Community News
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Lancefield plan endorsed – Councillors divided on ‘community opinion’
Passionate pleas for council to dump a restrictive development plan for Lancefield have ended in disappointment for some landowners. Macedon Ranges Shire councillors endorsed a development plan overlay on three residential areas in the township in a 5-4 vote at their ordinary meeting last Wednesday. Lancefield local Robert Green said the move had taken away…
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Scouting ideas for park
Elijah Heriot is scouting for ideas to improve Quahlee Park in Woodend’s north. He may be just eight years old but Elijah is determined to see the 7.5-acre park in Stuart Drive upgraded with facilities to match the growing community’s needs. “Quahlee Park is our only park in north Woodend and it could be much…
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MAINfm kicking goals for community
The second annual MAIN Kick-Off is hitting Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve this Saturday for a community fundraiser of a different kind! The day will feature an all-inclusive game of footy plus loads more and promises to be fun for all! The day is a major fundraising initiative for 94.9 MAINfm and will kick off the station’s…
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Time to take tea at Plaistow
Renowned for its luscious cakes and home-baked scones, the annual Biggest Morning Tea at Plaistow Homestead has gained a hungry legion of supporters. In preparation for this year’s morning tea Lil and Peter Skilbeck, owners of this gracious country homestead at Joyces Creek, have again been busy preparing delicious morning tea treats ahead of the…
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Walk together with courage
A host of events are planned for National Reconciliation Week in Mount Alexander Shire – starting this Sunday with a special Sorry Day commemoration at Harcourt. Local Indigenous elder Aunty Julie McHale will be keynote speaker for Sunday’s Harcourt Sorry Day event hosted by Mount Alexander Shire Council. “This is an opportunity for all of…
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Biggest morning stroll
Pull on your walking shoes and take a stroll around Castlemaine’s beautiful botanical gardens for a very good cause this Thursday. Castlemaine District Community Health nurse Bronwyn Grieve said that to coincide with Cancer Council’s Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea they were holding the special morning walk at the gardens with all funds raised to fund…
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Solar win for social enterprise
A Kyneton not-for-profit cafe’s annual power bill will be slashed by around $5000 a year after the installation of solar panels. The Social Foundry has installed a 20kW solar system thanks to a $20,000 grant from energy retailer Powershop and support from the More Australian Solar Homes community solar bulk-buy. The 68-panel solar system will…
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Tempo builds for jazz fest
A month after their release, ticket sales to this year’s Castlemaine Jazz Festival are building tempo with organisers now encouraging jazz fans to snap up an early bird pass while they can. Staged over the June 7-10 Queen’s Birthday long weekend this year’s festival will bring more than 50 bands and around 300 musicians to…
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Licensed to kill
Hundreds of kangaroos across the region shot by incompetent hunters issued state government permits to kill, need to be euthanised by wildlife rescuers to put them out of their misery. Manfred Zabinskas, who runs a wildlife shelter in East Trentham, said rescuers were regularly finding kangaroos that hadn’t been “killed cleanly”. “They’ve been shot horribly.…
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Hungry for more
Central Victoria’s reputation as a foodie destination stands to gain international recognition from Greater Bendigo’s bid to become a designated City of Gastronomy. The submission to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network could put the region on the world map for food and beverage alongside the likes of Gaziantep (Turkey), Chengdu (China), Parma (Italy) and Tsuruoka…
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Sky-high result for cancer fundraiser
Despite overcast skies, more than 350 people packed the hangar at the Kyneton Aero Club on Saturday for the annual Cancer Council morning tea fly-in. The fly-in attracted aircraft from Melbourne, Euchca, Bendigo, Geelong and other parts of Victoria who parked up in the display field beside the dozen or so planes owned by aero…
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This ole house …
For many restoring a dilapidated house solo on a budget of practically nothing could be a headache. But for Castlemaine’s Cr Max Lesser it’s become a creative challenge and one he’s relishing since taking on the job to convert a degraded house at Harcourt’s Victoria Road entryway into something to catch the public eye. “I…