Born at the outset of World War One and continuing to serve 110 years later, the significant impact of a volunteering giant was toasted at Parliament House late last month.

The Australian Red Cross notched up supercentenarian status in August 2024 and Legislative Assembly Speaker Maree Edwards hosted an event to mark the milestone.

‘The work that the Red Cross have engaged in over the last 110 years has been of very significant benefit to individuals, families, communities and our broader society,’ Ms Edwards said.

‘The mission to ease suffering is a noble one and the work could not be more evident than in the numbers, the stories and the lives that have been changed because of your endeavours.’

Today boasting more than 16,000 volunteers and 1,639 staff across 423 separate branches, the Red Cross has supported Australians through war, migration, drought, pandemic and disaster.

Bendigo’s Judith McCarthy (pictured above speaking at the lectern) has been a member for 55 years; half of the charity’s existence.

The 89-year-old joined the Kennington branch on 1 August 1969.

Mrs McCarthy fondly reflected on fundraisers including lamington drives, bazaars and assisting people with attending appointments or taking part in community events.  

‘I’ve had so many blessings since I’ve been a member, and we have a very small group now, but we still love to get together and hear all the stories.’

Young volunteer Lauren Walduck also spoke to the MPs, staff and volunteers who gathered in the parliamentary library for the special occasion.

‘I was fortunate to grow up in a regional community where there was a plethora of inspirational leaders around me,’ she said.

‘I was drawn to Red Cross because I was inspired and excited by the opportunities and values that emanate from its work.’

During the COVID-19 pandemic the emergency services volunteer gave out food hampers.

‘That was something where I learned how Red Cross really develops programs that deliver something specific and needed to communities,’ she said.

Victoria’s horticultural industry has highlighted innovation during a spectacular showcase held at Parliament House earlier this month.

‘We’re introducing technologies that are making working safer and utilising our resources better,’ said Michael Bednarz, CEO of Powerplants, which displayed some of their greenhouse products at the showcase.

With the horticulture industry directly employing more than 24,000 people across Victoria, there is a strong emphasis on occupational health and safety, Mr Bednarz noted, including through use of automation and logistics systems that assist with any laborious tasks that may involve injury or repetition.

‘We’re introducing new people into the industry that have manufacturing or mechanical experience,’ he said.

‘The work we’re removing through technologies is often work that people don’t want to do.’

There’s a lot of interest from young people, he said, as the industry is now dealing with electronics, mechanisation, artifical intelligence, as well as drone and other emergent technologies.

‘We need to not only teach people how to grow plants, but we need to teach them how to grow plants with technology,’ he said, noting the need for training facilities where people can learn with the latest technology.

Minimising the use of fertiliser and pesticides is also ensuring a smaller ecological footprint.

‘We’re able to grow better plants in a healthier and more sustainable way,’ he said.

The value of horticulture was emphasised by a range of people participating in the showcase.

’It’s not just growing plants, it’s people designing, it’s people constructing, it’s people maintaining. It gives great mental health benefits and physical health benefits, so it’s an industry that is a must, not just for the people in it, but for everyone else,’ said landscape designer Charlie Albone.

‘Plants are the solution for vibrant communities and for mitigating climate change, and it’s such a vibrant and beautiful industry to be part of. It’s important that we support it,’ said Jac Semmler, plant designer at Super Bloom.

The showcase was organised by Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria, the peak body for the state’s horticultural industry.

‘We’re worth about two and a half billion dollars as an industry to Victoria and we’re the pathway to a greener Victoria to get us back to being the Garden State,’ said NGIV President Carl Soderlund.

A plaque has this month been unveiled at Parliament House paying respects to the First Peoples of Victoria.

The simple yet significant ceremony was conducted by Legislative Assembly Speaker Maree Edwards and Legislative Council President Shaun Leane.

Positioned in the front Vestibule of Parliament House, the plaque has the following inscription:

‘On this, the Traditional Lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People, we proudly acknowledge the First Peoples of Victoria, the Traditional Owners of all the lands from which the representatives of the people of Victoria meet in this Parliament.

Recognising that Parliament has an important role to play in addressing the failings of the past and in advancing reconciliation, we commit to honouring and working with First Nations people for the benefit of all Victorians.’

Initiatives to encourage and support Victorians to lead healthy lives have been showcased at Parliament House this month.

