Community News
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Brigade joins lifesaving program
Romsey Fire Brigade has joined the list of 50 CFA brigades that are trained and ready to respond to select medical Triple Zero (000) calls. The brigade has been training with Ambulance Victoria for months in preparation for the program, which will complement the Ambulance Victoria Service in the local area. Under the joint initiative,…
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Woodend Neighbourhood House receives boost as pressures bite
Woodend Neighbourhood House has received a funding boost from over-50s lifestyle developer GemLife, as cost-of-living pressures drive increased demand for its services. The not-for-profit organisation is supporting up to 300 people a week – a 119 per cent increase between 2024 and 2025 – through its food bank, community lunches and range of connection programs.…
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Medical physicist grateful to help
As a medical physicist, specialising in radiotherapy cancer care, Newstead Fire Brigade member Anne Perkins decided she wanted to help her community further when she joined the CFA in 2009. Anne and her husband George first joined Newstead Fire Brigade more than 17 years ago in response to the February 2009 bushfires, having just moved…
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Lightning Queens bound for Shitbox Rally
Local hot rodding identities Sharon Soldatos and Stacey Raselli are set to take part in the July edition of the Cancer Council’s Shitbox Rally fundraiser. The ‘Lightning Queens’ will be making the journey in a four-door BA Ford Falcon Station, which was originally purchased by late hot rodder and Graffiti publications founder Larry O’Toole from…
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Appeal close to Newstead’s heart
Newstead and District Fire Brigade members Christopher and Cheryl Simmins have a deep connection to the The Royal Children’s Hospital’s annual Good Friday Appeal, and one that sadly comes with a great deal of grief. When their seven-month-old son James died in 1977, the support from staff at The Royal Children’s Hospital left a profound…
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Calling all Harcourt tradies
Hope Assistance Local Tradies (HALT) will be hosting a breakfast for tradies in Harcourt next Tuesday at James Park. The grass-roots suicide prevention charity organises and runs events for tradies to raise awareness of mental health and connect people with local and national support services. Concerned about the wellbeing of tradies in Harcourt following the…
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Theme set for Mount Dawn Service
Planning is well under way for the 2026 Mount Macedon ANZAC Day Dawn Service, with the volunteer organising committee announcing the theme for this year’s event. The theme for 2026 will be ‘Passing the Torch, Enduring Bonds’, reflecting the way remembrance and service is carried forward by new generations, while recognising the unbreakable connections between…
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Team Uno to hit the road
A Kyneton family is gearing up to hit the road for the Variety Brats Bash, to raise funds for children who are sick, disadvantaged or living with a disability. Travelling as Team Uno, Kaitlin and Christian Pearce, along with their kids Toby (11) and Mabel (12), will depart from Daylesford for Kangaroo Island on Easter…
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Ready to roll at Romsey
After 11 years of community campaigning and determination, Romsey Skatepark is now ready to roll. A large crowd gathered to mark the skatepark’s official opening on Sunday, where the project creators and supporters were celebrated. Lancefield Romsey Lions Club has been a key driver of project with long-serving Lions members Ged McLaughlin vital in building…
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Kyneton Hospital offers new services
Kyneton Health has introduced new services and equipment to make it easier for patients to access high-quality, bulk-billed Allied Health support close to home. In recent months, Kyneton Health has strengthened its lymphoedema care and cancer support services, and added a new podiatry service. Local residents living with lymphoedema or cancer no longer need to…
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Preserving life’s memories
Talented Chewton filmmaker Noora Niasari is offering residents an incredible opportunity to document their loved-ones’ stories, immortalising their memories forever. Noora and her partner Keiran Watson-Bonnice, who has years of post-production experience, brought their collective love and expertise in filmmaking together to form Parandeh Pictures in 2022. Back from the whirlwind tour of Noora’s 2023…
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Volunteers celebrate their garden
The gardens at Macedon and Mount Macedon Community House are in full bloom — and so too is the community spirit behind them. Surrounded by ornamental and productive plantings, the Community House has become a thriving hub for local volunteers who have spent the past year transforming the grounds into a series of vibrant garden…