The Container Deposit Scheme machine in Creswick will be now open both Saturday and Sunday 9am – 5pm (for a three-month trial) giving locals who are keen to recycle more time to bring their eligible drink containers.

The Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) is a Victorian Government initiative that provides a 10-cent refund for every eligible drink container returned.

Before anyone who wants to recycle visits the machine they can download the CDS Vic West app from the Apple App Store or Google Play for a seamless experience, however this is not necessary in order to use the machine.

It’s worth nothing, though, that the machine needs to read the barcode on each container that is returned for recycling, so it’s important not to crush any containers.

Current locations for the machines in the Hepburn Shire region are:

Clunes IGA, 1 Service St, Clunes

Creswick – The Hub, 68 Albert Street, Creswick

Pig & Whistle, 705 James Lane, Trentham East

Daylesford Industrial Estate, 37-39 East Street, Daylesford

More details regarding locations, opening hours, eligible containers and how the scheme works can be found at www.cdsvic.org.au online.

Police are keen to hear from anyone with information after six teenagers were arrested following an alleged burglary and car theft from a Creswick residence in recent days.

The six teens – all male – have been arrested and interviewed, with police alleging the offenders entered a property in Macs Street, Creswick, some time over Sunday night, October 20 into Monday, October 21.

It’s alleged that the teenagers stole a white Ford sedan and white Kia Carnival and fled the address.

Victoria Police have reported that no occupants had been at the house in Macs Street at the time of the alleged burglary and car theft.

Police have reported that the Kia Carnival was found on fire on Gillies Road at Sulky near Sweeney Road, with firefighters called in the early hours of Monday morning.

Firefighters were reported to have also been called to Ring Road near Learmonth Road in Wendouree at 3.12am where the white Ford was also found on fire.

Police had arrested the teenagers in the near vicinity, and those arrested were a 14-year-old from Creswick, a 15-year-old from Creswick, a 16-year-old from Creswick, a 16-year-old from Wendouree and a 17-year-old from Wendouree.

The six teens had been interviewed by police pending summons, Victoria Police had reported earlier this week.

Police are now urging anyone with information relating to the incidents to submit a confidential report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au or to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The Small Business Bus will be visiting Creswick on Monday, 28 October, from 10 am – 4 pm.

The state’s Small Business Bus can provide help to locals keen to develop their own small business ideas and capabilities, whether starting, building, or transforming a business,

The Hepburn Shire Council is encouraging local business owners and operators to book their place for a free and confidential 45-minute session.

Local business operators, or those keen to start a new business in the Hepburn Shire area can also walk-in to find out more about general information and support available from Business Victoria.

Those can to find out more and book a place are being encouraged to go to https://ow.ly/aZHr50TBTZI

The Small Business Bus helps small businesses across Melbourne and rural Victoria develop their business ideas and capabilities.

It rolls into town fully equipped with expert advisers to provide general business assistance as well as financial and wellbeing support from trained experts.

Creswick residents have already started delving into the depths of their garages and assembling all manner of goodies and curios ahead of the town’s popular community garage sales set for next month.

The much-anticipated event happens Saturday October 19 and raises funds for the town’s neighbourhood centre and also for ongoing efforts to establish an indoor aquatic centre for the town.

Local households with goods to sell and garages to cleanse are invited to register for the all-of-town event and can then host a garage sale at their own address on the day.

Alternatively, they can get in contact with the neighbouhood centre and for $20 they can book to instead use one of a limited number of tables to sell their goods at the town’s regular monthly market happening on the same day as the big community garage sale.

“We’d love people to have a spring clean for  a worthy cause and help both the neighbourhood centre and  also the aquatic centre project,” says Creswick’s Hether Ingram, a staff member at CNC and coordinator of this year’s big community garage sale event.

“The old saying is that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure and it may be a bit cliched but it’s also true.”

Secretary of Creswick and District Aquatic Centre Inc, Julie Moran says efforts to establish an indoor aquatic centre for the town are gaining momentum with the tabling of a feasibility and business case study for the long-mooted project at this month’s council meeting.

Julie says the goal of getting an indoor aquatic center, complete with hydrotherapy facilities, for the community has been a long-held vision with the committee driving it formed back in 2012.

She says that the popular annual community garage sale is a great fund-raiser toward helping to realise the project and has proven particularly popular in previous years.

