Community News
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Woodend CFA women on fire
The important role that women play in the efficient running of the Woodend CFA was celebrated at the brigade’s recent annual dinner and award presentations. Four of the top six awards presented at the dinner were given to women, with the Member of the Year award going to Cara Nolan for an outstanding year of…
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Restoring the mountain’s waterways
As the Winter Solstice approaches, the Macedon and Mount Macedon Landcare Group has been preparing to launch a visionary plan for the restoration of local waterways on the southern slopes of Mount Macedon. “We worked with our landcare facilitator to identify seven stretches of local creeks for regeneration, that will help wildlife move, feed and…
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Volunteers ‘priceless’
The winners of the Macedon Ranges Community Awards 2025 have been officially announced, with inspiring individuals and groups recognised for their contributions to the shire. Held at the Kyneton Town Hall on Thursday May 22 during National Volunteer Week, the event celebrated outstanding efforts across eight award categories, as part of a newly consolidated format…
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A perfect compost recipe?
I was recently asked just how much of those carbon-rich materials, like straw, autumn leaves and chopped up woody garden prunings, should we blend into our compost each time we add a bucket of food scraps from the kitchen. At YIMBY we train hot composters to a level where they no longer need a recipe,…
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A platform for young makers
An inaugural Wesley Hill Young Makers Market aims to create a platform for young people in Mount Alexander Shire’s vibrant artistic and creative community. The program, supported by Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Quick Response Youth Grants, will form part of the Wesley Hill Market from 9am to 1pm on Saturday May 31. In keeping with…
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Can we really put fats and oils in our compost?
The conventional wisdom, according to most composting resources, is to not put fats and oils into composts. Why is it that composting lipids (fats, oils and waxes) is considered a no-no, and what would we do with them if we don’t compost them? The main explanation for keeping lipids out of compost piles is to…
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BMT returns to Plaistow
Joyces Creek couple Peter and Lilian Skilbeck will once again be throwing open the garden gate to their beautiful Plaistow Homestead as part of the annual Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser this Saturday May 24. The event will kick off at 10am and run through until 12.30pm. Every cent raised goes directly to Cancer Council to…
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A timely evolution
When the Newstead Men’s Shed first formed three decades ago, the founding members would never have dreamed that one day women would be admitted into the group. Last week, however, the first eight female inductees happily made their way into the workshop – with a further six already signed up! Shed secretary Graham Lees told…
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Rebrand for foodbank
The Kindness Collective has rebranded as Kyneton Foodbank in a move to improve connectivity to its services. Board director Rhonda Holmes said the rebranding had helped people in need locate the service with ease. “We found that people didn’t understand what The Kindness Collective was and when people in need tried to search for foodbanks…
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‘Greens’ and ‘browns’?
Many compost educators use the rule of ‘greens’ and ‘browns’ to differentiate between compost ingredients that are high in nitrogen (greens) and those that are high in carbon (browns). Perhaps the idea originates from leaves and grass being ‘green’ (and high in nitrogen), while sticks and woody things are ‘brown’ (and high in carbon). If…
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Learn to ‘plant them right’
People planting tree seedlings typically hope to see belts of established trees within a few years. Some will want to protect their stock from cold and heat, and some may hope to provide nesting places for small birds and homes for beneficial insects. However, there can be great disappointment, and waste, when those newly planted…
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What does YIMBY do with the compost?
Here at YIMBY we are often asked what we do with all the compost we make. Yes In My Back Yard is a community composting initiative that has been going, and growing, since 2021. We now have 28 community composters in Mount Alexander Shire and 10 more about to start. We collect food scraps from…