The Macedon Ranges Shire Council is hosting a special event for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Sunday June 15.

The council says it’ll be bringing the community together to raise awareness about the challenges faced by older people.  

In collaboration with the local Kindness to Elders initiative, the Kyneton Mechanics Institute will play host to the annual event that will commence at 12pm with a flag-raising ceremony, followed by a  sausage sizzle run by local scout groups; food and coffee vans; and feature a range of relevant information about support services for seniors including financial help and fraud prevention.  

At 2pm, the movie Thelma will be shown, telling the story of 93-year-old Thelma Post who sets off  across Los Angeles to retrieve $10,000 she lost in a phone scam – a reminder of the financial risks faced by older people.

Mayor Dom Bonanno said the event is an important chance for the community to come together and  support our growing older population.  

“World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is all about protecting the rights, dignity, and independence of our elderly,” he said.  

“It’s not a day just for seniors though – it’s for everyone. By having important conversations in a relaxed and friendly setting, we can raise awareness and help prevent elder abuse before it happens.”  

Elder abuse can take many forms, including financial, emotional, physical, sexual, and social. It can happen once or happen many times, and it is often carried out by someone the older person knows and trusts, like a family member or friend.  

Nearly 15% of Australians aged 65 years and over, have experienced elder abuse in some form, over the past year and this number is expected to rise as our population ages.

The council is encouraging everyone to bring along their parents, grandparents and loved ones to the event  to show their support for our older members of the community.    

Macedon Ranges residents and ratepayers are being invited to share their views on rates, roads, rubbish and more, to help review and refresh a series of key Macedon Ranges Shire Council documents. 

‘Shaping the Ranges’ aims to put a spotlight back on multi-year documents adopted in 2021 – including the Community Vision, Council Plan, Financial Plan, Asset Plan, and Revenue and Rating Plan – which act as the driving pillars for what Council delivers. 

The consultation will see revised documents developed and informed by external feedback from the community and key organisations, internal feedback from councillors and council staff, and a focused engagement with a demographically representative community assembly. 

Mayor Dom Bonanno is encouraging anyone with an opinion on what the council should prioritise over the next four years, or anyone who holds a vision more broadly for the shire’s future, to take the time to review the existing documents and provide feedback. 

“These key documents outline what we commit to doing on behalf of our community,” Cr Bonanno said.

“In this initial phase of consultation, you do not have to have any prior knowledge of these documents – just a willingness to contribute and a vision for our shared future.” 

“Importantly, this will not be the only opportunity for the community to provide feedback – the release of the revised draft documents later in the year will offer another chance to respond to how we have interpreted initial feedback, and where we’ve identified changes to improve the documents.” 

Macedon Ranges Shire Council, like all councils across Victoria, is legislatively required to complete deliberative engagement – a collaborative, in-depth form of engagement – to review or renew key documents by October 31 in the year following a general election.

 The council is also complementing broader community consultation with a community assembly, comprising approximately 30 members independently selected to represent the broad demographics of the community. 

The assembly will be asked to participate across four independently facilitated in-person sessions across March and April this year, to deliberate on the key documents and provide feedback.

Those keen to have input can visit https://yoursay.mrsc.vic.gov.au/shaping-ranges and follow the survey link to have their say, with submissions in the first phase invited until March 18.

Due to the required earlier delivery and adoption of the Rating and Revenue Plan, the council may seek to incorporate feedback informing this plan a week or so earlier than the closing date of Tuesday March 18.

This story based on a Macedon Ranges Shire media release

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council is preparing to welcome its newest citizens at a Citizenship Ceremony on Tuesday 28 January.  

The ceremony will take place at the Kyneton Town Hall, commencing at 6pm, and will welcome 31 new citizens from 12 countries including: Iraq, India, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Iran, Serbia,  Vietnam, South Africa, Scotland, Philippines, Ireland and Germany.  

Conferees will officially pledge their loyalty to Australia and will be presented with a certificate to  confirm their Australian Citizenship. Each adult conferee will be presented with an Australian native plant and an ‘Aussie Pride Badge’.

The badge combines our flag and the symbolism of Australia’s  national flower, the Golden Wattle. Each child conferee will be presented with a small Australian gift.  

The Kyneton Municipal Band will provide entertainment on the night.  

Council CEO Bernie O’Sullivan, Mayor Dom Bonanno, fellow Councillors and local Members of  Parliament are expected to attend.  

All members of the community are welcome to attend and join in celebrating the occasion.  

Under the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code administered by the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs: ‘Councils must hold a ceremony on Australia Day, or the three days prior  or the three days after Australia Day.’

 The council’s annual Community Awards have been shifted to May, during National  Volunteer Week, in a move designed to streamline the council’s various award programs.

