The RSPCA Victoria has confirmed it received multiple animal cruelty reports over several months regarding horses at properties in the Macedon Ranges and Mitchell Shire council areas, many of which referenced social media posts.

In a statement released in recent weeks the RSPCA said: “We appreciate the community’s concern, and can assure those who are worried, our Inspectorate has active investigations into these matters and have attended the properties reported more than 20 times over the last few months and will continue to do so based on animal welfare needs”.

The RSPCA statement also stated:

“This is a complex matter, with multiple animals, properties and multiple different owners now involved.

“RSPCA Inspectors have previously dealt with two primary properties, however with movement of horses this has increased.

“We can confirm any previously reported injured horses have all received appropriate veterinary care.

“Our Inspectors will continue to attend the sites and monitor the wellbeing of the horses ensuring those responsible for their care comply with their legal obligations to provide food, water and vet care.

As we receive new reports with any new information, we will continue to investigate them; however, it is vital reports are based off eye-witness accounts and not only from what is seen on social media.

While we understand how distressing it can be to see photos of injured and neglected animals on social media, it can be incredibly challenging for our Inspectors to investigate matters when cruelty reports only contain details of what was seen on social media posts.

“These often contain incorrect or out of date information such as inaccurate addresses making it difficult to investigate causing unnecessary delays in an investigation.

“As this is an active investigation, we urge people not to take matters into their own hands as any interference from the public could compromise the outcome, so we ask people to please show restraint.

RSPCA Victoria’s Inspectorate currently has only 28 Inspectors on the road to investigate more than 10,000 cruelty reports across the state, and as a necessity their work is triaged to ensure the most vulnerable animals are investigated first along with continually monitoring ongoing situations like this.

“RSPCA Victoria Inspectors are the only authorised officers under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act who can enforce and prosecute horse welfare in the state and we have received nearly 390 jobs related to horses since December 1, 2024.”

Anyone with concerns about the welfare of animals with first-hand information was urged to make a report to RSPCA Victoria at rspcavic.org/cruelty-report or by calling 03 9224 2222.

It’s estimated it will cost RSPCA Victoria more than $10.7 million to operate the Inspectorate this financial year.

This story based on an RSPCA report. Image: Supplied

Sage Roadknight 19, is a singer from the Macedon Ranges creating in her  own words, ‘futuristic folk music’.

She comes from a musical family, has been  involved with music for pretty much her whole life and first started with the  piano at age six.  

The last time we featured Sage in 2021 she had just won the Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s Battle of the Bandwidth competition and since that time she has continued writing and producing music with vulnerability and insight delivering messages focusing on political, environmental and existential issues.  

Now it’s three years later, a very long time in the shifting world of pop music. But Sage is ticking along, producing albums and singles while attaching an increasingly  sophisticated production quality to her growing repertoire.  

“The last couple of years I’ve been juggling school and music,” she says, “but  I’ve managed to get a couple of notable things done. I was short listed in the environmental music prize in 2022 and after that I had this song called Trust the  Dead that I produced for a music industry class, selected for the VCE Season of  Excellence and exhibited at the Melbourne Museum.”  

Sage has also completed her first full studio album Living Thing released in June 2023. Coming in at around 42 minutes, it consists of 13 tracks delivering a highly  emotive and transporting experience asking you to confront the question: what is it to be a living thing?  

“The response to it has been absolutely incredible and It’s lovely to have things  I’ve written out there accessible to the public.”  

However Sage is not one to sit back now this major project, four years in the  making, has been completed. She has recently released Wake Up. It has a different feel to what she was doing with Living Thing.

That work was essentially an epic concept  project featuring fairies, robots and an apocalyptic flood. But Wake Up is a 80s electronic pop work inspired track with a serious message regarding contemporary class struggle.  

“I hope listeners see the seriousness. With a lot of songs, people choose to not  listen to the lyrics and that’s their loss. But with that song it is pretty prominent, I’m not really hiding anything or being metaphorical. It’s all out in the open.”  

Having amassed such a strong back catalogue, Sage is now at a point in her music career where she wants to merge the character of her studio productions with that of her performances. Presently her live shows are a simple affair, that of a single guitar accompanied by her ethereal voice.  

