre.

His detailed knowledge of the natural history of the Goldfields region made him an invaluable contributor to field guides of the area and a knowledgeable leader for many bushwalks in the region.

Richard moved to Melbourne to be close to his children some years ago. He had been sick for some time, but this did not stop him from regularly travelling by train to Castlemaine to volunteer in the Tourist Information Centre or to go on bush forays with Field Naturalists and FOBIF.

As late as last March, Richard attended the Blackwood launch of the GDTA’s interpretive signage project on the Lerderderg Track.

Richard loved our local bush and was a knowledgeable and engaging companion to have on our many bushwalks.

He was always ready to provide advice to volunteer organisations and land managers about maintaining, developing and protecting our natural heritage.

His passing is a loss not just to his family and friends, but to the wider community as a whole.

Richard leaves behind two daughters, Fran and Cecilia, and many grandchildren, who he absolutely adored.

His family held a private funeral and planned to scatter his ashes on Mount Alexander/Lianganook, which was, for him, a happy place.

There are two memorial services planned for Richard; a family memorial will be held in The Gleeson Centre in the Darebin Parklands, Separation Street, Alphington on Friday, February 7, from 1pm.

On Saturday, February 15, the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club will host a memorial in the Former Tea Rooms at the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens starting at 3pm.

His knowledge, his friendship and his contributions will be long remembered.

This obituary & Images: Supplied GDTA

The region’s farmers are hoping for a good autumn break with decent rainfall following a year of well below average rain.

An analysis of 2024 rainfall data from almost 200 Bureau of Meteorology weather stations right across Australia show that  Ballarat was Victoria’s  driest centre for the past year, having received 442mm – or equivalent to just 64 percent of its annual average.

The BOM’s data analysis shows that the next driest centre for the past year was Stawell (339mm or 72 percent of its annual average) and then Horsham (266 or 73 percent of its annual average).

Local farmers like John Drife, whose family has been farming for many generations at Glendaruel, just south west of Clunes, says last year’s lower than average rainfall significantly impacted the amount of hay that was cut and baled on his property.

However, it was a mixed bag with some good outcomes with his grain crops of canola and wheat – both of which served to compensate John, and quite a few of the region’s farmers, for the lower-than-average hay yield.

“We were short on rainfall right through spring so our hay paddocks  produced about a quarter to a third of what they should produce – about two rolls to the acre when it should have been about six to the acre,” John says.

With his down-on-average hay yield now shedded, John’s been busy in recent days getting the last of his large round straw bales, made from the season’s wheat  stalks (remaining after the wheat grain has been harvested from them), out of the paddocks.

“It’s been a pretty evaporative summer so far,” he says.

“We’re feeding stock at the moment every day and we don’t normally start until February.

“We are looking for a good autumn break (with rainfall) in early April.”

Clunes farmer Malcolm Hull says the availability of on-farm water is  now becoming a real issue especially for local farmers who rely solely on  dams.  

“The dams are very low now. Water is the issue.”  

Malcolm says his barley crop of 2024 was saved “by the skin of the  teeth” by rainfall that arrived in late October-early November.  

“I’ve kept some grain back still sitting in the silo knowing we will more  than likely need this before the autumn break,” he says.  

“The stock are nibbling their way through hay very quickly and I suspect  we will have to buy some in. We didn’t have such a great spring and now with this hot dry summer the stock are cleaning the paddocks out.”  

A little to the east, Ullina farmer Tim Barry is planning to start dry sowing up to 900 acres of grain crops once again, from April.

“There is no real subsoil moisture at the moment so we will need good  autumn rain to get up and growing,” Tim says.  

“We will dry sow starting about April 14 with canola, and then we’ll sow  wheat in early May. We’ll also be looking at sowing some oats as well which  are milled locally at UniGrain at Smeaton.  

“Last year the last rain was the difference between a terrible year and a reasonable one. Our cereal hay was still quite good but grass hay was nearly non-existent.”  

Words” Eve Lamb  

Police are keen to hear from anyone with information relating to a crash that happened in the Ballarat suburb of Wendouree earlier this month – and claimed the life of a Ballarat man who later died in hospital.

The collision happened in the Ballarat suburb of Wendouree on Saturday, January 11 when, it’s understood, a Mitsubishi Triton utility crashed into the front veranda of a residence on Forest Street about 5.55pm.

The driver and sole occupant of the Mitsubishi, a 46-year-old Wendouree man, was taken to hospital where he died on January 17.