VicHealth, the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, organised the exhibition during parliament’s sitting week to highlight the work they and partner organisations undertake to support health and wellbeing, particularly among young Victorians. 

‘It’s really wonderful seeing the passion and initiative that young people bring to the programs we support them with,’ said Lisa Ohlmus, VicHealth’s Policy and Government Relations Manager.

’Young people are so motivated and passionate about the world that they live in and about ways to connect with each other and live healthy lives,’ she said.

‘It’s vital to give them the opportunity to have a voice in their health and wellbeing.’

The various programs featured at the showcase included ‘This Girl Can’, inspiring women to get active; ‘Uncloud’, bringing together a collective of young people fighting against vaping; and ‘Future Reset’, focusing on young people, arts and mental wellbeing.

Rate capping emerged as a key concern for Victorian councils as the parliamentary inquiry into local government shifted focus to Melbourne’s outer-suburbs earlier this month.

The Legislative Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee heard from half of Victoria’s 48 regional and rural councils at public hearings in Camperdown, Bendigo and Traralgon.

In Gippsland, Bass Coast Shire’s CEO Greg Box spoke about the cost pressures impacting their financial sustainability as a high tourism area.

Council representatives also added their voices to calls for a review of the Fair Go Rates system.

East Gippsland and South Gippsland Shires said the rate cap aggravates ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining staff in their municipalities.

They also described the existing disaster relief process as onerous and emphasised the importance of quick access to funding after natural disasters or extreme weather events.

The councils said service delivery is often driven by community expectations, therefore making it difficult to define the scope of local government.

Minister for Regional Development Gayle Tierney has officially opened Ballarat Base Hospital’s upgraded carpark earlier this month.

The works to expand the 24-hour lot sited on Mair Street, to eight levels took just shy of a year to complete.

Parking in the multi-level lot will be free of charge into the future.

The first building to be finished as part of the hospital redevelopment is expected to open at the end of the year.

Works on the main tower continue, and are expected to be complete by 2027.

Grampians Health executives and Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison thanked hospital staff and the broader Ballarat community for their patience and cooperation while the carpark was closed.

“So excited to officially open the 400 car parks Grampians Health Ballarat Base Hospital with Minister for Regional Development Gayles Tierney MP,” Ms Addison said on social media following the official opening earlier this month.

Hospital staff had been encouraged to park at the City Oval, and either walk or take a courtesy bus to and from work, throughout the construction period.

“The City of Ballarat has been extremely supportive in allowing us to use the City Oval as our temporary car park along with neighbouring businesses who provided after hours parking for our on-call medical staff,” said Grampians Health CEO Dale Fraser.

“We are extremely grateful for the community’s support. I would also like to thank our redevelopment team for helping to deliver this vital piece of infrastructure while minimising the impacts of construction and allowing the hospital to continue to operate.

”The upgrade was funded as part of the Regional Car Park program, and comes under the broader $655 million Ballarat Base Hospital Redevelopment.

“In addition to delivering new facilities and vital clinical capacity for the hospital, the Ballarat Base Hospital Redevelopment will address the critical need to improving access for staff, patients and visitors,” said Grampians Health chief redevelopment and infrastructure officer Veronica Furnier.

Newstead’s Railway Arts Hub is hosting an exhibition of nature photography.

The ‘Wild Discoveries’ exhibition is running through to Sunday September 29 and features work by four local photographers who are all enthused about nature.

Photographers Daryl Fleay, Patrick Kavanagh, Marte Newcombe and Bronwyn Silver present some of their most striking discoveries of the wild – visual testaments to the natural world.

Minute details of a feather or moss, connections in colour and texture, colours and the vastness of the night sky all make for some beautiful final results in this exhibition which is open on weekends, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-4pm.

A new community hub for the Ballarat suburb of Sebastopol is a step closer after the awarding of the construction tender to A W Nicholson Pty Ltd.

Prior to entering caretaker mode, the City of Ballarat last week reported that the tender had been awarded with the community and early years hub to be located at 254-256 Vickers Street in Sebastopol.

It will provide an integrated local and accessible community facility to cater for the growing population of Sebastopol and Ballarat south-west.  

The facility will provide opportunities for social connectivity and promotion of lifelong learning and physical activity, in a fit for purpose facility for local groups such as Sebastopol Senior Citizens, Girl Guides, Ballarat Community Health, BRI and other future users of the facility.  