“I’m looking to start a band. We’ve been talking it over in the household saying: ‘I  really need to make my stage act a little bit more pa-pow!’ It is currently very acoustic  and I would like to have a bigger sound.  

“What I’m aiming for right now is to be able to grab my mic and dance around  on stage instead of being stuck in the same spot with my guitar.

“It would be nice to  get a bit of movement around because I am really starting to feel myself on stage and  the vibe and energy of the audience.”  

As 2024 concludes, Sage is busy collaborating with producers Ricky Ray and Shane Ray on her next studio album which is slated for release next June.

If you want  to see Sage play, her next live appearance will be at the Newstead Folk Festival in January. After that? Well, who knows.  

“As for remaining around regional Victoria or Melbourne, I guess we’ll see. If  something happens and there is an opportunity for me then I’ll go where the wind  blows me.”  

Words: Tony Sawrey | Image: Jaqueline Rae  

Low-income earners or those experiencing hardship are encouraged to take advantage of a low-cost cat desexing day hosted in Romsey in late November.

Available to Macedon Ranges residents who receive a government support payment with a valid concession card, the limited-time service will be delivered by the Regional Community Vet Clinic (RCVC) on Sunday 24 November at the Romsey Hub (96-100 Main Street) in a first for the region.

The RCVC is a not-for-profit offering veterinary care to pet owners experiencing social disadvantage or financial hardship in central Victoria.

“Our mission is to provide affordable animal care services to residents in these areas to increase community wellbeing and animal health,” said Robyn Slattery, Co-Founder and Treasurer, Regional Community Vet Clinic.

Desexing has many benefits, including health benefits for the cat and a reduction in nuisance behaviours. It also significantly reduces the future burden of unwanted cats and kittens on rescue groups, local shelters and Council.

Cats without microchipping can also be microchipped for free, helping you to be reunited with your beloved pet should it go missing.

A donation of $40 to the RCVC covers desexing and microchipping costs, making it more affordable and helping to ease the financial burden for cat owners.

Bookings are essential and limited spots are available. For information or to book, call the RCVC on 0493 447 394.

With Eve Lamb

Macedon Ranges Walking Track: Sanatorium Lake to Camels Hump and Return, 9.5km

While researching possible walks in the Macedon Ranges, it’s the name that catches my eye; the Sanatorium Lake Walking Trail.

Sanatorium? … More on that later.

It forms part of the Macedon Ranges Walking Track (MRWT) and at a very leisurely 2.6 km, joins nicely with a lengthier hike up to the Camels Hump, the highest point in the Macedon Range, making a more respectable 9.5km return walk all up.

So lunch, thermos, waterproof coats, camera and backpacks sorted we head off on an almost sunny Sunday.

Traveling to the Macedon Regional Park via Woodend we start to gain elevation and encounter a phalanx of motorcyclists out to grind their pegs on the sharper Mount Macedon bends.

Turning left off the main road that continues through to leafy Macedon, we instead take the Lions Head Road and continue on past Days Picnic Ground, navigating gravel and a serious pothole or two to arrive finally at the Sanatorium Lake car park.

Nearby a group of folk are on bent knees, all turned to Mecca, for afternoon prayer.  

But for us, first up is the lake. From the car park it’s a quick little saunter to the tiny lake’s edge, beside which, towering exotic conifers are impressive while the native forest too presses in around the water’s edge.

Signage provides a potted history of this little artificial water body in the bush. The lake was built around 1899 to supply water to a tuberculosis sanatorium that was located several kilometers to the south.

Perhaps it’s the predominance of shade and shadow, or perhaps some lingering ghosts of history, but I find this little aquatic feature just a tad eerie, pretty rippling forest reflections notwithstanding.

We complete a lap of the little lake and then follow the Sanatorium Eco-Tourism Trail, part of the Macedon Ranges Walking Track, on to the Days Picnic Ground that we drove past on the way here.

“Keep an eye out for horses… and stags,” advises my sturdy walking accomplice, Paddy H.

“What?”

 “We’re on a shared horse path on this section, and ‘stags’ is a name given to the big old dead trees that have become hollowed. Invaluable for wildlife, micro bats and the like,” my walking companion informs.