The occupants of the house were uninjured.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or with footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

For the current provisional lives lost tally please see – https://www.police.vic.gov.au/road-safety

This story based on a Victoria Police report

Former Hepburn Shire Council chief executive officer Aaron van Egmond has been suspended from his position as CEO of Hobsons Bay City Council.  

In a statement released on the Hobsons  Bay City Council’s Facebook page on Saturday, January 25, Mayor Cr Daria Kellander said:  “Following an unscheduled meeting of  council today, Aaron van Egmond has been  suspended as CEO of Hobsons Bay Council  effective immediately.

“Councillors became aware of concerns about safety in the workplace and the CEO’s fulfilment of his duties more broadly. Councillors take these matters  very seriously and have made this decision following thorough and careful  consideration, pending further investigations.  

“Given the sensitivity of these matters for all concerned, council can make no  further comment at this time.”

Hobsons Bay City Council’s website says Mr van Egmond started his role on  June 12, 2018 after six years at Hepburn Shire Council.  

“Aaron has been a strong leader in the Victorian local government sector for 15 years. Aaron previously served as CEO of Hepburn Shire Council for six years where he had a strong focus on project delivery, financial sustainability, operational efficiency and occupational health and safety. He also focused on significant  improvements in customer service and community engagement.”  

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: File  

Last drinks called for Radio Springs Hotel  Radio Springs Hotel has served its last drinks after 17 years providing  refreshments, and plenty of bar banter, with locals and visitors alike.  

The final day, Sunday, January 26, saw many people make their way to  the Lyonville pub to say farewells and reminisce about great times over the  years.  

The decision to close the doors came after owners Jackie Airey and Ken Parfrey started to think about the next phase of their lives.  

“We’ve been doing it for nearly 17 years now and we felt we might like  to move on,” Jackie said.

“However, on the weekend, two weeks ago, we had a sudden change in our staffing and we thought about it and whether or not  we had the energy to recreate what we’ve got.  

“We’re pretty picky about our staff so it would take us a while to find the  right people and train them up. And we thought, well, would it be right to do that for only a few months, take on new people and all that kind of thing?  So we thought maybe we’ll just call it now.”  

Jackie said what the next phase was remained unclear.  

“We haven’t really had a chance to decide all of that. We’d started  thinking about all those alternatives but we hadn’t really come to any conclusions yet. And so with this sudden decision to close we’ll just wait for  the dust to settle and then we’ll have a good think.  

“We don’t want to make a rushed decision, we want to make the right  decision.”  Jackie said deciding to close came with a sense of freedom but also sadness.

“If you could imagine all the possible feelings that anybody could  have at this stage, I think Ken and I are feeling all of them. It’s very hard to  describe, just think of anything and add it in.”  

Jackie said she and Ken never set out to create something as magical as Radio Springs and being at the “coal face”, didn’t realise how much it meant  to their patrons.  

“For us, we just created a place that we would like to go to. We just  trusted our sense of this is what we would like a pub to be. But we didn’t  realise that we’re so weird.  

“When we first started putting this all together and gathering stuff over  our long renovation, we had a chat about what kind of pub are we going to  be? And we thought nothing that we do is going to please everybody. And we  have to live here.  

“We’re going to be here 24 seven. And it’s going to be our lifestyle as well as anything else. So we had to feel comfortable and happy in it. We knew there would be some people who like it and some people who don’t. And  that’s how it’s worked out.”  

Jackie said their reincarnation of the Lyonville pub came after they bought the property to live in.  

“And then while we were here, people would drop in all the time and ask  us when we were going to open the pub and that they needed a pub, there wasn’t anything. Back then, that was in 1997, there wasn’t anything decent between Woodend and Daylesford.  

“That coincided with Ken and I feeling that we didn’t necessarily want to  stay in the careers that we had for much longer. And so we thought, maybe we’ll open it just as a B&B.

“And then the continued numbers of people  who were calling in made us think maybe we’ll expand that and open it as a pub. And then people said we need food. So it just really grew like Topsy, it became a bit of a juggernaut in and of itself.”  

Jackie said while there had been times which had provided challenges – like Covid – overall it had been a great part of their life.  

“I met so many people and got to the point where I would get such a  kick out of watching people enjoy themselves and listening to laughter and  watching people eat and really enjoy their food.  

“And there are a lot of people who have, through the hotel, become very  good friends of ours who we wouldn’t have met otherwise and we wouldn’t  have been able to welcome into our lives.”  

And the final word?  

