Environment
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Gisborne fight not over
Opponents to Gisborne Business Park’s expansion fear their voices have fallen on deaf ears as the proposal lives on in Macedon Ranges Council’s draft Gisborne Futures project. More than 300 residents petitioned council last year to scrap the plan that seeks to expand industrial and commercial activity to Saunders Road by rezoning Rural Living land.…
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Woodend wildlife op shop opens
A new op shop has opened in Woodend to provide much-needed financial support for our regional wildlife rescue and shelter services. Woodend local Sandy Howe has opened Wildlife Shelters Op Shop, at 42 Urquhart Street, after years of wanting to do more to help protect our native wildlife. Having worked for the neighbouring Salvos Store…
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Healthy landscapes
Connecting Country has been successful in round three of the Smart Farms Small Grants program and will receive $49,623 to develop a targeted Healthy Landscapes guide and on-farm workshops. The guide and workshops aim to provide local farmers and other land managers with practical tools to better understand their land and make informed management decisions…
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Farmers win in land battle
A fourth generation Springfield farming family has taken on the state government in a David and Goliath battle over land, and won. Backed by Macedon Ranges Shire Council, the Clement family succeeded at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in preventing fragmentation of farmland at 75 Clements Road, Springfield. The family donated the land as…
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Lancefield recycling centre launches
Lancefield locals are encouraged to think twice about what they are sending to landfill through the launch of a Lancefield Recycle Centre last week. The Neighbourhood House initiative enables residents to ethically dispose of normally hard-to-recycle waste through simple sorting at The Townhouse drop-point. People can now easily dispose of and recycle bread tags, writing…
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Fed up: Diggings park vandalised
Fed up Chewton locals say they’ve had enough of vandalism being inflicted on treasured local walking trails and public land within Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. Residents and members of the Golden Point Landcare group say trail bikers are illegally using walking trails and other public off-road spaces in the park, churning up ground and…
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Sustainable living at The Paddock
Work is set to begin shortly on stage two of The Paddock Eco Village in Castlemaine after the project took a hit during the recent pandemic. The Paddock developers Neil and Heather Barrett said they were all set to go on the next stage when coronavirus struck and three of their buyers were forced to…
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Alternative development?
“Sometimes what may seem radical, almost ridiculous now, can turn into a visionary decision when looked back on by future generations.” This is just one view on a concept to offer Gisborne’s former champion ex-racehorse property Glen Junor as an alternative to traditional development. A cornerstone of the concept is the developer’s promise to set…
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GROWING PAINS FOR GISBORNE
Gisborne’s coveted village feel could be compromised if Macedon Ranges Council’s draft 30-year plan for the town is adopted without change. The plan recommends controversial expansion of Gisborne Business Park and allows for high-density development close to the town centre including three-storey homes and four-storey commercial fronts. But it was the unanticipated and rushed inclusion…
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Exploration shock – Residents protest gold drilling in the Wombat
Blackwood residents protested in the Wombat State Forest last week after they discovered mining company Currawong Resources had begun exploratory drilling for gold. Residents said they were distressed to become aware of the mining operations in an area that was recommended by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council to become part of the Wombat Lerderderg National…
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Farm Zone win for Lancefield family
A Lancefield couple has fought to build their dream home and business in a Rochford-area Farm Zone and won unanimous support from Macedon Ranges councillors, against planning department advice for refusal. The Sankey family purchased their 10.12-hectare property at Rochford Road seven years ago hoping to build a home, relocate their established earthmoving business and…
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Grants cash splash
Maldon Urban Landcare has reason to feel well pleased with itself this week after being named among the local groups to secure some grant dollars through Mount Alexander Shire Council’s latest round of community grants funding. All up, 16 successful local groups and organisations have secured a grant – sharing in close to $48,000. Announced…