The Local

11-10-2021

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is continuing community recovery sessions to help local residents and landholders directly affected by storm damage.

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Storm help ending

11-10-2021

Macedon Ranges Shire Council encourages residents who were impacted by the June storm, and whose property is eligible for the Bushfire Recovery Victoria (BRV) Residential Storm and Flood Clean-up, to make sure they register by 31 October.

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Speak up

11-10-2021

Macedon Ranges community is being called to action to speak up against sexist and abusive behaviours. Research demonstrates that being an active bystander can discourage perpetrators of sexist and abusive behaviour and at the same time supports the victim.

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In brief

11-10-2021

Eight of the state government's promised mental health pop-up clinics have opened with one for the Central Highland still to appear.

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New sporting facilities

11-10-2021

THE Hepburn Burras Football and Netball Club and Hepburn Cricket Club now have more room to grow, with the completion of a new, female-friendly pavilion at the Laurie Sullivan Reserve.

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Affordable housing snub

11-10-2021

HEPBURN Shire has been left off the preference list for the state government's four-year $5.3 billion Big Housing Build which calls on developers and landowners in regional Victoria to put forward any developments or vacant land that could be turned into social or affordable housing.

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Stories of the Storm

11-10-2021

SANDY Scheltema's Stories of the Storm series is supported by Hepburn Shire Council, Trentham & Districts Community Bank and the Trentham Lions Club. The series aims to showcase stories of courage, tenacity, bravery and resilience within the community from people who experienced the terrifying storm of June 10, 2021.

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Water future

WORK is under way on the next Central Highlands Water Urban Water Strategy.

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Funding for Talbot

NEW outdoor exercise equipment has been installed at a park in Talbot, thanks to funding from the state government. Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas opened the Activating Talbot project last week. It was given a $150,000 investment from the Healthy Heart of Victoria initiative.

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Supporting events for young Victorians

The Victorian Government is providing a significant funding boost for youth programs, offering more opportunities for young people to reconnect with their community as pandemic restrictions ease.

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New female-friendly pavilion at Hepburn

The Hepburn Burras Football and Netball Club and Hepburn Cricket Club now have more room to grow, with the completion of their new, female-friendly pavilion at Laurie Sullivan Reserve.

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Have your say on dogs and cats in the Macedon Ranges

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is calling on residents with and without pets to help shape its new Domestic Animal Management Plan.

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Free Xmas workshop for local retailers

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is encouraging local retailers to sign up for a free visual merchandising workshop during October.

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Prepare for summer with safe burn-offs

Macedon Ranges Shire Council, in consultation with local CFA brigades, is advising residents to begin clearing their property and burn off any debris in October ahead of the summer fire season.

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Upgrading public care aged care facilities in Creswick

The Victorian Government is upgrading public sector residential aged care services in Western Victoria, creating new jobs and ensuring hundreds of older Victorians continue to receive the care and comfort they deserve.

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Business recovery support for agriculture industry

The Victorian Government is fast-tracking the road to recovery for agriculture and food supply chain businesses in rural and regional Victoria.

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Community grants open for Hepburn Shire

With COVID restrictions easing, this is an opportunity for community groups to apply for Round 2 of Community Grants.

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Creswick trails update

The planning work is continuing on the Creswick Trails Network, a project which will see delivery of 60km of mountain bike paths and a trailhead at Creswick, with council expecting to begin works next year.

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Proposed renaming of Jim Crow Creek

Hepburn Shire Council is working with project partners, Mount Alexander Shire Council, North Central Catchment Management Authority and Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation trading as DJAARA, on the proposed renaming of Jim Crow Creek to Larni Barramal Yaluk.

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Celebrating Macedon Ranges Seniors

The Victorian Seniors Festival Reimagined is back in 2021 and to celebrate, Macedon Ranges Shire Council will deliver 'celebration boxes' to 30 older residents who have made significant contributions to the Macedon Ranges community. Council’s Corporate and Community acting director Gina Lyons said this year’s festival theme of ‘keep’n on’ recognised the resilience of older people and the many different ways they contribute to our community.

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BlazeAid: Ready to help but hit by red tape

WHEN the Black Saturday Fires ripped through Kevin and Rhonda Butler’s farm at East Kilmore in 2009, their immediate concern was the safety of their sheep.

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Pothole causing costly chaos but no compo

16-08-2021

A MAJOR pothole on the Ballan-Daylesford Road near Victoria Park in Daylesford has caused thousands of dollars in damage to residents' and visitors' vehicles.

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Housing policy but no quick fix on cards

16-08-2021

HEPBURN Shire Council has included funding for a strategic plan into an affordable housing policy in its June budget but there will be no quick fix.

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Communities rally together after the storm

19-06-2021

THE great storm of June 9/10 will go down in history as one of the most devastating events in the Central Highlands. Thousands of trees came down, crashing onto homes, cars, sheds, fences and powerlines. More continue to fall as people deal with the aftermath and the clean-up.