“I want to thank all the patrons and customers and all the regulars and all the locals who have supported us over the years. Because really, without all of  those people, the pub’s just a pub.  

“I mean, it’s like a theatre or cinema. Unless you’ve got an audience, it’s  just celluloid. It’s just words in an empty space.

“You can be as quirky with your decor, as fancy with your food and as comprehensive with your wine list  as you like. But if you don’t have customers, it’s an empty space.”  

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Kyle Barnes  

Clunes locals are keen to form a new group to ensure the community gets good ongoing benefits from the 330 megawatt Nyaninyuk windfarm proposed for just west of the township.  

Acciona is looking to establish the wind farm between Evansford, Clunes and Waubra, on the western side of Mount Beckworth with the proposal now in the  planning and approvals phase.  

The proposed development is valued at $700 million and projected to generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 210,000 households with the Western Renewables Link power conduit route proposed to pass just south of Clunes.  

In recent days Clunes community members, farmers and council representatives  were among those who met to discuss the proposed development and ways to ensure  the community and landholders can broker the best impact compensation deals.  

One of the meeting’s several co-convenors, Malcom Hull says general consensus  emerging from the meeting is around the need to form and formalise a group to advocate on behalf of the community and to negotiate with the wind farm’s  developers to ensure the community receives ongoing benefits.  

“It’s coming and it was started back in John Howard’s day. This isn’t about being  pro or anti wind farm. It’s about making sure the community doesn’t get dudded,”  Mr Hull said.  

He points to impact compensation deals that other communities have negotiated  from the establishment of renewable energy projects in their area, as examples of what  can be achieved.

“Waubra is getting $90,000 a year for the community,” Mr Hull said.  

“Rokewood is getting $230,000 a year and every person who lives in Rokewood  (and was living there before the windfarm was established) is getting their power bill  paid for the next 25 years.  

“We need to formalise an entity that can argue on behalf of the community and  it’s up to the community to put thoughts forward as to how money could be spent –  maybe a community battery, maybe electric vehicle charger points, maybe money for  the CFA …”  

David Lawrance of Farm Gate Renewables was among those who attended and  spoke at this month’s community meeting.  

Mr Lawrance says communities, including landholders, are doing “the heavy  lifting” in the clean energy transition and need to be fairly compensated. But he  says that if communities like Clunes don’t pro-actively stand together then they risk  missing out on getting fair compensation.  

“You have a voice in this. You shouldn’t be a silent victim,” Mr Lawrance says.  

Farm Gate Renewables operates on a commercial basis, providing consultancy  and advocacy to negotiate better ongoing deals for impacted farmers and landholders.  But it also works on a pro bono basis to help communities that are impacted by  developments to get the best outcomes they can in terms of fair compensation.  

Mr Lawrance says providing legal advice on possible different structures that an  effective community advocacy group may be able to adopt is one way that Farm Gate  Renewables can assist communities like Clunes.  

From here, Mr Hull and fellow co-convenors like Dr Tess Brady, say locals who  are interested in being part of the proposed community advocacy group should attend  the regular Sunday evening community drinks gatherings that take place at Attitude  Clunes.  

“If people have got skills, legal skills for example, or any other skills or ideas, we’d  be more than happy to hear from them,” Mr Hull said.  

Dr Brady says the ongoing Sunday evening community drinks gatherings at  Attitude Clunes happen from 5pm (daylight saving hours) with all welcome to  attend.  

“We are looking closely at other cases, other communities and the kinds of  compensation they’ve had,” Dr Brady says.  

“It’s pro community and how can we turn this thing into something positive for  us. The main aim is to avoid contention and find consensus.  

“The big picture here is a redistribution of wealth into the regions. If you add up  the amount of compensation around, it’s big dollars.”  Words: Eve Lamb | Image: File   

‘Standing room only’ is the way a meeting held in Creswick this month to  discuss local concerns about crime – and try to find solutions – has been described.  

An estimated 130 to 150 local residents gathered at the town’s senior citizens rooms and met with police after a perceived rise in crime in the town has left many  residents deeply concerned and fed up.  

Social media posts had triggered a community discussion about crime, with  residents sharing phone and CCTV footage of individuals in the act of casing parked cars after dark and hooning around the town.

Police say the stats show the area’s crime rate has actually decreased since 2016-17,  many locals say they’re extremely fed up with what they’re seeing.  

Theft of private and public property – ranging from cars to copper piping and  even water meters – property damage, and burglary of local businesses are among the many recent complaints from the wider Creswick-Clunes area.  

