Anzac Day commemorates the anniversary of the landing of Australian and
New Zealand troops at Gallipoli, Turkiye on April 25, 1915. The date was
the start of the major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand
troops during World War I.
This Anzac Day services, marches, guest speeches and gunfire breakfasts are being
held to commemorate the day at locations throughout the region with many local
RSL sub-branches involved. They include:
Bullarto
1pm for 1.30pm start – Anzac Day Service at the Bullarto Hall
Clunes
6am – Dawn Service at the cenotaph, corner of Service and Fraser Streets, Clunes
8.30am – Cemetery Service at the Soldiers Graves, Clunes Cemetery
10.45 – March and Anzac Day Service. March starts at the RSL Building and
concludes at the cenotaph with service and wreath laying ceremony.
1pm – Two up at the National Hotel, Clunes
Creswick
5.40am – Dawn Service – assemble at the cenotaph for a 5:50am start followed by
the Gunfire Breakfast in the Senior Citizens Centre.
9.30am – Service at the Soldiers Graves at the Creswick Cemetery
10am – Service at the Memorial Stones, RSL Hall.
10.15am – Anyone wishing to take part in the March to assemble at the Splash
Park (bottom of Albert Street).
10.30am – March commences.
11am – Anzac Day service – Creswick Cenotaph.
2pm – Two up at the front of the RSL Hall.
Daylesford
Please arrive 15 minutes prior for each of the following:
6.30am – Dawn Service at Daylesford cenotaph to be followed by gunfire
breakfast at Daylesford RSL
10.30am – March from Daylesford Town Hall to the cenotaph for main Anzac
Day Service followed by lunch at RSL building.
Eganstown
9am – Anzac Day Service at the memorial
Hepburn Springs
8.30am – Anzac Day Service at the Hepburn Springs Memorial
Kingston (Avenue of Honour, Kingston)
9am – (arrive 8.30am) for Anzac Day Service at the cenotaph, corner of Victoria
and Kingston Roads at the start of the Avenue of Honour. Service to feature guest
speaker Lucas Duffy, great-grandson of WWI serviceman J.T. O’Connor.
Kyneton
6am – Dawn Service at the cenotaph to be followed by a gunfire breakfast by gold
coin donation at the Kyneton RSL Club Rooms, Mollison Street.
9.30am – Parade to the cenotaph
10am – Anzac Day Service at the cenotaph to be followed by light refreshments at
the RSL Club Rooms, Mollison Street.
Trentham
6am – Dawn Service, Trentham CFA Shed
11.30am – March starts at the Town Square and proceeds along High Street
11.30 – Refreshments at the Trentham Neighbourhood Centre
Woodend
11.30 – March up High Street to the Woodend RSL Building. Starts High St slip
Rd (opposite supermarket)
11.45am – Anzac Day Service at the Woodend RSL Club Rooms to be followed
by refreshments.

A beautiful dawn Service at St George’s Lake just out of Creswick is among the various Easter time services which are scheduled in the Hepburn Shire area.

There will be plenty of church services and masses helping locals to celebrate Easter by reflecting on the enduring meanings inherent in this special time of year. Across the wider Hepburn shire these include:
Daylesford & Creswick – Catholic
Holy Thursday April 6 Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper – 5.30pm at St Peter’s
Catholic Church Daylesford & 7pm at St Augustine’s Catholic Church Creswick.
Good Friday April 7 Celebration of the Lord’s Passion- 3pm at both St Peter’s
Catholic Church Daylesford & St Augustine’s Catholic Church Creswick
Easter Sunday Masses April 9 – 9am St Augustine’s Catholic Church Creswick &
10.30am St Peter’s Catholic Church Daylesford.
Christ Church Daylesford – Anglican
Maundy Thursday April 6, 7pm
Good Friday, April 7, 7pm
Easter Sunday, April 9, 10am
Creswick-Clunes Parish – Uniting
Sunday, April 2 – Palm Sunday, 9.30am – St Andrews Creswick
Thursday, April 6 – Tennebrae Service, 6.30pm – St Andrews Creswick
Easter Day, April 9 – Dawn Service at St George’s Lake 6.30am/sunrise –
Breakfast of fishes and loaves served at conclusion of service
Easter Sunday Service – 9.30am, St Andrew’s Creswick
“We welcome everybody to join with us in worship this Holy Week.”

Daylesford – Uniting Church

Good Friday at 9.30am

Easter Saturday at 3pm 

Easter Sunday at 9.30am  

Retired minister Jenny Hayes will be conducting these services.

Progress towards the new Trentham community hub has picked up pace in recent days with sub-surface works beginning on the car park.

The hub is scheduled for completion early next year but in recent days the area earmarked to become the hub car park, has been excavated to the future pavement level and stormwater drainage pipes and pits have been installed, the Hepburn Shie Council has resported in its online newsletter.