The tender includes the construction of a main community hall, three meeting rooms, three 22-place kindergarten rooms, two Maternal and Child Health consulting rooms, public amenities, onsite car parking, and associated infrastructure.

Funding for the $14 million project represents a partnership arrangement between the three tiers of government – City of Ballarat ($5 million), State Government ($4.5 million) and Federal Government ($4.5 million).

This story based on a City of Ballarat media release

A total 12 candidates have nominated in Hepburn Shire and will vye for the seven councillor vacancies in next month’s local government elections.

The 12 confirmed nominees are vying for the seven available councillor vacancies to represent what, under the new arrangement, will be an un-subdivided or wardless shire.

Nominations ahead of next month’s postal ballot closed last Tuesday with the council now in caretaker mode through to October 26.

The Victorian Electoral Commission last Wednesday published a list of the candidates in the order they will appear on the ballot in the upcoming postal vote.

They are: Don Henderson, Tony Clark, Christian Porochowsky, Tim Drylie, Derek Sedgman, Benny Pettersson, Brian Hood, Cameron Stone, Pat Hockey, Lesley Hewitt, Shirley Cornish and Bernie Winfield-Gray.

Contractors last week got the green light to proceed with works for a new kindergarten and  Maternal and Child Health service in Lancefield, following cultural heritage approvals.  

Works had paused on the High Street site (next door to the town’s primary school) following an earlier discovery  of a cultural artefact on site.

Since that time, project manager the Victorian School Building Authority  (VSBA) had been working closely with Traditional Owners and the Macedon Ranges Shire Council to take the time to safely  assess the site, recently receiving approval to resume works.  

Earlier this week, prior to going into caretaker mode, the council issued a media release announcing that the work could now resume.

The council’s Director Community, Maria Weiss, said it was important that the cultural heritage process  was not rushed in respect of the artefact found.  

“We know how important it is to collaboratively work alongside our First Nations stakeholders and as  soon as the discovery was made, it was essential that the VSBA took the time to complete further due  diligence,” she said.  

“Council appreciates the patience of all involved in this process – from land managers and the  Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, to current and potential kinder  families – and we look forward to opening the new facility to the community next year.”  

Construction of the new modular building – proposed to be named the Lancefield Children’s Centre –  is set to resume this month (September 2024), with the centre now forecast for completion by mid-2025.  

The state government is backing grassroots sporting clubs with more grants now available to help get more people involved in community sport, Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas says.

Ms Thomas in recent days issued a media statement highlighting the fact that applications are open for the Sporting Club Grants Program with grants of up to $5,000 for clubs to improve skills and knowledge of volunteers, coaches and officials. 

Grants of up to $4,000 are also up for grabs to help clubs delivering a new sport or active recreation program. 

Clubs can also apply for grants of up to $1,000 to purchase uniforms and equipment, and $750 travel grants are available to help clubs participate in competitions away from home. 

 Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas: “I encourage all our local sporting clubs across Macedon to apply.” 

Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence: “Sporting clubs are the lifeblood of our communities and the volunteers play a critical role – this program supports clubs to thrive and grow and get more people in the community playing an active part in local sport.”

The Sporting Club Grants Program has injected more than $17 million into thousands of community sport and recreation clubs across the state since 2015. 

The program is backed by the Regional Community Sport Development Fund that is delivering infrastructure upgrades and other programs including the Regional Community Sport Infrastructure Fund to help more regional Victorians get active and be part of their local sporting club. 

Applications close 7 October 2024. For more information and to apply for Sporting Club Grants Program those interested can visit sport.vic.gov.au.  

The Daylesford Community Facilities project team has been given the green light to develop designs to locate the library and community multipurpose facilities at the Daylesford Town Hall site, ahead of proposed community engagement.

Hepburn Shire Council Chief Executive Officer, Bradley Thomas said the decision provides a clear path forward for the historic site.

“The Daylesford Town Hall is a key historical landmark for the shire and reflects the region’s unique architectural character,” Mr Thomas said.

“This decision allows the project team to move forward with certainty and begin to design a wholistic community space.”

Now that the site is confirmed for the project, further analysis will be undertaken to determine the preferred approach for design and construction.