In an effort to help tackle the issue, Hepburn shire mayor and Creswick local Cr Don Henderson convened this month’s public meeting, with local police and Member for Ripon Martha Haylett attending.

Cr Henderson says the meeting was constructive, allowing locals a chance to voice their concerns and experiences.

He says the formation of a taskforce bringing together  police, local government and support services, is now a priority.  

“It was positive. It highlighted to police and to Martha that we want something  done,” Cr Henderson said.

“A taskforce needs to be set up and people want it to happen reasonably quickly.  

“We need to tackle it as a community. There are a lot of families that are very  financially stressed, a lot of desperation, a lot of drug issues and a lot of mental health  issues.  

“We want to provide a safety net for people who genuinely need help. The idea of a taskforce is not just to catch the crooks but also to provide some answers to the  social problems.”  

Cr Henderson also believes the meeting resulted in residents gaining useful insights into how policing in Creswick and across the wider region operates, increasing community confidence around reporting crime, and about their ability to  obtain police attendance if required, at any hour.  

Creswick’s Acting Sergeant Marley Mookhoek, who attended, also rates the  meeting as positive.

He said that while the town’s station operates on 16-hour shift rosters, the community does have police coverage 24 hours a day.  

“A main concern of the community was that we are not a 24-hour station but  we do have 24-hour coverage in this area. We have units from Ballarat and Bacchus  Marsh patrolling this area.  

“Right now we’ve got six members (stationed at Creswick) which I believe is the most this station has ever had – and another one is gazetted.  

“I think that the meeting was great for the community to have a talk about what  they want to have addressed – a bigger emphasis on hoon behaviour and a bigger  emphasis on opportunistic crime.”

Acting Inspector Mookhoek said a weekend State Highway Patrol road blitz in the area had immediately followed the meeting and recorded strong results.  

“As a result of the operation two motorists were caught driving under the  influence of drugs, one drink driver was charged, three lost their licences due to excess speed, and we also impounded a car in Creswick yesterday (last Wednesday, January  22).  

“That vehicle was unregistered and was being driven by a 17-year-old driver who was unlicenced. And that State Highway Patrol operation is ongoing.”  

Acting Sergeant Mookhoek said much of the crime that has been occurring  locally is opportunistic, involving properties or cars that have been left unlocked.

He  urged locals to ensure they lock their houses, garages and cars.  “Most of the offences that are getting reported to us are opportunistic thefts.  

Seven out of 10 burglaries in Creswick involve houses being unlocked.  “I just want the community to know that we are here and very enthusiastic about  doing the best we can in helping the community.”

Ripon MP Martha Haylett, who attended the meeting, says she has raised the  issue with Police Minister Anthony Carbines.  

“A lot of great ideas were shared about how we can better address crime locally,” Ms Haylett said in a social media post following the meeting.  

“I have invited the Police Minister to visit and talk through options, and will keep  the community updated on next steps.  “Any victim of crime is one too many and our community deserves to feel safe.”  

Words & image: Eve Lamb  

Hepburn Shire Council announced the recipients of the 2025 Community  Awards last Friday, January 24 at a civic event at The Mechanics Trentham.  

The awards recognised individuals and community organisations that have made  outstanding contributions to the local community.  

The event was attended by a number of councillors along with Ballarat MP  Catherine King and Ripon MP Martha Haylett.

Dja Dja Wurrung Elder Aunty  Marilyne Nicholls performed a moving Welcome to Country.  Citizen of the Year was awarded to Steve Ellis, a member of the Creswick CFA for  40 years, for his exceptional community service and volunteer efforts in various local  initiatives.  

“Steve has over 40 years’ service to the Creswick Fire Brigade with his many  leadership roles, CFA and the Running Championships, as well as his service to the  football community.”  

The Event of the Year was awarded to the 160th Anniversary Clunes Show, for its  significant impact in celebrating and promoting the region’s heritage and community  spirit.  

“The Clunes Show has always shown a wonderful exhibition from local and  surrounding districts, of stock, machinery and homecraft exhibits, illustrating the  abilities and dedication of both the farmers and townspeople to produce only the best  products.”  

Hepburn Together was awarded to the Daylesford and Hepburn United Soccer  Club, for fostering inclusivity, team spirit, and youth development in the region  through soccer.  

“Daylesford and Hepburn United Soccer Club is a 100 per cent not-for-profit  community-run sports club with its number one commitment to provide a safe,  welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of the Hepburn Shire  community.”  