“Last year we had 55  registrations for the garage sale and we’re hoping to get just as many again this year,” CNC manager Crissy Austin says.

“Registrations have opened and registration forms are available at the Post Office and the Information Centre and also here at the neighbourhood centre, although we will be closed over the school term holidays.”

“We recommend that when people register to participate that they list the top seven items that they will have for sale, rather than just say ‘bric-a-brac’ for example,” Crissy says.

Julie says the list of goods for sale is  pretty much endless: “clothing and children’s toys, workshop tools and camping  gear, plants, seedlings, pots and garden tools, sewing machines, fabric, mirrors, tiles and renovation materials, fishing rods…”

“Creswick Community Garage Sales have been an annual fundraising event for the Creswick Aquatic Centre Campaign  since 2014,” she says.

“The need for year-round access to aquatics provision was identified as part of the Hepburn Shire Council’s Aquatics Strategy.

“Creswick is a growth area with young families and healthy retirees choosing a regional lifestyle where they have access to all the city facilities. But Creswick has no swimming pool.

“A feasibility and business case study has now been presented to the council but due to council now being in caretaker mode any decision or discussion regarding the report has been held over until early next year.”

On the day of the big garage sales event maps with addresses and directions to all participating garage sales will be available from 8am at the Creswick Bandstand and the Creswick Market, and from 10 am at the Creswick Information Centre.

Maps will cost $5 and proceeds will be shared between the CNC programs and the ongoing campaign to get  indoor heated pool for the town.

Words and Image: Eve Lamb

The vandalism of a bike repair station at Creswick’s Djuwang Baring in Creswick has prompted a public statement from the council, urging anyone with information about the thoughtless act to contact police.

The Hepburn Shire council reported on its Facebook account in recent days: “Unfortunately, the bike repair station at Djuwang Baring (Creswick Trails) has been vandalised and some tools were stolen.

“We’re working on replacing them, but it might take a few weeks.

“If you have any info about the vandalism, please reach out to the Creswick Police.”

The Hepburn Springs EV charger is so far proving to be the most popular charger in the Hepburn shire, at least for the last financial year.

The Hepburn Shire Council, quoting a post from Hepburn Energy, in recent days reported that people are charging their cars at Hepburn Springs for longer.

The council reported that: “Out of all of our EV Chargers across the Hepburn Shire in FY24, the Hepburn Springs charger had the highest number of uses and MWh consumed. This abated a total of 32.88 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions”.

“In particular, people charge their cars for longer sessions here, for both locals and visitors alike.”

The data findings prompted council staff to wonder whether the local attractions may have been a factor, “Positioned at the bathhouse who wouldn’t want to stay a little longer?” they pondered.

The council has also reported recently that the Creswick EV charge station is now back on line after it had been off line due to a technical issue.

This story based on a public social media post issued by Hepburn shire Council.

Local opera lovers are already anticipating the upcoming production of Flotow’s masterpiece Martha which is being staged by Lyster Opera in the Creswick Town Hall in November.

Lyster Opera will present this special return performance of Friedrich Von Flotow’s Martha featuring a lush, romantic score which includes The Last Rose of Summer.

Tickets have already gone on sale online through the Trybooking website for the upcoming afternoon matinee performance that’s being staged on Saturday November 2.

Lyster Opera Ltd is a registered charity which aims to celebrate and perform the art of live opera in regional areas, as well as to Melbourne audiences, at an affordable price.

As an approved Deductible Gift Recipient, donations of $2 or more to Lyster Opera are tax deductible in Australia and assist Lyster Opera continue its success in bringing opera to new audiences. 

Donors are acknowledged on Lyster Opera’s website and in their programmes.

Funding from Telstra’s Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal is enabling the Hepburn Shire Council to host ongoing free sessions for local residents to learn how to make better use of their devices, stay safe online and improve their tech knowledge.

Interested locals are being invited by the council to: “just turn up with your devices to learn about scam awareness, getting the most out of your phone or tablet, staying safe online, trouble shooting, and the shutdown of the 3G network”.

The sessions have been designed to be fun and social and are open to all participants, regardless of age, experience or the type of device they are using.

Sessions begin on 2 September at the Creswick Hub on Mondays 10am-12pm, The Warehouse – Clunes on Mondays 2pm-4pm, Daylesford Library on Tuesdays 10am-12pm, The Mechanics Trentham on Tuesdays 2pm-4pm. 