Underground electrical infrastructure will be installed to allow for car park lighting and an electrical vehicle charging station.

The car park works have been brought forward to make the most of the fine weather.

The Hepburn Shire Council is seeking new members to join its Gender Equity Advisory Committee with locals urged to submit an EOI before the April 28 cut off.

In 2021, the council established the GEAC to advocate throughout the shire for equity by using the lived experience and knowledge of the community members who are providing valuable advice through this committee.

Over its time, the committee has been able to provide specialist advice to assist the development of Council’s first Gender Equality Action Plan and implementation and progressing of Gender Impact Assessments. 

Gender impact assessments are a way of critically thinking about how policies, programs and services will meet the different needs of women, men and gender diverse people. As the committee continues its important work, it will use its skills, experience and knowledge to positively impact gender equity.

Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said that Council is proud of its diverse community, and everyone has a right to feel safe and empowered.

“We believe that communities are enriched when all people, regardless of their background or identity, are embraced and supported to participate and contribute to community life.”

“If you are passionate about assisting Council to reduce gender related imbalances, we invite you to submit your Expression of Interest before 28 April 2023,” he said.

COMMUNITY groups keen to get their own community battery, fed by clean renewable energy, up
and going need to make sure they know their stuff first.
That’s the main message as Hepburn Energy releases a new booklet that carefully examines
the potential of community-scale batteries across Central Victoria – and offers clarity on their
opportunities and constraints.
“The community needs to be really cautious about the type of community scale battery they go for,” says key author Marie Lakey.
The booklet’s publication follows a Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance-led project called Community Sparks, funded under the state’s Neighbourhood Battery Initiative, assessing potential of community-scale batteries across the region.

Hepburn Energy and Hepburn Shire Council were key partners on the project.
Drawing on technical analysis from independent consultants, Orkestra, legal research from the University of Melbourne and a social feasibility study from Hepburn Energy, the booklet offers in-depth information about community-scale batteries.
“Our social feasibility study highlighted that community members are interested
in community-scale batteries. With terrible grid reliability in many parts of Central
Victoria, lots of residents are being proactive and looking for a solution,” Hepburn
Energy general manager Taryn Lane says.
Community batteries are proposed as a tool to address this issue. Advocates
suggest they can improve reliability, enable more solar, cut greenhouse gas emissions
and help households save on bills.
But the team at Hepburn Energy have found a more complicated picture.
“When we received technical reports back from Orkestra, we were stunned,” Ms Lane said.
“The conventional battery that many people are advocating for (one located on
the street level, at an electricity transformer) doesn’t seem remotely viable.
“They’re just too expensive, so community members would face an ongoing cost,
rather than saving, and there is a risk of stranded assets with that model.”
The booklet offers clear cautions about some models of community-scale batteries
but other opportunities are presented.
“There’s lots of potential for behind-the-meter batteries. These can be located at
community facilities, or even at an industrial facility, but in a way that offers benefits
back to the community,” Ms Lane says.
The Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance’s Dr David Gormley-O’Brien agrees
and highlights opportunities for community groups to install behind-the-meter
batteries on key infrastructure like community hubs.
“Installing behind-the-meter batteries on key buildings, using lots of solar on
the building, represents a real opportunity to help in emergency situations such as
bushfires or major wind events to enable emergency power supply,” Dr Gormley- O’Brien says.
“And if the battery is large enough we can get a surplus and participate in the
energy market.
“For a 300-kilowatt battery you are looking at something around $400,000 but we’re expecting prices to come down.”
Backup power systems are a “no-brainer”, Ms Lane says.
“Particularly for regional areas such as our shire, and another viable model is
batteries co-located at a community generator, such as what we’re proposing at
Hepburn Energy.”
The report examines these different models in detail, offering guidance on relevant regulations and case studies of existing community-scale batteries.
“We hope this booklet can answer lots of the questions we’ve been receiving about this technology,” Ms Lane said.
More information and downloadable copies of the report are available through Hepburn Energy.
Release of the report examining the community battery pros and cons comes as Hepburn Energy also facilitates a second heat pump hot water bulk buy from March 16.
Government rebates now mean premium heat pump hot water systems are cheaper than ever before, with bulk-buy participants able to save on a new hot water heater.
After the success of the 2021 round 1 sold-out heat pump bulk buy, Hepburn
Energy is now extending their round 2 bulk buy beyond the Hepburn Shire to
include neighbouring areas.
Hepburn Energy and installation partner t2zero will be running two webinars to
demystify the technology, explain the bulk buy process and give community members
an opportunity to ask questions.
Business executive with t2zero, Jürgen Rhyon says the benefits of heat pump
technology are clear as storage water heaters account for a substantial component of
household electricity consumption.
“Imagine being able to reduce this component of consumption by 80 per cent,” Mr Rhyon says.
“The Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificate rebate is at levels never seen before, making this a perfect time to transition to this technology.”
Those keen to find out more can join the Heat Pump Hot Water Bulk Buy webinar on Monday, April 3 from 6.15pm to 7.15pm.
Words & images: Eve Lamb

The Hepburn Shire Council is keen to receive community input as it develops its Hepburn Shire Indoor Aquatics Provision Feasibility Study and Business Case.

