News
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Crossing fix soon for Woodend
Pedestrian safety improvements will begin this month where two school children were struck by vehicles during two separate incidents at Woodend in April. The incidents occurred at Romsey Road on April 21 and April 28 when children were walking home from school. Both required medical care and one was taken by road ambulance to hospital…
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Calder potholes frustrate
Drivers are voicing frustration over deteriorating road conditions on the Calder Freeway, where significant potholes have worsened following recent heavy rainfall. Sections of the freeway have had the left lane closed in both directions, with reduced speed limits and warning signs in place, but some commuters say no repair crews are on site. One local…
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Climate conversations in Castlemaine
Women from across the Loddon Mallee are being invited to come together in Castlemaine later this month to discuss practical, community-led responses to climate change. The Women’s Climate Congress on Friday, July 24 will explore the challenges rural and regional communities face from increasingly frequent floods, droughts, bushfires, frosts and other extreme weather events, and…
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TV signals still on the blink
The January 2026 bushfires in regional Victoria caused significant damage to broadcast infrastructure at two sites operated by BAI Communications, formerly Broadcast Australia, at Mount Alexander. The damage resulted in the loss of FM radio services and free-to-air television services to communities across the region including Castlemaine and other areas in central Victoria. Power systems…
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Best Australian Cheese win
Castlemaine artisan producer Long Paddock Cheese took out the title of Best Australian Cheese at England’s prestigious International Cheese and Dairy Awards last week. Adding to this prestigious win, the small central Victorian cheesemaker also took out second place in the same class. Following intense judging against leading cheesemakers from around the nation, Long Paddock…
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Composters call for more time
The statewide rollout of a new four-bin system is creating a stir across Victoria, with many councils expressing concerns that the glass recycling system is unnecessary and costly. In Mount Alexander Shire, however, the issues with glass bins are secondary to the introduction of a FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) bin system, as local composters…
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Wild weather lashes region
A week of wild weather has lashed the region with steady rain and fierce winds causing chaos across the Macedon Ranges. From Tuesday to Friday, Woodend SES attended 42 callouts/requests for assistance including a floodwater road rescue (see report, page 5), trees down and structure damage. A Woodend SES spokesperson said 38 of those calls…
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Orders up for Newham General
Newham General is back and buzzing after reopening its doors to the public on Friday. The town has been without its general store and community hub since it closed in 2024 and local residents were queued up to sample the menu last week. Owner Jo Bombardier said launch day “did not have many quiet moments”.…
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Mountain bikers take out the trash
Frustrated by a lack of action from government agencies, two Macedon Ranges mountain bike riders have begun cleaning up illegally dumped rubbish in the Wombat State Forest themselves. Long-time local residents, Matthew Connor and Craig Jones, spent part of their weekend removing waste from several dumping sites after becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of…
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A frontline service for animals
For the past 10 years, Nikki Medwell has spent her days (and often nights) caring for sick and injured wildlife at the Red Box Wildlife Shelter – her rehabilitation sanctuary in Elphinstone. While the 60-acre bush block, located near Leanganook (Mount Alexander), was spared by the January bushfires, the impacts on the shelter were profound.…
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Funding miss for Macedon reserve
Tony Clarke Reserve has missed out on funding for changeroom upgrades in the Victorian Government’s 2026-27 Country Football and Netball Program. The Macedon project is valued at $650,000 and would upgrade existing changerooms to meet current AFL community standards, ensuring they are inclusive and fit-for-purpose for all user groups. Macedon Ranges Shire Council applied to…
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Hepburn CEO resigns
Hepburn Shire CEO Bradley Thomas has resigned following a turbulent period in the role. Mr Thomas was assaulted by a community member, when doused in coffee at a public location, following a planning dispute in November. Both Mr Thomas and councillor Don Henderson were each served with alleged criminal charges initiated by a private individual…