This story based on a Macedon Ranges Shire Council media release

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council is hosting a range of fun activities for children and young people throughout the summer school holidays including an intensive learn to swim program.

The aquatic centres in both Kyneton and Gisborne have both begun running a series of week-long summer intensive swimming programs during the holidays.

Dates ahead for the program include: 

• Gisborne Aquatic Centre (GAC): Monday 13 to Friday 17 January, Monday 20 to Friday 24 January 
• Kyneton Toyota Sports and Aquatic Centre (KTSAC): Monday 13 to Friday 17 January 

Those keen to enrol children in lessons can call 5421 1452 (GAC) or 5421 1477 (KTSAC). 

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council has elected its new mayor and deputy mayor.

The shire’s South Ward councillor, Dominic Bonanno has been elected as mayor for the first year of the new four-year council term.

And West Ward’s Cr Kate Kendall has been elected as deputy mayor, also for a one-year term.

A second term councillor, Mayor Bonanno said: “I thank my fellow Councillors for putting their trust in me. I am looking forward to working with the councillor team, our executive leadership and staff. Let’s continue to make Macedon Ranges a great place live, work and play.”

“I will bring continuity and stability for the councillor group, our organisation and community. I’ll keep building relationships and supporting innovation and continuous improvement to grow our effectiveness and efficiency.”

Annual fire prevention activities in areas managed by the Macedon Ranges Shire Council are ramping up in coming weeks, aiming to keep grass low and trees a safe distance away from powerlines. 

The council last week issued a media release confirming that its roadside grass slashing program was already underway, while an electric line vegetation clearance program was set to begin this week.

Additionally, private property inspections targeting potential fire risks will commence in early November. 

CEO Bernie O’Sullivan said contractors started roadside grass slashing in Malmsbury and would be gradually working their way south, to provide initial coverage of the shire. 

“This program prioritises high-use council-managed roads and our contractors work within strict guidelines to complete these works safely,” he said. 

“Cutting grass on these roadsides, combined with other activities such as the powerline clearance works and property inspections, is all part of our efforts to proactively protect our townships and residents ahead of the higher-risk fire season.” 

In the lead up to summer, and during summer when safe, the council slashes roadsides to reduce the likelihood of fires starting from hot vehicle exhausts, mechanical failures and collisions.

Transport Victoria manages the roadside maintenance of state-managed roadsides. The council is responsible for keeping powerlines clear of vegetation on nature strips and council-owned properties within declared areas of Gisborne and Kyneton.

Powercor is responsible for most other non-declared areas of the shire, with Jemena responsible for Gisborne South. 

As part of the program, qualified arborists inspect street trees and powerlines to identify potential breaches of clearance guidelines and organise trimming where appropriate, adhering to the council’s Electric Line Clearance Management Plan 2024-25. 

The council’s municipal fire prevention officers will also soon be conducting private property inspections to check for fire hazards such as unmaintained long grass, excessive woodpiles or other debris. 

Officers may issue fire prevention notices where necessary. If a property owner does not comply, they may face an infringement of nearly $2,000, plus any costs associated with completing the required works. 

“Our officers don’t seek to fine people – we would prefer to work collaboratively with property owners and help safeguard their property,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“However, we also have a broader responsibility to protect our towns and support residents who are doing the right thing.” 

Visit mrsc.vic.gov.au/fire-heat to find out more about how you can prepare ahead of summer.  

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council says it will soon begin its annual street tree planting and elm leaf beetle treatment programs, to improve and protect the natural environment.

Under the street tree planting program, a different town in the shire is typically prioritised each year, depending on available budget. Carefully selected tree species are planted at strategically chosen locations along streets to enhance a town’s landscapes.

Acting Director Assets and Operations, Simon Finlay, said Kyneton would be prioritised for street tree planting this year, with planting set to occur between August and September – the cooler months giving the trees the best opportunity of establishing through the following summer.

“Tree species are carefully selected based on a range of factors to suit the location and are purchased from local nurseries,” he said.

“An extensive maintenance program is also put in place for the first two years to ensure they mature into healthy and structurally sound trees.”

The tree planting program draws from independent arboriculture inspections and ensures that the community continues to receive the benefits offered by trees such as shade for pedestrians, improved noise and pollution absorption, improved mental health and enhanced streetscape appeal.

From new trees, to existing trees; the Macedon Ranges is home to a significant and healthy population of about 2,400 elm trees. This year, elm trees in Romsey and Lancefield will be the focus of the council’s elm leaf beetle treatment program which will commence in the coming weeks.

The treatment will ensure that the elm trees in these areas are protected from damage and defoliation caused by the elm leaf beetle and remain healthy and vibrant.

The elm leaf beetle feeds on the leaves of elm trees, leaving distinctive round holes which, if left untreated, can severely weaken the trees, leading to reduced visual appeal, safety concerns and a shortened lifespan.