Community members are now being encouraged to participate by completing a survey which takes approximately 10 minutes. But those hoping to have some input had better hurry as the survey closes on Friday 24 March 2023.

Last April the council had adopted the Hepburn Shire Council Aquatics Strategy which sets down a 10-year priority plan that will guide the future strategic direction, infrastructure development priorities and asset management planning for aquatic facilities.

A key part of the Aquatics Strategy was the identified need for access to indoor all year-round aquatics provision to support the needs of Hepburn Shire residents.

Hepburn Shire mayor Cr Brian Hood says the council is keen to hear from the community to help inform the Hepburn Shire Indoor Aquatics Provision Feasibility and Business Case.

“We need to carefully consider council’s ability to fund and operate any potential future indoor aquatics provision opportunities,” Cr Hood said.

“The community survey will help us fill in some information gaps and get community input into their proposed use of current indoor aquatics facilities and ideas on future indoor aquatics facilities and provision.”

Community members are encouraged to participate by completing a survey which takes approximately 10 minutes. The survey closes on Friday 24 March 2023.

Questions regarding the survey can be directed to Council’s Sport and Active Recreation Team at sportrecreation@hepburn.vic.gov.au.

And anyone keen to learn more can head online to https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/aquatics-feasibility-study where they can also complete the survey.

An additional consultation report into the Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West project has been released in recent days by the Australian Energy Market Operator and Transgrid.

The report, a summary document and information on how to provide feedback are available at www.aemo.com.au/initiatives/major-programs/vni-west … with feedback due by April 5.

The terminal station proposed for Mount Prospect is no longer the preferred option.

However, commenting on the report, Hepburn Shire Mayor Cr Brian Hood said the largely unchanged power line route and significantly larger towers recommended in the report were of major concern.

“The report recommends an increase in the overhead power lines from 220kV (kilovolt) to 500kV through our shire,” Cr Hood said.

“This would require significantly larger towers, which will have an even greater impact on our important landscapes, farming and the community.”

Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Supplied

HUMBLED and “a bit surprised” is the way farmer John Drife describes discovering he’s this year’s
Hepburn Shire Citizen of the Year.
At a civic event in Daylesford last Wednesday, the Hepburn
Shire Council named John its Citizen of The Year, also announcing Daylesford’s Atticus Punt-Trethewey as its Young Citizen of the Year.
The Great Dividing Trail Association’s Reconciliation Walks took out Event of the Year as part of the shire’s 2023 Community Awards.

“I was a little bit surprised. It’s very humbling just to be nominated and I’d like to congratulate all the others who were nominated,” said Clunes farmer John Drife.
John and Billie Henderson-Drife farm sheep, cattle and crops in the Glendaruel-Mount Beckworth area just out of Clunes. Both of their families settled in the area back in the mid-1800s.
John paid special homage to his wife Billie, stating that he believed she deserved the award as well.
The farmer is a pivotal part of the community in and around Clunes. He’s on many committees and community groups including the CFA (a member for more than half a century),
Waubra Wind Farm Community Fund Committee, Mt Bolton/Beckworth Landcare Group, Clunes & District Agricultural Society Committee and many more.
John coordinated multiple fundraisers for individuals and groups, in particular playing a central role in Bushy’s Cutout fundraiser in 2018, which raised more than $85,000 to support local shearer Tony
‘Bushy’ Hill in his battle with Motor Neurone Disease.
Other Citizen of the Year nominees were Terry Bolton, Gayle Chappell, Michelle
Clifford, Margaret Giles, Natasha Hall and Jennifer Hind.
The shire’s Young Citizen of The Year, Daylesford’s Atticus Punt-Trethewey, was
similarly humble.
“It’s not something I ever would have expected,” he said.
The 21-year-old Australian College of the Arts music production student initiated and organised the free youth music event AltWave, held for the first time last year in the Daylesford Town Hall.
Atticus engaged a team of young musicians and entertainers and coordinated support of community groups and businesses to run the event that raised awareness and money for youth mental health.
“I guess more than anything I’m just grateful that the message we’re trying to spread with AltWave has cut through,” said Atticus, who is already busily planning the next AltWave event for later this year.
“The issues that young people face in the region are very important,” he said.
The other nominees for the shire’s Young Citizen award were Flossy Haughie,
Lucinda Lowe and Sasha Taylor.