Turns out his assertion is spot on, confirmed by information signage a bit further along the trail.

We soon part ways with the horsey section and arrive at the Days Picnic Ground for our packed lunch and coffee with free entertainment courtesy of a large Aussie-Indian group locked in fierce cricketing combat.

Fortified, we again shoulder our packs and pick up the signposted MRWT just beyond the picnic ground’s composting loo block.

From here the trail quickly leaves the picnicking day trippers behind and wends through bushland including some imposing stags.

Carefully, we cross the main road that leads to Macedon, and we continue on the other side following the trail. From here the forest increasingly comes into its own.

Splendid tall eucalyptus tower while on our left glimpses of ancient rock formations impart a sense of drama in keeping with the fact that the Camels Hump is actually the weathered remains of a mamelon – a mass of sticky lava that oozed from the earth’s crust about six million years ago.

The walk now becomes a gradual gaining of elevation and by the time we emerge from the tall forest at the Camels Hump car park my walking companion and I have both worked up a respectable sweat.

From the carpark we tackle the last 1km push up to the summit. Short but sharp. The Camels Hump is 1011 meters above sea level and we’re rewarded with sweeping views across the northern plains.

We count our lucky stars that the rain which has vaguely threatened all afternoon has receded to be replaced by cool sunlight that now adds dazzle to the far-flung vista stretching before us.

But the wind is bloody cold and boisterous and we can only stay here so long to pay our due respects.

Just before hypothermia sets in we head on back down and retrace our steps all the way back to the start point at the Sanatorium Lake carpark to find the previously prayerful have departed, and ours is the only vehicle that remains, aside from a lone motorcycle.

“What stays with you the most about this walk?” I quiz my co-walker as we drive on to Macedon, reflecting on our expedition.

“The tall forest. The poignancy of the Sanatorium and the suffering of the people who had TB.  And the resonance of past Melbourne glories when this area was a summer retreat for the wealthy, when the beach wasn’t so hallowed,” he muses thoughtfully.

And I have to agree. I also think this walk provides just the right degree of exertion and variety for a decent day hike. A gnarly little slice of elevation without leaving you too smashed to enjoy a trip to the Macedon Hotel for afters.

Words & Image: Eve Lamb

Police detected 165 offences during a major road safety operation across Victoria’s west last month.

Operation West Connect saw highway patrol units enforcing across major arterials in Western Victoria targeting high-risk driving behaviour associated with road trauma.

It comes as 141 lives have been lost on the state’s roads so far this year, with 35 of those occurring on roads in Western Victoria.

Bendigo, Campaspe and the Macedon Ranges division has been the worst affected area in the state’s west with 10 lives lost this year, followed by the Ballarat and Moorabool division with a further nine lives lost.

There have been six fatalities in the Horsham/Northern Grampians division, four fatalities in both the Geelong/Surf Coast and the Mildura/Swan Hill divisions, and two fatalities in the Warrnambool/Southern Grampians division.

There were three fatal collisions on roads in Western Victoria in June, and a further six during the previous month in May – three of which were motorcyclists.

Operation West Connect is an ongoing operation focused on detecting speeding, distracted and impaired drivers.

Sixty per cent of offences detected in June were for speeding, with two thirds of speeding drivers detected between 10km/h and 25km/h over the speed limit.

Police conducted 338 preliminary breath tests and 50 preliminary oral fluid tests for drugs, detecting three drug driving offences and two drink driving offences.

The total 165 offences detected during Operation West Connect on Friday 28 June 2024 included:

• 100 speeding offences;

• 20 unregistered vehicles;

• Eight disqualified/suspended and unlicenced drivers;

• Four heavy vehicle offences;

• Three drug driving offences from 50 roadside drug tests;

• Two drink driving offences from 338 preliminary breath tests;

• Two mobile phone offences;

• Two seatbelt offences;

• One vehicle impoundment; and

• One disobey traffic signal

Operation West Connect will continue across Western Victoria – encompassing major arterial roads from Geelong, Bacchus Marsh, Bendigo and Echuca as far west as the SA Border, and from the Surf Coast, Warrnambool and Portland as far north as the NSW Border.