“Eradicating the elm leaf beetle is extremely difficult. Instead, we aim to keep the number of elm leaf beetles as low as possible and reduce the damage they cause by having a preventative maintenance program in place,” Mr Finlay said.

Treatment includes spraying and injecting the soil around the tree’s root zone with low-toxicity insecticide. This safe and effective method protects the trees for up to three years.

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council says it’s taking the next step in developing a Master Plan to guide the future of Woodend Racecourse Reserve, with more detailed proposals developed for community consultation.

Informed by initial consultation undertaken with key user groups and the community in early-mid 2023, an issues and opportunities paper has been developed for the Reserve including two potential concepts that either keep limited equestrian facilities on the site, or relocate them elsewhere.

The Reserve offers residents and visitors a variety of formal and informal recreational activities and is centrally located within the Woodend township.

In addition to being the home of Buffalo Stadium, it currently plays host to a number of user groups and activities including basketball, netball, pétanque, cricket, football and pony/riders clubs.

Acting Director Assets and Operations Simon Finlay said it was important to closely align progress on the future of Woodend Racecourse Reserve with the complementary Draft Macedon Ranges Community Equestrian Facilities Plan, also currently out for community consultation.

“Woodend Racecourse Reserve is a really important recreational area for so many people – from regular users of Buffalo Stadium, to those who might go for an occasional walk or run through the area using existing paths,” he said.

“Whether you’re a local, a regular user or even if you’ve already provided feedback on our shire-wide plan for equestrian facilities, we’d really appreciate your considered feedback on these proposals specific to what is a key recreational site in Woodend.”

Examples of potential opportunities identified for the area include new courts at Buffalo Stadium and outdoors; a second oval/new rectangular pitches; and looking at removing some of the site’s existing older buildings to open up space and improve security.

Examples of issues identified for the area include the site’s heritage overlay; the limited car parking available for larger scheduled events; and the site’s tendency to become waterlogged particularly during winter and spring.

Feedback received during the council’s consultation period will be considered by officers, to help develop a draft Master Plan for the Reserve which will go out for further consultation once finalised.

Feedback on the draft paper is invited until Thursday 5 September 2024 via the council’s Your Say online engagement hub.

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council – in partnership with local business ‘Lily’s Travels’ – is facilitating information sessions to support older people in confidently navigating transport to medical appointments, using public transport.

Each session will include a presentation, opportunities for questions and answers, and take-home information kits including timetables/itineraries.

The council’s Director Community, Maria Weiss, said the initiative supported key findings highlighted in Council’s PARTICIPATE Positive Ageing Plan 2020-2025, which identified that inadequate access to transport was the biggest challenge faced by older people.

“Initiatives like this are important for Council to support, and inform older people in our community on available options and empower them to maintain their independence through public transport,” she said.

“I encourage anyone who might regularly need to travel to attend medical appointments, or need to regularly travel more broadly, to register and attend these valuable sessions.”

The series of five sessions will be run at various locations throughout the shire area with the first set for August 22 and the last session in the series set for September 20.

More information is available through the council’s website.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council CEO Bernie O’Sullivan has responded to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission’s decision to refuse an application for 50 electronic gaming machines at the Romsey Hotel.

“Council is pleased that the application has been refused, affirming council’s opposition to the application in consideration of community sentiment and the negative wellbeing impacts,” he said.

“However, council remains supportive of business investment within our towns such as Romsey and would continue to encourage proposals that demonstrate positive benefits without the need for electronic gaming machines.”

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council has endorsed a new policy to guide how it manages complaints and behaviour deemed to be “unreasonable” into the future.

At its recent scheduled May meeting the council rubber-stamped its new Complaint and Unreasonable Behaviour Policy.

Endorsement of the new policy follows a period of community consultation held over February-March this year.

The updated Policy aims to improve complaint handling and to recognise and manage unreasonable
behaviour.

It is also hoped to reinforce the council’s commitment to providing a high standard of customer service in
line with its Customer Service Charter.

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council has endorsed its new Budget 2024-25 and Council Plan 2021-2031.

The final documents follow months of internal consideration and community feedback, with the council inviting submissions over a four-week period in late 2023 and more than 100 submissions received (some in support of other submissions). 

Through this consultation, a number of community-driven ideas will be funded in 2024-25, including resurfacing works for the Romsey netball and tennis courts; LED lighting upgrades for the South Gisborne Tennis Club; and essential design works for several other projects. 

These initiatives are complemented by a Capital Works Program for 2024-25, which includes upgrades to key roads in Baynton, Kyneton, Spring Hill and Woodend; and bridge upgrades in Lancefield, Macedon (Clarke Street footbridge) and Romsey. 