The civic event also included an Australian citizenship ceremony, with six people  becoming citizens. The new citizens hailed from Germany, Philippines, Vietnam,  New Zealand and Ireland.  

Words & image: Contributed  

Nine in Six Builders owner Aidan O’Shannessy, working on his 16th season with The Block, says the region is already benefiting economically from the show.  

“We’ve just left Phillip Island where we were very large frequenters of the local restaurants and cafes, largely hospitality-style venues.

“But we do also like to visit any and all businesses around town – we like to shop as local and be as local as we can.”  

Aidan said the builders onsite had rented about 14 properties, with most short  term B&B rentals.

“We are very conscious of trying not to take away from affordable  long-term rental properties around town, to leave those properties for people who  really need them.”  

Aidan also said all of his staff and Channel 9 staff received living away from home  allowances, along with their wages, so they had money to spend while in town.  

“If you are working a 10, 11 or 12-hour day you don’t want to worry about  having to have a full pantry and cook for yourself all the time, so people have the  extra means to be able to go and buy their lunch or dinner or breakfast.”  

Aidan said currently there were 20 to 40 builders working on the Raglan Street  site but once filming started that would swell up to about 200 people.  

“We’re also very conscious of not bringing everybody we need to do our project  in from outside and supporting local trade businesses from the area as much as we  can.  

“We have already engaged a local plumber from between Ballarat and here. And  we’re looking at a local roofing contractor and a local painting contractor.  

“There’s a lot of people that we need to bring with us with the nature of what we  do and how we do it but as much as we can we really try to support the local town  and local trades and businesses.”  

Aidan said the builders were getting a great reception from Daylesford.  

“We are just getting more and more as we as we get into it. We had one person  going to buy shoes coming back saying how lovely the person in there was.  

“We we had had great feedback so far and that’s pretty common. Often the  negative people have the loudest voices but are actually the fewest in number.”  

Aidan said people who watched The Block would have seen him from time to time  “normally being grumpy having to fix a problem – but that’s life”.  

“I’ve been doing this now, working with The Block for about 16 seasons, it’s a massive part of our business and a massive part of my family’s life for a very long time  now.”  

Cedar & Sage Daylesford co-owner Jilly Howard said the visitors The Block would  bring to Daylesford and the wider region could only be a positive thing.  

“An increased spend after a tough year or two has to be a good thing, not just for  retail but also for hospitality and accommodation,” she said.  

“If businesses are prospering, they are in a better position to have that flow-on  effect to sporting clubs, local community projects and organisations. More money  floating around has got to be a positive thing for our town.”  

Jilly also said, after talking with those involved in former Block programs, the real  impact would be when the program goes to air later in the year.  

“That is when the visitation will really start and it will also be highlighting our  town and region, showing the natural beauty we have, to the wider community of Australia. From a business owner’s point of view, this can only have a positive  impact.”  

Belle Real Estate principal director Will Walton agrees the block is great for the  region and especially Daylesford.

“The Block is giving us exposure that we have never  had before. And we’re not paying for it. It’s free publicity.  

“And once filming starts – it’s the highest rated television program in Australia  and is syndicated through 125 countries – so we are taking Daylesford to the world.  

“And there is a huge, invested fan base and the reality is those people get in a car  and come and explore the location of The Block. It is really about to ramp up.”  

Mr Walton said his sales team was “extremely optimistic regarding the future  economic outlook for our region”.  

“As our Belle Property team is the largest sales team in the Hepburn Shire,  meeting more buyers than any other agency, we expect to experience lots of positive impacts from potential buyers curiosity once The Block is aired on television in  addition to the exceptionally large Block fan base that will no doubt be keen to  explore everything Daylesford and the wider region has to offer.”  

Words & images: Donna Kelly  

The Hepburn Shire Council’s Biodiversity Grants Program opens on Monday February 3.

The council is inviting applications from local community groups with a community-based project or initiative that aims to enhance and protect the biodiversity of the shire.

Projects may include: on-ground works such as planting, weed control & pest control, strategic project group equipment purchase, publications or events aimed at raising awareness of biodiversity issues or activities such as training and networking.

Those keen to know more can check out the guidelines at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/grants or contact grants@hepburn.vic.gov.au to talk to the council’s grants team.

Hepburn Shire Council residents have been notified that they may just be getting a phone call from National Field Services anywhere through from now to mid-March.

National Field Services are a market research field and tabulation consultancy and they’ve been engaged to conduct a community satisfaction survey for the Hepburn Shire Council.