Western Region Road Policing Inspector, Justine Ryan: “While road trauma is actually down on roads in Western Victoria compared to last year, 35 lives lost is still far too many, and we know first-hand the ripple effect this has across our communities.

“Operation West Connect is just one road policing initiative we’ve implemented to help keep all road users safe on roads out in the state’s west.

“Our highway patrol members are always actively on the look out for motorists who flout the rules and make dangerous choices that put all road users lives at risk.

“Speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to serious injury and fatal collisions on regional roads, and yet we continue to catch so many people going over the speed limit.

“Slowing down and sticking to the speed limit, as well as avoiding distractions behind the wheel, are things we can all do to help make our roads safer and prevent further tragedies.”

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council is hosting a range of activities and events for children and young people in the shire throughout the July school holidays.

The program includes:

Creative Kids Shadowland at the Kyneton Town Hall, 10-11 July, is an interactive workshop for children to design, create and play with their own shadow creatures inside the different shadow worlds of 10 domed tents set up inside Kyneton Town Hall.

The workshops are facilitated by artist and designer Lynne Kent who has been involved with various companies including the Victorian Opera, Terrapin Puppet Theatre, Erth Physical Theatre, The Melbourne Women’s Circus, The Australian Centre for the Moving Image and the Queensland Theatre Company.

Dance holiday program, from 8-10 July, 9am-12pm at the Buffalo Sports Stadium in Woodend., is for children aged 6-12 years.

Over three sessions, children will learn hip-hop, acrobatic and acting skills in a fun and engaging environment with a qualified professional.

Intensive Learn to Swim Program, at the Gisborne Aquatic Centre and Kyneton Toyota Sports & Aquatic Centre, will run intensive swimming programs during the holidays as follows:

• GAC: four-day program, 1-5 July (no lesson 3 July); five-day program, 8-12 July.
• KTSAC: five-day program, 8-12 July.

The pool inflatable ─ featuring obstacles, climbing hills and slides – will also run on various days at both aquatic centres throughout the holidays.

More information is available on the council’s website.

Landowners with a passion for improving land management practices are invited to join in a special evening to learn more about the Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s award-winning Healthy Landscapes program.

The council will host ‘Healthy Landscapes – Growing the Community’ at the Kyneton Town Hall on 24 May, with a panel of local farmers and land managers sharing stories of their journey through the program.

Since its launch in 2018, the Healthy Landscapes program has delivered webinars to more than 2,000 participants, field days to over 500 participants and has enabled positive environmental change to about 4,000 hectares across the shire.

Through the program, landowners are guided on how to implement sustainable land management practices and make their land healthier and productive by using fewer inputs and creating healthier soils and waterways.

The program won the Premier’s Choice Regional Recognition Award at the Premier’s Sustainability Awards in 2021, and more recently was shortlisted as a finalist – and received a High Commendation – in the Sustainability Initiative category of the 2024 LGPro Awards for Excellence.

It is funded by Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Hepburn Shire Council and City of Greater Bendigo, the North Central Catchment Management Authority, Coliban Water, Melbourne Water and the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network. Mount Alexander Shire Council will also join the program in July 2024.

The council’s Director Planning and Environment, Rebecca Stockfeld, said the evening was an opportunity to celebrate the program’s successes and connect with other locals with similar land aspirations, share knowledge and foster collaboration.

“We have heard inspiring stories of positive changes resulting from the Healthy Landscapes program since its implementation, so we’re delighted that the program is truly assisting rural landholders in creating a sustainable future,” she said.

The evening will begin at 6:30pm with registrations essential and more information available through the council.

The Macedon Ranges Council’s future plans and actions for young people in the shire are expected to be better informed, following a youth summit held in March.

“It was the first time I had been invited to an event like this and I have enjoyed being asked about my ideas and suggestions and I feel heard.” one participating Gisborne Secondary College student said.

On 21 March, around 90 young people from local secondary schools convened at Woodend Community Centre alongside the council’s youth services team, councillors, Sunbury Cobaw Community Health, Woodend Rotary, headspace, and Djaara Balaki Wuku, marking the first summit of its kind in several years.