The Creswick Theatre Company is looking forward to hosting a night of live music and poetry on Saturday August 17.

Tickets have gone on sale at $12 each and are available via the local theatre company’s website and Humanitix.

The cabaret style performance is scheduled to start from 7pm while the onsite bar opens from 6.45pm with audience members also invited to byo nibbles as well.

The little local theatre company that punches well above its weight in the number and variety of events and shows that it annually stages is also looking ahead to November when it will stage its upcoming “interactive murder mingle” A Murder at the Derby.

A throng of more than 50 volunteers turned up in recent weeks to plant out hundreds of native plants on a crown land site at Johns Road in North Creswick.

The Bald Hills-Creswick Landcare group, with support from a Community Bank Creswick & District, Community Impact Grant, organised the planting of over 700 indigenous native trees, shrubs and grasses over a two-and-a-half acre crown land paddock.

President of the Bald Hills Creswick Landcare group, Steve Hemphill thanked the local scouts, joeys, cubs, parents and leaders from the 1st Creswick Scout Group.

Special thanks also went to Geocaching Victoria, with some of their members coming from Melbourne and Geelong to help out on the day – June 22.

Creswick Brass Band members are busy rehearsing for their upcoming cabaret night set for Saturday August 31 from 6:30pm at the Creswick Senior Citizens Centre.

Band members are encouraging all music lovers to grab a ticket and say it will be a night of fun with prizes, raffles, silent auctions and great music.

Tickets are $20 per adult (kids under 12yrs are free) and can be purchased online through Trybooking, or scanning the QR code on the poster if you see it around Creswick.

The band is also selling raffle tickets which are $5 each, $10 for 3 tickets or $35 for 10 tickets to win:

1st Prize: RACV Resort Creswick $300

2nd Prize: Creswick Woolen Mills $200

3rd Prize: American Hotel $100

Creswick’s Oscar Broad, and Lachlan McKenzie were just 16 when they noticed a police officer being assaulted and seriously injured in a park in Creswick several years ago, and rushed over to help.

It’s a moment the two young men, now both aged in their early 20s, are unlikely to forget any time soon.

About a fortnight ago Lachlan and Oscar each received a Citizen’s Commendation award at a special Victoria Police ceremony held at the state’s police academy in Glen Waverley.

Recalling the moment they noticed the assault back in 2019, Oscar, now a customer relations officer at the Bendigo Community Bank Creswick & District, says it’s troubling to think about what may have occurred had they not rushed over to help that day.

The commendation citation that both Oscar and Lachlan, respectively, received says it all. It reads “On the 7 December 2019, At Creswick, without hesitation he went to the aid of a Victoria Police Officer who had been assaulted and seriously injured.

“The offenders continued to menace the officer until he intervened, placing himself between the officer and further harm. Under the real threat of physical assault, he continued to provide significant support until further assistance arrived.”

Recounting the incident Oscar says he and Lachlan, who now works at the town’s IGA supermarket, were both students at Ballarat High School at the time of the incident and had been preparing to go to a Christmas party when they noticed the assault taking place in a Creswick park.

“There were three people assaulting an officer and he was on the ground tussling with one of them and the other two were throwing things at him,” Oscar recalls.

“We just looked at each other and ran across the road. We didn’t really think much. We just ran over there to help him out.” Oscar says that during the violent incident he and Lachlan became aware that the officer involved had been injured.

“There was no one else around,” says Lachlan, recounting the 2019 incident. Their actions were enough to fend off and stop the offenders who Oscar estimates to have been aged in their late teens or early 20s.

“It was pretty scary,” says Oscar recalling the incident and describing the way he and Lachlan reacted as “just sort of instinct”. Oscar says that receiving the commendation in recent days was memorable and also involved getting to see new police cadets graduate at the academy.

“It was inspiring. It is a great award and meeting the commissioner was quite surreal,” he says. “It was a privilege.”

“I was very honoured,” says Lachlan when asked for his thoughts about attending the recent commendation presentation.

While it’s understood that the officer they had assisted at the time is not currently working with Victoria Police, a currently serving officer with the Creswick police station, Leading Senior Constable Peter Brown also went along to the recent ceremony at the police academy, acknowledging the impressive effort made by Lachlan and Oscar.

Words: Eve Lamb  

In a move that’s pleased plenty of keen mountain bikers, the Hepburn Shire Council has opened 32 kilometres of Creswick’s new mountain bike trails network (Djuwang Baring) – five months ahead of schedule.