Community consultation will be undertaken as the project progresses. Final decisions on designs and proceedings will be subject to Council decision in 2025.

A contract has been awarded to Abode for critical preservation works to the roof and other associated building elements on the heritage Daylesford Town Hall building.

The works are due to commence later this year in line with warmer weather.

In December 2023, the council resolved to progress the Daylesford Town Hall as the site of a future library and community facility.

Council officers have since established a project consultant team and a Project Advisory Group of seven community members, who have supported the project and provided design input.

In working with project architects k20 Architecture, two spatial relationship diagrams have been developed developed, demonstrating the site’s capacity to host the library and other elements either within the Town Hall, within a new construction on the site of the Senior Citizens facility, or a combination of the two approaches.

This story based on a Hepburn Shire Council media release.

The historic Regent Cinema in Ballarat is set to reopen under new ownership, the business’ administrator says.

Justin Howlett of SMB Advisory last week confirmed the successful sale of the company’s business components and assets to Palace Cinema Group.

This followed an administration process that began on June 25.

While no date has been confirmed for the cinema’s reopening, but Mr Howlett said Palace were now in the process of preparing the historic Lydiard Street Cinema complex, much loved by locals and film fans.

“Interactions with the Ballarat public over these past few months have shown just how significant the former Regent Cinemas were to so many, and hopefully many will be comforted by the fact Palace Cinemas will be able to reopen the doors once more,” Mr Howlett said.

“We are extremely grateful for the assistance and co-operation provided by the company’s management and staff, landlords and financiers, without which this outcome would not have been possible,” Mr Howlett said.

The Central Highlands Growers & Producers Hub is inviting expressions of interest from local food producers and culinary creatives to be part of the upcoming Forage & Feast Festival set for early next year.

Between January 13th and February 16th, Forage & Feast Festival will be taking place through-out the Central Highlands.

The festival aims to nurture the hidden gems of the region, and enliven a traditionally quieter season with the vibrancy of local food, drink, and fresh produce.

The festival cultivates a philosophy of indulgence, rejuvenation, and connection with local production powerhouses.

Organisers say: “for this, we require local heroes of the culinary industry to provide the face of the event.”

“With your involvement, Forage & Feast can promote brand awareness, regional tourism, and garner future hospitality opportunities.

“It’s a golden time to engage with the diversity buried in the lush farmlands that abound the Central Highlands.

“Forage & Feast champions locally-made produce from our own soil. Businesses involved would celebrate at least two growers or producers from the Central Highlands Growers and Producers Hub.

“This could take the form of a traditional meal, degustation, a specialty tasting or masterclass, as well as a multitude of tours and demonstrations.

“It is not essential for participation that the event be one-of-a-kind. We encourage a celebration of the work that is the backbone of your business, with a summery spin.

EOI’s close October 4 2024 with more information available from Central Highlands Growers & Producers Hub

The Victorian Government is supporting vulnerable cat owners and addressing cat over-population by providing grants to local councils to partner with animal rescue shelters to increase cat desexing rates.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence recently visited Second Chance Animal Rescue in Craigieburn to announce 14 councils will share in $300,000 to deliver targeted cat desexing programs within their communities.

Hume City Council will receive a $25,000 grant to partner with two vet clinics, including Second Chance Animal Rescue to desex around 80 cats.

This will lead to fewer unwanted litters and reduce the number of cats in animal shelters or requiring euthanasia in the long term.

The council-run desexing programs will support people who care for semi-owned and unowned cats and help them take full ownership of these cats.

By providing free desexing, microchipping, and in some cases free registration for the first year, these people are encouraged to become registered and committed owners.

The program will also provide free and low-cost desexing services to cats owned by Victorians who may be experiencing financial hardship in the identified target areas.

Cat management is a significant and complex challenge in Victoria with more than 227,000 registered cats and a substantial number of unregistered, unowned, or feral cats in our urban and natural environments.

Although 95% of registered cats are desexed by the age of 2, cats can have multiple litters in this time.

The program specifically targets semi-owned cats and addresses problem cat populations, as well as cats often overlooked by desexing programs.

The government invested $1.3 million from the Victorian Budget 2022/23 for 3 cat management initiatives, the state’s first long-term Cat Management Strategy will be released later in 2024.

For a full list of council grant recipients visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals.

Words: Supplied, Agriculture Victoria