The day-long summit provided an opportunity for young people in the shire to come together to have their voices heard and give valuable feedback on key issues including:

• Public transport and isolation
• Environment and global warming
• Physical activity, art and leisure
• Mental health and wellbeing, Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) matters and body image
• Career and education
• School holiday program, tech space and coding

The council’s Director Community, Maria Weiss, says the council’s ELEVATE Youth Strategy provides a comprehensive roadmap guiding the council on how to effectively support and engage with the shire’s young population now and into the future.

“It’s essential that we actively listen to, learn from, and collaborate with our young people to ensure any initiatives we implement under the ELEVATE strategy are relevant to their needs,” she said.

“The summit has provided an excellent opportunity to do this and it was fantastic to see so many young people engage in it in such a positive way and contribute their ideas.”

The council is now analysing the summit findings to ensure the ideas, opinions, concerns, and aspirations raised are included in relevant future plans and actions, with the council committed to supporting ongoing engagement with children and young people.

Garden lovers are in for an Anzac Day weekend treat with the chance to visit two extraordinary private historic properties opening in the Macedon Ranges, with Open Gardens Victoria both today and tomorrow, April 27 and 28.

Resting at the base of the picturesque Macedon Ranges, Bolobek is a unique working farm with glorious gardens and a rich social and agricultural history.

Since 2006, current owners Brigid and Hugh Robertson have invested extraordinary passion and energy into the continuing renovation and rejuvenation of this magnificent property.

Bolobek was established over a century ago by Oswald Syme, the youngest son of David Syme, founder of The Age newspaper. Mildred, Oswald’s wife, directed the creation of the original garden, and many of the trees and shrubs remain from that time, including rows of lindens, mature poplars, and oaks that provide the garden’s backdrop.

In 1969, Robert and Joan Law-Smith purchased Bolobek. Lady Law-Smith was a talented gardener, botanical artist, and writer, and the garden rose to prominence under her direction, welcoming royalty and other dignitaries.

It was one of the first gardens to be opened under the auspices of the Open Gardens Australia scheme in 1983.

Today, the property is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register as having “aesthetic, architectural, historic, and horticultural importance to the State of Victoria.”

“We arrived at Bolobek in 2006 in the middle of a severe drought,” says Brigid.

“So the first couple of years were spent maintaining and observing the garden. It was obvious that one of the most important requirements was a new watering system.

“There was also a significant amount of tree remediation and replanting that was needed.”

Bolobek is at 370 Macedon Road, Macedon. Rafaels Coffee will be providing hot drinks with Hesket Estate wine sales and plant sales from Autumn Joy Nursery and White House Nursery.

Located in one of the oldest settled areas in the Macedon Ranges, Cadella Park is a private family home and working farm with a rich pioneering past.

Open Gardens Victoria will open the historical property to the public for the first time today, April 27 and tomorrow April 28, to celebrate the inaugural Cadella Park Open Garden & Fair.

Cadella Park’s extensive park-like gardens, original circa 1845 stone homestead, and historic collection of farm buildings are set across eight acres with a backdrop of rolling pastures and views to Mount Macedon and Hanging Rock.

The property is regarded as a significant nineteenth-century farm complex, with roots dating back to pastoral lease maps in 1839.

Known previously as ‘Oatlands’, the original 650-acre property cropped oats and was the scene of a damaging fire in 1911 when 50 tons of harvested oat and wheat straw were destroyed.

In the 1930s, Cadella Park housed prestigious horse racing stables (home to 1933 Melbourne Cup winner Hall Mark) and later an internationally acclaimed Murray Grey cattle stud in the 1960s.

The main home, the original stone homestead and a restored barn are among the historic outbuildings that Cadella Park owner Jo Ann Beck says will be utilised for the opening.

Cadella Park is at 109 James Road, Cadello and is open from 10am to 4.30pm.

Garden architect Simon Rickard will lead a garden tour and talk at 11am on both days – with stalls, food and drink by Prunella – a pop-up store, plant stalls, garden equipment and more.

Both gardens are open on the weekend from 10am to 4.30pm. Tickets for each garden are adults $15, tertiary students $10 (with ID), under 18s free. TryBooking

Words & images: Contributed by Open Gardens Victoria

The award-winning Autumn Festival returns this April, showcasing towns across the Macedon Ranges through a range of new and returning trails, events, activities and participating business specials.