The same survey is also conducted right across municipalities throughout the state of Victoria.

In a social media post the council says it’s an opportunity for shire residents to share their thoughts.

“They’ll be chatting with residents from different demographics to gather feedback, and we truly appreciate your time and insights. Rest assured, your responses will be kept completely confidential, and only the overall results will be shared with us.”

An Aboriginal-led breast screening initiative to improve cancer outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women has recorded an increase in testing numbers.

It comes as the state government works to drive down the gap in cancer survival rates in Victoria through the Victorian Cancer Plan 2024-2028.

Now in its seventh year, the Beautiful Shawl Project – a partnership between BreastScreen Victoria, the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) and dozens of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) across the state – provides customised shawls that are culturally appropriate, familiar and beautiful to wear during screenings.

Depicting culture and Country, the shawls are designed by talented women Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and are given as gifts for the clients to keep after the screening. 

The project is already having a significant, positive impact with the number of screenings among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women 39.5 per cent higher in 2023/24 than in the previous year – 406 screenings were completed through the initiative during this period.

Since the Beautiful Shawl Project started in 2018, 1,342 breast screens have been conducted for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

The project works with ACCOs and Aboriginal-led services to provide free breast screening on Country – offering a culturally safe and responsive alternative to traditional testing.

It won the Excellence in Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Award at the 2024 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards for its progress in increasing access to breast screens across Victoria.

The Victorian Budget 2024/25 has delivered more than $70 million in funding for initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Victorians, such as the Beautiful Shawl Project.

Part of this funding is supporting the development and implementation of VACCHO’s Aboriginal Cancer Journey Strategy 2023-2028, an expanded statewide Culture and Kinship program and a culturally safe framework to boost participation in cancer clinical trials. 

The state government in a media release issued last week, says it is working to improve the cancer survival rate across Victoria through the recently launched Victorian Cancer Plan 2024-2028, which identifies ways to prevent cancer and boost access to care, treatment and support for all Victorians.

The new plan is made up of nine medium- and long-term goals, including increasing the one- and five-year survival rates, halving the proportion of people diagnosed with preventable cancers, boosting the proportion of women who rescreen for breast cancer and increasing clinical trial enrolments in regional and rural Victoria.

Acting Minister for Health Ingrid Stitt: “When we enable Aboriginal-led teams to offer breast screening in familiar settings, we have better success at potentially saving more lives and driving down cancer rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.”

VACCHO CEO Dr Jill Gallagher AO: “Each year we see more and more Aboriginal women screened as part of the Beautiful Shawl Project and I am proud that we’re able to provide this life-saving service to Community.” 

BreastScreen Victoria CEO Rita Butera: “We are incredibly proud of this important initiative – its growth over the years highlights that collaboration and community-led efforts are essential for achieving equitable access to our life-saving service.”

This story based on a state government media release

Victoria’s Acting Minister for Creative Industries Natalie Hutchins has announced the opening of applications for the Creative Projects Fund.

The fund supports Victorian artists, creative collectives and organisations to develop exciting new work and undertake professional development opportunities.

The 2025 round of the Creative Projects Fund has two focus areas, offering pathways for both new and established practitioners to develop their creative projects and careers.

The Uncovering Talent focus area provides grants of $5,000 to creatives at any career level who haven’t received a Creative Victoria grant before, while the Projects focus area provides grants of between $10,000 to $20,000 to creatives with a proven track record.

In the last round the program supported 126 creative projects involving more than 1,500 professionals from a wide range of disciplines including theatre, film, photography, literature, dance, podcasts, music and fashion.

Previously funded projects include developing an immersive art walk event along the Boolarra Rail Trail in Gippsland and the Neurokin Festival, a regionally-based live and online neurodiversity arts festival. 

Other projects include a mobile arts and craft pop-up event for Children’s Book Week in Laverton and new theatre works by First Nations Theatre.

Across all disciplines and sectors, Victoria’s creative industries employ more than 320,000 workers and contribute $40.5 billion to the Victorian economy.

Applications for the Creative Projects Fund are now open and will close at 3pm on Thursday 13 February. For more information including eligibility or how to apply, visit creative.vic.gov.au/funding-opportunities. 

Acting Minister for Creative Industries Natalie Hutchins:

“At the heart of our $40.5 billion industries and our reputation as the creative state, are people generating new work and connecting with audiences.”

“This Fund helps Victorian creatives to develop new ideas and deliver products and experiences that reflect our diverse stories and culture.”

This story based on a state government media release