Meanwhile, president of The Great Dividing Trail Association, Daylesford’s Tim
Bach, was keen to pay homage to others when the association’s Reconciliation Walks
scooped the shire’s Event of the Year award.
“The driving force for this particular event was Barry Golding who did a lot of the
research and got permission from landholders, because some of the walks cross onto
private land, and he liaised with the Djarra people,” Tim said.
As part of its ongoing, wider guided walks and rides program, the Great Dividing
Trail Association held educational guided walks to local sites where Aboriginal
Protectorates had been established in the mid-1800s.

The walks highlighted the early post-contact history of First Nations peoples and
emphasised the need to acknowledge their mistreatment as a step in the reconciliation
process.
The Reconciliation Walks had strong support from Djarra people and have
become a regular feature of the GDTA’s wider guided walk program.
“This year we are doing two more walks in significant Aboriginal areas – one to Mount Beckworth on Sunday, August 27 and one to Mount Tarrengower on Sunday, June 25,” Tim said.
“I’m honoured that we received this award. I’m surprised too because there were some really high quality nominations and I feel that we are only a little organisation.”
The other nominees for the shire’s Event of The Year award were AltWave Youth Music Event, CresFest and Wombat Trees Festive Project.

Words: Donna Kelly

Twenty-one people took the pledge to become Australian citizens at Hepburn
Shire Council’s civic event last Wednesday, January 25.

The new citizens, pictured above with family members watching on, hailed from Argentina, Britain, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Israel, Italy, France, Germany, New Zealand, Philippines, Romania and United States.
One of those taking the pledge was Denise Connors, pictured (below) with her husband Ian. Denise arrived in Australia from the US 35 years ago and after travelling she eventually met her husband Ian, an Australian, with whom she has run Advanced Trees Trentham for many years, while also working in aged care in Kyneton.

“It was just time,” she said. “It was partially to do with Covid – if I had been in
the US during a lockdown that would have been difficult, but it was really just time. I
had a good friend help me with the paperwork, and apart from that, it was easy.”
Denise said the council ceremony was “very nice” and she also enjoyed watching
the shire’s awards handed out.
Asked if she felt differently after the ceremony, Denise said she was “pleased”. “I
am just proud that I have finally done it, and I am very happy to be an Australian.”

Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Charl Parris

MEMORIES of the June winter storm that cut a swathe through much of Hepburn Shire last year remain strongly etched in the mind’s eye of Trentham’s Charl Parris.
“It was incredible. We were pretty isolated – for up to seven to 10 days,” Charl recounts. “We had no power, no running water and there were trees down on the Kyneton, Blackwood and Daylesford exits.”
Fortunately Charl, a keen phone photographer, also recalls the subsequent process of recovery from the upsetting incident. In fact a photo she snapped using her phone as part of that process won her the grand overall prize in Hepburn Shire’s Amateur Storm Recovery photography competition.
Charl’s winning image captured her two boys enjoying a winter solstice bonfire not long after the big June storm of 2021 wreaked its devastation.
Funded through Bushfire Recovery Victoria, the competition was part of the wider Hepburn Shire’s Storm Recovery process that has now also led to the publication of a book entitled The Big Storm.
Hepburn’s Storm Recovery communications officer Kathy Mexted says the BRV funding enabled 200 copies of the book to be produced and these have been sent to all of the book’s contributors including many community groups that were involved.
“It was a way of people being able to process the storm impacts,” says Kathy, who wrote multiple stories herself about the ways in which the storm event affected the community, and also edited The Big Storm book which was published last month by Hepburn Shire Council.
Kathy says the book captures experiences from many perspectives, ranging from emergency service first responders to those involved later with regenerative and restorative projects. “Charl’s photo is included as are each of the photography category winners,” Kathy says.
Those who entered photographs were also encouraged to write something about the experience associated with capturing their submitted image.
In recounting the winning winter solstice photo moment, Charl wrote:
“There’s something magical, freeing and mysterious about a bonfire. After the big storm, we didn’t know if it was safe to venture close enough and be one with nature.
“The trees dimly lit by the fire of the night, it was bitterly cold but the warmth of the fire brought us closer, huddled together as we reflected. The young, the old, all of us older but were we any wiser?
“In this space I felt connected, free spirited, like I was part of a dream. I reflected and knew tomorrow the days would get longer. I laughed and was thankful for my boys, my friends and being here together, near the warmth of the fire, under the stars on the edge of the forest in the depth of the night.”
Other winners were: Junior winner – Ada Walsh, runner up and special commendation – Bug Melville, Open winner – Tony Sawrey, runner up – Robbie Connell.
Trentham & Districts Community Bank is taking book orders at $35 per copy. If there are 100 orders, the money will be collected and another print run will be done in March. Copies are available to view at the shire’s libraries, Trentham cafes and the Cosmopolitan Hotel.