Joining the popular suite of tailored trails and regular markets this year from 5 to 28 April are the Live & Local in Community Halls series, celebrating locally based artists and community venues, and the Treasure Trail highlighting some of the region’s top leafy picnic spots.

Returning are the Autumn Pie and Tart Trail, the Food and Drink Passport, Tipple Trails and the Edgy Veg Trail, with the Woodend Visitor Information Centre the go-to festival hub.

Macedon Ranges Shire Mayor Annette Death said the festival, now in its fourth year, was a growing celebration of the region’s natural beauty mixed with some of the best local, seasonal produce and performers.

“I’m unashamedly biased but proud in saying that the Macedon Ranges has so much to offer all year round, but there’s definitely something extra special in the air during autumn,” she said.

“Whether you’re a first-time visitor to our shire, a regular visitor or a resident, we encourage you to plan your trip in advance and enjoy all of what our beautiful towns have to offer.”

To specifically support Macedon and Mount Macedon residents and visitors during the busy autumn period, limited temporary measures will be reinstated along Honour Avenue and surrounds, following a comprehensive review that has prompted Council to refocus on its core responsibilities.

To help manage the influx of visitors, from late March through to 12 May (Mother’s Day weekend), temporary signage will be installed along Honour Avenue and other council-managed roads, to clearly highlight – and enable council officers to enforce – no parking zones.

Then from 29 March (Good Friday) through to Sunday 28 April, on weekends and public holidays, traffic management personnel will enforce a full road closure along the same section of road from 8am to 6pm, to support public safety and in anticipation of higher visitation on these days.

Extra toilet and waste facilities will also be provided in the immediate area, while residents/guests within the road closure area will be provided with exemption passes in addition to multilingual signage to display on their properties.

“The Autumn Festival helps to disperse visitors and economic benefits across the shire, but we acknowledge that people continue to be drawn to Honour Avenue and Council is working to proactively communicate expectations with visitors before they arrive,” Mayor Death said.

“We are committed to supporting residents and this year’s core safety measures reflect that, but it became clear that pursuing extended measures over the longer term would not be financially sustainable or responsible without external support.

“We are however working closely with our partner agencies, such as the Department of Transport and Planning and Victoria Police, on areas they are responsible for such as Mount Macedon Road and the Calder Highway, and providing advice to our local community groups and businesses who may wish to explore further temporary measures to improve amenity of the area on busy days.”

“I’d like to thank all those local residents and businesses who took the time to provide valuable feedback during our review, and we will continue to manage this peak period as best we can.”

Hemp is an often maligned and misunderstood crop. Although it has been used by civilisations for
thousands of years, it became mixed up in the banning of cannabis by the Americans in the 1930s.
It’s because hemp and marijuana share the same botanical name, Cannabis sativa, L. (a mistake by
an English botanist in the 1800s). But Hemp has none of the psychoactive properties contained in marijuana. Hemp is used in a multitude of products ranging from highly absorptive animal bedding to building products to food and textiles.
Since 1999, Lyn Stephenson has been advocating for the wider development of the hemp industry.
She moved from Prahran in Melbourne to the Macedon Ranges for the sole purpose of promoting
the hemp industry. She has experienced many challenges along the way, particularly in relation to
the perception by bureaucrats that hemp is a drug. That is slowly changing, particularly with the
current Victorian State Parliamentary Inquiry reviewing the possibilities for the hemp industry and
assessing ways to support the industry. Lyn commends this action and eagerly awaits the issue of the
final report of the Inquiry at the end of this month.
Overcoming other bureaucratic hurdles, Lyn now holds events on her farm at Lauriston. Her purpose
remains – educating consumers about the possibilities for hemp so that market demand increases
and farmers have a viable market to grow it. Being a sustainable crop, ideal for rotation, hemp helps
with carbon sequestration and bioremediation of soil. Lyn is founder and current President of

Regenerative Hemp Victoria, Inc. and she sits on the Australian Hemp Council.
At Bunjil Farm, Lyn’s aim is to create a hemp “hub” in the Macedon Ranges. A farm day is being held
on Sunday, 19 November 2023 to celebrate hemp in all its forms. Local band, The Amazing Valentinos, will be playing. A coffee van with hemp snacks will be available and the famous Rotary Club of Kyneton sausage sizzle will be there. Echuca man, David Brian from Southern Hemp, will be demonstrating how hemp is used in building; Patricia from Lilac Moon Trentham will be demonstrating tai chi and encouraging participation; and Cheryl from Macedon Ranges Massage will be providing neck massages. Tickets are through Trybooking online.