Hepburn Shire Mayor, Cr Brian Hood says the early opening was a significant milestone for the transformational project.

“We are very proud of our construction contractor Dirt Art and the council team for getting this project to the point where we can open 32 kilometres of trails five months before the scheduled opening date of December 2024,” Cr Hood said.

“Djuwang Baring will be a unique asset for our local community. It will have a strong positive impact on tourism, visitation and in turn, provide strong returns to local and regional businesses and tourism destinations,” said Cr Hood.

Since receiving external funding in 2018, the project has made steady progress towards completion and when completed Djuwang Baring (Creswick Trails) will be a 60 kilometre network of mountain bike trails starting from the Hammon Park Trailhead, a five minute walk from the centre of Creswick.

Funding for Hammon Park and Djuwang Baring has been provided by the State Government’s Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund ($4.66m) and Creswick Community Bank ($250,000 for Hammon Park) with Council funding the remainder. 

Planning and design for the network was completed with the issue of the construction planning permit in early 2022.  The Hammon Park pump track was opened in 2019, Hammon Park Trailhead in mid-2023 and construction commenced on trails in early 2023 with a projected completion date of December 2024.

Djuwang Baring – which means ‘long track’ in Dja Dja Wurrung language – is managed and maintained by Hepburn Shire Council.

“Progress towards completion has been steady and we are pleased to announce this early opening. Council has worked hard to fast-track part of the trails network so that we can realise the tourism and visitation benefits to the region earlier than anticipated,” said Cr Hood.

The council also celebrates the partnership with the Traditional Owners, the Dja Dja Wurrung and acknowledges that the trails are located on Dja Dja Wurrung Country.

The project has been instrumental in strengthening the relationship between Hepburn Shire Council and DJAARA with the name for the whole trail network as well as half of the trail segments in Dja Dja Wurrung language.

The branding and signage suite has been designed by DJANDAK and features art by Nukara Nicholls-Moore, a Djaara artist.

“Sharing Dja Dja Wurrung creativity and language and seeing it on Country, in the landscape where it belongs, benefits Djaara People and the wider community” said Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation Group CEO Rodney Carter.

“It’s wonderful people can access part of Djuwang Baring ahead of schedule.”

To facilitate the early opening, temporary signage is in place on the advanced sections and the remaining 28 kilometres and permanent signage is expected to be ready later in the year.

Trails begin from Hammon Park Trailhead where there is parking, toilets, BBQ, cycling jumps and children’s play areas.

The council is now requestion that people please stay off the remaining trails that under construction and are marked with signage, fencing and orange flagged bunting in order to assist in the completion of the balance of the trails in the network.

A formal community celebration is planned to be held in December 2024 when the full trail network will be officially opened.

Those keen to get more information on the trails can visit the website djuwangbaring.com 

It was impressive to hear multiple school children reeling off the names of famous Indigenous Australians through history as they gathered for a special event in the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre hall.

Hundreds of children from Creswick Primary School, Creswick North Primary and St Augustine’s attended the special NAIDOC event that took place last Wednesday (July 24) following the earlier national event that had coincided with the school holidays.

“NAIDOC week should be a month. It’s worth celebrating,” said musician and music educator Cocosounds’ Stella Savy, who taught the children some Indigenous songs and accompanying moves.

The children also learnt about time-honoured Indigenous traditions like respect for Elders, Welcome to Country, and Acknowledgement of Country – and the difference between them, as well as what the acronym NAIDOC actually stands for – National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee.

Outside the hall it was a chance for the children to launch the finished results of a special arts project to which they’d all contributed, along with preschool and playgroup children.

“There are at least 400 shapes in the mural that were made by the local men’s and women’s sheds and the children have then decorated them using Indigenous style art and colour and they’ve all been curated on the panels by local artist Dale Oliver,” CNC manager Chrissy Austin said

Words & images: Eve Lamb 

A number of community-led projects throughout the Hepburn Shire area are set to benefit from the state government’s $20 million Tiny Towns Fund.

Across the wider Ripon electorate, successful Tiny Towns Fund recipients include: $5871 for mosaic bollards at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre; $8000 to refurbish the entry foyer for the Creswick Courthouse Theatre; $18,750 for the Newlyn Recreation Reserve Playspace Upgrade Planning; and $45,000 for a shade structure over the playground in Queens Park, Clunes.