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Storm damage and relief in sight for Trentham

10-06-2021

Just a few photos of some of the damage around the region

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Cinema frustration

07-06-2021

THE Daylesford Cinema Committee is "frustrated, bitterly disappointed and gobsmacked" that plans for the Hepburn Hub at The Rex are being revisited by Hepburn Shire Council, with the project now being workshopped by councillors.

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Hepburn Hub at The Rex project in doubt

24-05-2021

The current Hepburn Hub at The Rex project may be cancelled.

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Concern over transmission lines

15-05-2021

HEPBURN Shire Council says it continues to advocate on behalf of community groups concerned about the construction of 190km of overhead transmission lines, proposed as part of the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project.

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Corruption, intrigue and damn delays and danger

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Exotic fauna or a pesky pest? Still no idea!

15-03-2021

BACK in the 1880s various species of deer were introduced to Australia as game animals and their descendants remain in forests across Australia.

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Kyneton frontline workers get COVID jab

15-03-2021

FRONTLINE workers at Central Highlands Rural Health's Kyneton campus received the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 last week.

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Your say on the Malmsbury Botanic Gardens

08-03-2021

THE Friends of the Malmsbury Botanic Gardens committee is encouraging the local community to contribute comments to the draft Master Plan for the Malmsbury Botanic Gardens.

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New category mooted for Wombat Forest

01-03-2021

THE investigation into public land in the state’s Central West region was commissioned by the Victorian Government in 2017.

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Hepburn Shire’s housing crisis in focus

01-03-2021

A GROUP of Hepburn Shire residents is determined to spotlight the issues of the housing crisis in the shire.

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Beating the odds with incredible will power

25-01-2021

TWENTY-three-year-old Michael Smith is nothing short of inspirational. The Macedon Ranges resident has overcome the odds to become an inspirational role model for others and to prove that anything is possible even when you are paralysed on one side and unable to enjoy all the things able-bodied people do.

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Why not everyone’s a fan of a solar farm

18-01-2021

IT’S hard to find anyone today who is not in agreement about the need to find alternative replacements to fossil fuels. A recent poll by the Lowy Institute found 84 per cent of Australians believe that governments should increase investment in this area.

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One step forward… the Hepburn Hub

21-12-2020

THERE is no doubt, the Hepburn Hub at The Rex in Vincent Street, Daylesford has been an absolute disaster from the outset.

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Pandemic has brought people back to reality: Don

21-12-2020

CR DON Henderson asks to meet me at Caleembeen Park. He proudly tells me he was recently successful in achieving funding after lobbying for 12 years for upgrades at the popular swimming spot, including making it more accessible for those with disabilities.

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Tour the Daylesford Rex

18-12-2020

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Cr Juliet Simpson reviving a family tradition

14-12-2020

THE new councillor for Holcombe Ward is Juliet Simpson, and her connections to the area go back to the late 19th century. Her great-great grandfather, William Stanbridge, settled in the district before the gold rush four generations ago and became a sheep farmer.

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Volunteering role leads to Clunes councillor move

07-12-2020

COUNCILLOR Tessa Halliday’s infectious smile lights up her face as many locals driving past slow down to wave and chat.

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COVID detected in wastewater in Daylesford

03-12-2020

Breaking news.

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Vision for sustainable future for Hepburn Shire

30-11-2020

Cr Tim Drylie arrives for his photo shoot in an electric car, which he is using to run test drives as part of the Hepburn Wind EV Bulk Buy. He enthusiastically tells me how he’ll plug it in to the power point when he gets home to recharge it. One of two new councillors for Creswick Ward, he has a vision for a sustainable future for the shire.

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Mayor back at Macedon Ranges

30-11-2020

WEST Ward Cr Jennifer Anderson, inset below, has been elected for a one-year mayoral term with Macedon Ranges Shire Council. It is the fourth time Cr Anderson will serve as mayor, having previously been elected in 2014/15, 2016/17 and 2017/18.

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New mayor for Hepburn Shire

30-11-2020

HEPBURN Shire Council has elected Cr Lesley Hewitt (Birch Ward) and Cr Brian Hood (Coliban Ward) as Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

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Council to provide for the needs of community

23-11-2020

JEN Bray is one of the two new councillors for Birch Ward and is well known in the Hepburn Shire for her extensive work on community issues. Her commitment to projects such as the Daylesford Skate Park, festivals, youth, and improving the schools, led to many people encouraging her to run as councillor in the recent elections.

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Communication, better performance, Trentham

16-11-2020

With six of the seven councillors recently elected to the Hepburn Shire, being new to the game, a sense of optimism and hope exists for more positive interactions between community and council. This weekly series by Sandy Scheltema will explore the new councillors' hopes and wishes for the shire.

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Melbourne returns

14-11-2020

With the ring of steel down, Melburnians were keen to get back to the regions including the Central Highlands of Victoria.

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Macedon Ranges Shire: The tribe has spoken

09-11-2020

THERE are six new faces in Macedon Ranges Shire Council with just three councillors returned including West Ward’s former mayor Janet Pearce and Jennifer Anderson, and East Ward’s Bill West.

