Featured
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Council workers in industrial action
Macedon Ranges Shire council workers stopped work for three hours on Tuesday as part of their campaign for a better work deal. Major sticking points in negotiations with council are a low pay offer and the union’s claim for extending the phone allowance to casual workers. A union spokesperson said Macedon Ranges Shire management…
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First and Forever
First Nations artists will converge on Victoria’s most spectacular stage, The Gathering Place at Hanging Rock, on Sunday November 27 for a landmark music event. Announced last week by Mushroom Group, the Victorian Government and Bad Apples Music, First and Forever will present a day-long festival celebrating Blak excellence and the irrepressible force that is…
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Shed blaze hits golf club
Bill West Romsey Golf Club has been hit hard by a fire that broke out in its large machinery shed last Thursday afternoon. Preliminary estimates put the damage at about the $100,000 mark, but this could be higher when a full assessment is carried out. A mixture of rain and fog prevailed at Romsey (and…
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Women gather in gumboots
After days of torrential rain, it was lucky the dress code included gumboots for the 10th anniversary of the North Central Catchment Management Authority’s Chicks in the Sticks event. With COVID restrictions preventing the event from running for two years, almost 100 women were delighted to meet face to face in the beautiful gardens at…
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Don’t miss the Show!
The time-honoured Lancefield Agricultural Show is back again this Sunday, October 16, and woodchopping will be one of the many highlights. Young Riddells Creek axeman Zac Giouzelis – pictured in action in the recent Stihl Timbersports Australian Rookie Championship where he gained a bronze medal – is among many of the notable competitors coming to…
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Legal action over creek
A group of landholders have threatened legal action over the discharge of Class B recycled water into Deep Creek in the Romsey area. Greater Western Water began controlled releases from Romsey Recycled Water Plant last month attributed to a rise in storages from sustained heavy rainfall. The release has contaminated the creek which those fronting…
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Brigade seeks new home
Could Riddells Creek Fire Brigade soon have its new, long-awaited, home at the south-west corner of Riddells Creek Recreation Reserve? Last week, Macedon Ranges Shire Council released the CFA’s draft proposal to relocate the brigade’s station following a lengthy search for a site. The Crown land reserve, zoned public park and recreation, at 26-32 Sutherlands…
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Bridge closure disrupts
Malmsbury’s Ross Road residents have been denied access over the street’s historic bluestone bridge until safety repairs are made. Many residents were left frustrated last week with no notice or explanation of the closure, and forced to re-route using what some describe as “pot-hole-ridden dirt roads that pose more risk than the bridge”. The bridge…
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Moo-ving rescue
Firefighters helped to save a cow stuck in mud up to its neck in Kyneton on Thursday. Four CFA units from Arthurs Creek, Tylden and Kyneton were called to the scene at a Greenway Lane property about 11.51am. Macedon Ranges Shire Council was also on scene and made heavy machinery available for any potential rescue…
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Axeman on the way up
Riddells Creek arborist Zac Giouzelis has proven his precision and speed in claiming bronze at Stihl’s Timbersports Australian Rookie Championship. It was the 22-year-old’s debut Stihl event at the Gold Coast earlier this month and he was excited to share the podium. Curtis Bennett (NSW) won the Rookies Championship gold and Mitch Scrivener claimed silver.…
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Roo cull cruelty
A kangaroo found in Hesket with a large hole blown out of the side of his face by a bullet has highlighted the cruelty which can be caused by the permitted shooting of these animals in Victoria. Earlier this month, local wildlife rescuers attended the injured kangaroo. He was hiding in a pump shed (pictured),…
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Run the Maine a success
Runners from across the region and beyond descended on Castlemaine on AFL grand final eve, September 23, for the annual Run The Maine fundraiser. It was the first time in two years that runners could return to the track after pandemic disruption forced the popular annual event to move to an online format. Hundreds of…