Several key projects started in 2023-24 have also had a further allocation of funding to either close out or continue the projects in 2024-25 including Stage 2 of the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct, the Macedon Ranges Shared Trail Project and the Kyneton Showgrounds netball development. 

Meanwhile, Council Plan projects due to progress or finalise in 2024-25 include the Kyneton Town Centre Urban Design Framework, the Climate Emergency Response Plan, Open Space Strategy and several recreational master plans including the Macedon Ranges Community Equestrian Facilities Master Plan. 

Mayor Annette Death: “I’d like to thank all those in the community who took the time to provide valuable budget submissions, and to council officers for their consideration and work in finalising these key documents, in partnership with councillors.” 

“We are living through challenging economic times and not everything we would like to fund is possible within one financial year, but with our available funds – including external government grants – we believe we’ve been able to land on a sustainable budget that supports our community.” 

Also of note, as part of the council’s annual fees and charges review it is nw moving towards a full cost recovery model at its three resource recovery facilities, meaning services previously provided free of charge – such as dropping off residential green waste and comingled recycling – will now incur a fee. 

This follows a directive from the Victorian Government’s Ministerial Good Practice Guide on Service Rates and Charges for Kerbside Collection, with councils being asked to move away from including certain fees in the waste charge of rates notices that are for services not specific to a household. 

Consistent with a number of other local councils, the green waste disposal charge is set by cubic metre, with a standard 6x4x1 trailer-load of green waste to cost $13.80. A full list of fees and charges is attached to the Budget 2024-25. 

“The changes to the way Council factors in certain shared waste charges with rates means that we have to adapt and change some of our business-as-usual, to help our Resource Recovery Facilities to pay for themselves,” Mayor Death said. 

“We want to continue supporting our residents by offering important initiatives such as green waste disposal, but this comes at a cost to Council and it is not sustainable for us to continue offering this for free. We know this is a low-cost measure and ensures we don’t operate at a loss.”  

“The good news for our ratepayers is that due to the introduction of these fees at our facilities, the mandatory waste charges within rates notices will not increase as a result.” 

The council received and disposed of about 50,000 cubic metres in the last financial year, with this number steadily increasing by about 5,000 cubic metres year on year. 

RMIT University and the Macedon Ranges Shire Council have teamed up to conduct a world-first coffee concrete footpath trial.

Led by RMIT’s Dr Rajeev Roychand and his colleagues, the trial aims to transform organic waste such as ground coffee and wood chips into a viable option for concrete and a valuable resource for the construction industry.

As part of the trial, sections of a footpath along Howey Street in Gisborne were constructed using both roast coffee grounds and wood-chip biochar to test their viability.

Shane Walden, Council’s Director of Assets and Operations, was pleased to be working with RMIT on this innovative project.

“We’re going to have people walking across the concrete that includes these products and RMIT is going to be coming back and doing testing to see how they stand up,” he said.

“Despite the fact that we’re using coffee grounds or mulch, residents aren’t going to really see or smell any difference in this concrete product.

“It’s really important for Council to be involved in projects such as this and to be working closely hand in hand with universities such as RMIT.

“This not only helps improve the knowledge level of our contractors and our staff, but it also has lots of other benefits and benefits that are important to our community.

“This includes helping the environment, acting sustainably and, most importantly, reducing waste to landfill and having a circular economy.”

Australia generates 75 million kilograms of ground coffee waste every year – most of it goes to landfills, but it could replace up to 655 million kilograms of sand in concrete because it is a denser material.

Globally, 10 billion kilograms of spent coffee is generated annually, which could replace up to 90 billion kilograms of sand in concrete.

Next month ARC Justice and the Macedon Ranges Shire Council will host two free information sessions to help residents manage the insurance process during emergencies.

The sessions will take place in person at Romsey on June 6, and online on June 18, and will cover the essential steps to take before, during and after an emergency

Each session will also cover how to manage the claims process, tips for dealing with insurance companies, how to navigate insurance disputes effectively and where to get additional free help.

More information is available through the council’s website.

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council has formally endorsed a submission to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission opposing an application for 50 electronic gaming machines in the Romsey Hotel.

In considering the submission at its recent April scheduled meeting the council noted that the proposal would have a net detriment of 0.66 on the wellbeing of the community under the ‘no net detriment test’ (a result below 1 (<1) indicates a negative impact, a result above 1 (>1) indicates no detriment has been concluded).

A community survey commissioned by the council – conducted by an independent company – received 1493 responses, with 60.36 per cent of respondents believing 50 electronic gaming machines in the Romsey township would have a negative impact on the broader community and 59.93 per cent of respondents not supporting the application.

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission will consider the application – including the council’s submission – at a hearing commencing May 21 this year.