Latest News
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FOGO and glass bins on council’s agenda
The agenda for tonight’s meeting of Mount Alexander Shire Council is out, and FOGO (Food Organics Green Organics) is top of the list – leaving members of YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) and the newly formed Mount Alexander Organics Partnership (MAOP) feeling confused. MAOP spokesperson Mikaela Beckley said the group was perplexed by the council’s…
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Big Splash makes waves
A push for year-round swimming facilities in Mount Alexander Shire has gathered momentum, with hundreds of community members backing a campaign for better access to aquatic facilities. Swim Mt Alexander (SWIMMA) held a ‘Big Splash’ gathering on Saturday morning, bringing supporters together on the steps of Castlemaine’s historic Market Building to highlight the growing need…
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‘Opportunity to provide certainty’ on DPO24
After years of stymied development and restrictions in key Lancefield growth areas, landholders are now getting a fairer hearing for their predicament than ever before, as the state election approaches. They are asking for removal of Development Plan Overlay Schedule 24 that has hindered land freedom and development for 27 landholders across three areas. The…
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Push to pause on Clarkefield
Macedon Ranges Shire Council has formally called on the Minister for Planning to defer a decision on a major Clarkefield development. MRSC wants Amendment C164 put on hold until major unresolved planning, infrastructure, safety, environmental and financial matters have been independently reviewed and addressed. It is also seeking the minister undertake an independent peer and…
Sport
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Wonder women claim third flag
Macedon women proved why they were overwhelming favourites for the Riddell League’s 2026 women’s football premiership with a 76-point victory over Lancefield in the grand final late on Saturday afternoon. The third successive premiership for the Cats was widely expected, and the joy and jubilation from players and supporters after the final siren and the…
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Unpredictable final round
Round 18 football in the Riddell League produced its share of surprises on Saturday. With an eye on the finals, some clubs rested players, and others closely watched fitness levels. The big surprise was the senior goalkicking award, with Wallan’s versatile Lachlan Smart coming from the clouds to kick 10 goals and tip out favourite…
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Thunderbolt all the way
Kyneton trainer Nelson Smyth has four-year-old gelding Thunderbolt Way racing in fine form. On Friday, Thunderbolt Way made it successive wins by leading all the way in the D-Day Pest Control BM62 Handicap at Geelong. The galloper appreciates heavy tracks, and Jye McNeil had no hesitation in taking the $6 chance to the front, allowing…
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Cats clinch third spot
Systematic and methodical, Macedon senior footballers wrapped up third spot on the Riddell League ladder by defeating fifth-placed Melton South by 40 points at Tony Clarke Reserve on Saturday. The Cats were runners-up to Riddell in a pulsating grand final in 2025, and they will now play sixth-placed Kyneton in an elimination final. Reigning premiers…
Community
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Oscar among the brightest minds
Nine-year-old Malmsbury Primary School student Oscar Chan has earned a place among Australia’s brightest young minds after being invited to join Australian Mensa. Oscar, a grade four student, received the invitation after being assessed by a neuropsychologist as gifted, placing him among the top two per cent of the population for intellectual ability. Australian Mensa…
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Memorial garden works continue
Works to restore the Heritage Memorial Rose Garden continue at Kyneton High School. Last month Kyneton High School parents, teachers and Kyneton U3A volunteers took part in a successful working bee. The volunteers laid irrigation donated from Midland Irrigation and planted two pencil pines that were donated by Kyneton Horticultural Society. U3A Gardening in a…
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Giving the gift of life
Three years ago, Gail Laycock lost her adored husband Darren ‘Muddy’ Laycock, a week before his 56th birthday. Darren was a motor mechanic and a ‘dinky-di bloke’ who loved football, speedway racing, camping and fishing. His nickname ‘Muddy’ came from his habit of coming off the football grounds with mud on him – even on…
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A celebration of nature and art
From a graffitied drainpipe to the beautification of Murnong Creek – a new mural project at Lions Memorial Park in Riddells Creek is transforming an eyesore into an inspiring celebration of nature, art and local collaboration. Riddells Creek Lions Club worked along two local artist, Lyn Hovey and Jarryn Pitts, to convert a graffitied structure…
Leisure
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A theatrical masterpiece
Following the spectacular success of its inaugural production, The Seagull, The Ravens Theatre Company is thrilled to announce its second production: Samuel Beckett’s theatrical masterpiece, Waiting for Godot. The Seagull became a remarkable hit, selling more than 1,800 tickets and playing to sold-out audiences in Castlemaine – an astounding achievement for the first production by…
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Deeply personal amid devastation
A new exhibition by award-winning realist artist Chris Moule has been unveiled at Harcourt Produce and General Store. A Brush with Colour features watercolours, acrylic and oil paintings and intricate pen and ink and pencil drawings. It includes a series around a central theme, ‘Before, during and after the 2026 bushfires’, which left devastation and…
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Folk singer to perform
Rising Naarm/Melbourne-based dream folk singer and songwriter Bec Sykes is headed to Castlemaine to perform songs from her Australian Music Prize-nominated debut album Pepperpot Magic and preview the new music she’s been creating since its release. Lauded for her songwriting prowess, striking voice and captivating stage presence, the magnetism of Bec Sykes’ live performance is…
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Maayan Licht set to dazzle
The Castlemaine State Festival is counting down the days until its next highly anticipated fundraising event on August 14. Imagine Farinelli meets Freddie Mercury. Enter Maayan Licht, the dazzling sopranista hailed as one of Europe’s most electrifying new stars, making his long-awaited Australian debut, which will include a stopover at the Castlemaine Town Hall. With…