Community News
-
Community plea for funding
More than a thousand postcards will make their way to parliament backing increased funding for Macedon Ranges’ strained Neighbourhood Houses. Years of inadequate funding has put the services at risk of closure and threatened the vital programs they provide. Kyneton, Woodend, Gisborne, Lancefield, RIddells Creek and Romsey services have joined the state-wide ‘Keep Our Doors…
-
Kyneton unites for Christmas
Kyneton community groups are gearing up in collaboration this Sunday for a celebration of community and carols and all things Christmas. Kyneton Christmas Collective together with Social Foundry and the Rotary Club of Kyneton, are gathering and guiding Kyneton’s melting pot of community groups and churches to collectively host a night of carols and entertainment…
-
Dry grass and pea straw, not what you might think
With the fertility of spring drawing to a close and the dry of summer approaching, we often find ourselves with lots of dry grass to deal with. So, what role will it play in our compost? It is easy to think that if a compost ingredient is dry and brown, it must be on the…
-
Time to light up Kyneton
Get ready to light up the town for the Kyneton Christmas Light and Decoration Competition. The Kyneton Christmas Collective competition encourages residents and businesses to get into the festive spirit with a chance to win prizes. Prizes include Best Overall Display, People’s Choice, and Most Resourceful Display (for creative, budget-friendly and eco-friendly decorations). Participants have…
-
Memorial gates’ new gleam
Malmsbury’s heritage World War I memorial gates have a new shine with restoration works now complete. Friends of Malmsbury Gardens and Environs led the project with a $27,492 grant from the Victorian Government’s Restoring Community War Memorials and Avenues of Honour Program, and in-kind support from Macedon Ranges Shire Council. Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas, friends…
-
Let’s celebrate diversity
Celebrate International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) by joining in a free community event in Castlemaine on Wednesday December 3. IDPwD works to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability. It’s also a day to celebrate diversity and think about how we can make our shire a more welcoming and inclusive…
-
A more grounded kind of worm farm
Why keep our compost worms in a box when they are probably happier in the ground? In-Ground Worm Farms do just this, bringing our worms down into our gardens. The size and shape of IGWFs vary greatly, but they all share the same basic design. The top and access lid sit above garden level with…
-
The house that Castlemaine built
Ten years ago, the Castlemaine community generously supported Mount Alexander Accommodation and Respite Group to construct a purpose-built respite facility for people with intellectual and development disabilities in Mount Alexander Shire. The generosity of the McDonald family donating land, the Castlemaine Lions providing a substantial seeding grant and community members donations provided the Committee of…
-
Get your show entries in!
The 171st Castlemaine and District Agricultural Show returns to the Camp Reserve this Friday and Saturday, October 31 and November 1. Be sure to get your horticulture, flower and cookery entry forms in by tomorrow, Wednesday October 29, at 5.30pm. These entries must be dropped off between 8am and 10am on Thursday October 30. Judging…
-
Three generations keep tradition alive
For the Collier family of Kyneton, the Agricultural Show isn’t just a date on the calendar – it’s a family tradition that’s spanned nearly 30 years and now three generations. It all began in the mid-1990s when Sarah and Ross Collier’s daughter, Steph, and youngest son, Andrew, first entered the pavilion competitions with home baking.…
-
Young women to broadcast
A pilot program is offering young women in Mount Alexander Shire the opportunity to develop a podcast to be broadcast on MainFM radio show, Femme Fortissima, which airs on Fridays from 11am – 1pm. The hands-on podcasting workshop series is tailored for young women, providing skills in audio storytelling, editing, interviewing and podcasting. The program…
-
Woodend market a world best
Woodend has been honoured as one of the Top 3 Farmers Market Towns… not just in Australia, but in the world, for 2025. The recognition was given at the Third General Assembly of the World Farmers Markets Coalition, held during the World Food Forum in Rome. While Rome took the top prize, Woodend’s recognition as…