Hard work pays off
Since planting grapevines on an old potato farm in 1998, Passing Clouds has become a stalwart producer in the Macedon Ranges. At Musk, the vineyard is a lofty 742 metres above sea level on the edge of the Great Dividing Range, which is one of the most exposed and coldest vineyard sites in Australia. Not the kindest weather conditions for some, but perfect for making elegant pinot noir and chardonnay. So it was no surprise in it picking up the MCC Labels Trophy at the recent 2023 Macedon Ranges Wine Exhibition, as well as the Best Wine of Exhibition Award for its 2022 Estate Chardonnay. This is a great result given the stiff competition from the likes of Curly Flat. “It was nice to receive this for our chardonnay as last year it was the turn of our pinot noir to pick up a trophy,” said winemaker and owner Cameron Leith. Cameron puts some of his success down to the hard work done establishing a regenerative approach in the vineyard. “We started work in 2016 which involved improving the soils and our relationships with the land. It is a different approach than conventional viticulture and one which benefits both the soil and our planet.”
Since starting, he has seen a rise in the quality of his fruit coming off the vineyard as well as reducing the input costs, “purity of place has improved and now the wines remind me more of Europe”. As part of their approach, they planted over 700 native shrubs and grasses in different insectariums that encourage more diversity in insect life. This, for example, has helped curb the snail population which can cause havoc once in the vine canopy. They also have higher than normal organic material in the soil thanks to using natural fertilisers from their sheep and composting their winery and kitchen waste.
The trophy-winning Estate Chardonnay is an elegant, restrained wine with citrus and minerally, slightly saline, driven aromas, accompanied by some oak-derived struck-match complexity. The palate is where you see the cool climate shine brightly with fresh acid-driven citrus and stone fruit flavours yet laced with a savoury oak middle palate on a medium-bodied framework. This wine is delicious to drink now and will age well into the future.

Clive Hartley is an award-winning wine writer, educator and consultant. Want to learn more about wine? Try his Australian Wine Guide (7th ed) from Paradise Books, Daylesford, Stoneman’s Bookroom, Castlemaine or via his website – www.australianwineguide.com.au

Macedon Ranges Shire Council officers are working with Local Government Victoria and the Victorian Electoral Commission to fill an unanticipated councillor vacancy following the sudden resignation of a local councillor.

The council on Octber 5 had issued a media release advising that Councillor Anne Moore had resigned from her position, effective immediately. Cr Moore (pictured below) has resigned due to health and family reasons.

CEO Bernie O’Sullivan received and acknowledged Cr Moore’s letter of resignation on Wednesday 4 October 2023.

“From myself personally but also on behalf of Council, I would like to acknowledge Cr Moore’s passionate representation and contributions towards the shire and its residents, since being elected to the South Ward in October 2020,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“I thank Cr Moore for her service to our local community and support of the Council team and wish her all the very best.”

Council officers will now work with Local Government Victoria and the Victorian Electoral Commission on the next steps to fill the Councillor vacancy.

The council asks that Anne’s privacy is respected at this time.

Words: Eve Lamb. Images: Supplied

There could hardly be a better way to welcome the quickening pulse of the season. All who are partial to a good wine will be keen to note that the famed Macedon Ranges Bud Burst Festival is back and happening over the weekend of Friday 17-Sunday 19 November.

The quintessential Macedon Ranges wine-tasting experience, Budburst is a once-a-year chance to step behind the vines and meet the knowledgeable winemakers.

Over a glass of something good, and amidst a backdrop of lush vineyard rows, volcanic rock and ancient plateaus, festival-goers soak up a unique sense of how the region’s family-owned and small-batch makers shape mainland Australia’s coolest wine region.

Across the weekend more than 25 of the Macedon Ranges region’s winemakers across 18 budburst sites, will open their wineries and cellar doors offering tastings, curated food menus championing local produce, art shows, sculptor walks and live music.