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Hepburn Shire Council: The tribe has spoken

09-11-2020

CRESWICK Ward's Don Henderson is the only former Hepburn Shire Council councillor to remain standing after the October 2020 election. And four of the new councillors are candidates supported by lobby group Community Voice after agreeing to align with the group's charter.

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Hepburn Shire ready for Melburnians’ return

02-11-2020

CHANGES to parking and pedestrian access in Vincent Street, Daylesford will start this Friday with Melbourne visitors ready to return after the removal of the “ring of steel” on Sunday, November 8.

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#Geesegate revealed

28-09-2020

THE chase to remove the geese from Lake Daylesford started with an email query from Birch Ward councillor Fiona Robson on January 23, 2019, Freedom of Information documents show.

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Candidates put up their hands

28-09-2020

MORE than 2000 candidates have nominated for 622 council vacancies in 298 separate elections around Victoria next month.

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Social enterprise cafe dropped

21-09-2020

THE total project of The Rex's Hepburn Hub has hit more than $13 million after a shortfall comprised of $221,040 to ensure the building is watertight and another $518,960 "to fund all the works required to complete the project".

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More outdoor dining

21-09-2020

HEPBURN Shire Council is backing its hospitality businesses to adapt to the requirement for more outdoor dining, in areas like Vincent Street, Daylesford (pictured above on Saturday), now COVID-19 restrictions are easing.

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Working towards a new COVID normal

14-09-2020

REGIONAL Victoria was set to open “imminently”, Daylesford Macedon Tourism CEO Steve Wroe has told The Local.

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Village or suburb? The great real estate debate

07-09-2020

THE much-anticipated after-COVID boom in country living is being seen as both an economic boon and a potential spoiling of the rural joys of places such as Daylesford.

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Round two: People v. council over load of rubbish

31-08-2020

FEAR of being sued is a central reason behind the Hepburn Shire Council introducing a 500-metre zone around its old tip in Ajax Road.

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Trentham community hub pushes ahead

24-08-2020

AN 1890s painted wall-hanging capturing a sardonic depiction of the Australian coat of arms will be incorporated into Trentham’s new community hub in the town’s revamped Mechanics Institute building.

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New grassroots movement launched

24-08-2020

A NON-political grassroots movement, Community Voice, has been launched in Hepburn Shire and already has 643 members on Facebook.

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Loss of land use rights concerns residents

24-08-2020

A GROUP of residents are concerned that a Hepburn Shire planning scheme amendment will remove their rights in terms of land use and development.

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EES required

10-08-2020

VICTORIAN Planning Minister Richard Wynne said an Environment Effects Statement would be required for the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project which aims to establish 200km of new high-voltage transmission lines across Western Victoria to deliver more renewable energy into the state’s electricity grid.

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Network protesters urged to use their voice

03-08-2020

RESIDENTS protesting the proposed Western Victorian Transmission Network have been urged to voice their concerns directly to the State Planning Minister and put pressure on the Victorian Government to insist on an Environmental Effects Statement.

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Line Concerns

29-06-2020

HEPBURN Shire Council is extremely concerned about the proposed Western Victoria Transmission Network Project

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Adjustment to rates valuations available

29-06-2020

HOME owners in Hepburn Shire receive their first rates notice for the 20/21 financial year in August.

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Just can’t get no satisfaction…

22-06-2020

HEPBURN Shire Council has recorded its worst ever annual Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey.

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From the Mayor: Cr Licia Kokocinski

22-06-2020

WE TAKE on board and acknowledge what the community is saying to us about our performance and direction of council.

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Services opened up

08-06-2020

HEPBURN Shire council has opened up a range of services to the community.

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Jobs on offer

08-06-2020

HEPBURN Shire Council has been successful in attracting $1.6 million from the Working for Victoria Fund to employ an additional 33 staff.

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The Great Divide: residents v. council on planning

01-06-2020

COMMUNITY satisfaction with the Hepburn Shire Council has seldom been high.

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Testing under way

11-05-2020

CORONAVIRUS testing is ramping up across the Macedon Ranges and Hepburn shires, with testing now available at Kyneton District Health.

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Funding for reserve

04-05-2020

MOUNT Macedon’s iconic Memorial Cross Reserve is being enhanced with $50,000 funding from the Victorian Government.

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COVID-19: The latest local news

23-03-2020

Hepburn and Macedon Ranges councils close services.

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Councillor Corner – Holcombe Ward

24-02-2020

What a week it was.

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New price tag for Rex

23-02-2020

THE Rex's budget has blown out to $12.735 million - with an opening date of April 2021.

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Council to water bosses: Please talk to the people

10-02-2020

WITH much of its fortune built on mineral water, the Central Highlands has entered a phase where some locals are pitted against commercial exploitation of this water.

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Council youth grants

27-01-2020

FEEL like ditching the homework, some time out from the olds, a break from the siblings?

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Councils