Notably, last time it all happened was 2019, pre-COVID, and this time there’s additional good reason to mark the event up big on your personal wine appreciation calendar.

That’s because this time the vineyards on the western (Daylesford) side of the Calder Freeway will also be offering a special wine bus loop – in the same way that those on the eastern (Kyneton) side do.

Among the ‘Daylesford side’ wineries participating is Musk’s Passing Clouds Winery owned and run by Cameron and Marion Leith (pictured below).

In recent days Marion chatted to The Local about preparations for the festival and explained that previously the wineries from this end of the region had participated by showcasing their wines at a central hub at Trentham’s Cosmo Hotel.

But Bud Burst really is all about getting out into the beautiful vineyards themselves – experiencing the terroir where it all happens.

“This time we have created a special bus loop for the Daylesford end as well,” Marion says.

“We have teamed up with Attwoods at Glenlyon and Zig Zag Road winery, and with Wombat Forest Winery and also Shadowfax Wines to offer a bus loop.

“To have a bus loop is a new thing for us and I think it’s a great way of bringing the wineries together.

“People can really make a weekend of it and stay for the weekend, so they could do the wineries on the Kyneton side on one day and then the wineries on the Daylesford side on the other day,” Marion suggests.

Festival goers can jump aboard any of the festival buses and visit up to five wineries on four different dedicated bus routes – including the new Daylesford Drive loop. There’s also the Lancefield Loop, the Kyneton Cruise or the Woodend Wander bus loop options.

Alternatively, wine appreciators may travel independently around the region’s winding country roads and scenic ranges to visit participating wineries and vineyards.

“The festival is really championing cool climate wine,” Marion says.

“Here (in Musk) we are one of the highest vineyards in the Macedon Ranges at 774 meters above sea level.

“Some of the wineries will be offering music and food and there will also be some special umbrella events on the Friday as well.

“We (at Passing Clouds) will be offering an exclusive tasting list highlighting our cool climate wines.

“The Macedon Ranges Vignerons’ Association, which we are part of, really wants to get people to the vineyards. It’s really nice for people to see the vineyards and experience where the wines come from.

“It’s a great weekend for locals to come out and support their local businesses and wineries.”

More detail about the festival, participating wineries, and different ticketing options available can be found on the festival website www.macedonrangeswineandfoodfest.com.au

Located in the Macedon ranges, Hesket-Kerrie and Newham brigades know that planning and training together is important because emergencies don’t respect brigade boundaries.

Looking after an area with a mixture of farms and bush properties, with parts of the Cobaw State Forest to the north, Macedon State Forest to the south and Hanging Rock in between, these two small brigades respond together to incidents in each other’s communities, surrounding brigades’ areas, as well as joining forces to form strike teams and composite crews for fire and other emergencies.

The brigades know that getting to know each other’s skills and resources ensures a collaborative effort that enhances capabilities and response to incidents.

Hesket-Kerrie and Newham work together in several ways including fundraising, supporting events at Hanging Rock, and community days at each other’s stations. They realise a connected community is a more resilient one.

The two brigades have also shared resources including crews and vehicles. For example, when Hesket-Kerrie’s tanker 2 was out of commission during the 2022-23 fire season, Newham lent its tanker 1 to Hesket Kerrie’s Cherokee satellite station. Joint knowledge meant brigade members understood the significance of having a truck in this extreme risk area, and that Hesket-Kerrie would support response into Newham from the Hesket station.

Hesket-Kerrie is now fundraising for a new medium tanker.

“It’s not about empire building, it’s about community risk and knowing how best to cover each other’s backs,” Newham Fire Brigade Captain Bryan Hornbuckle said.

Each brigade brings unique experiences and lessons learned. Sharing these experiences through joint training sessions helps identify best practice, areas for improvement, and fosters camaraderie. Training has included mobile props, scenario drills, burns-offs and members sharing knowledge such as air support expertise.

The brigades’ two training officers recently organised a joint training day at VEMTC Central Highlands. Hesket-Kerrie and Newham were the first brigades from District 2 to use this new training ground. Members ran through a motor vehicle accident and structure and smoke house props and drills, which provided an excellent insight into what members can expect.