Featured
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Call for sanctuary – Petition to ban shooting at Cairn Curran
A petition calling for a ban on recreational duck shooting on Cairn Curran Reservoir at Baringhup has attracted hundreds of signatures, the majority of them local, in less than a week.The petition calls for the reservoir and surrounding wetlands to be made a sanctuary and supports a vote made by Mount Alexander Shire Council two…
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POWER PARK STALLED
Plans have stalled for a major community renewable energy park to help power Macedon Ranges. The Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group project, south of Woodend, proposes a facility to combine wind energy, a solar plant and battery storage, but now awaits legislative change for progression. Earlier this month MRSG president David Gormley-O’Brien estimated a four-year delay…
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Better angels of our nature
Whether you believe in angels or simply endorse the values they represent, the latest exhibition to launch at Maldon’s Cascade Art gallery will likely elevate your spirit. Launched over the weekend, Someone to Watch Over Me is subtitled The Better Angels of Our Nature and features photographic artwork by Castlemaine’s Michael Wolfe in a collaboration with writer Kirsten Krauth.…
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K-town reflections
The interesting mix of people who make up the Kyneton community fascinates local artist Adam Lee. Lee is among 11 artists exploring their creative views of Kyneton in preparation for this year’s Kyneton Contemporary Art Triennial in October. The nine-day event has commissioned the artists to present context-sensitive artwork in a variety of media across…
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Blaze spotlights dog attacks
A devastating shed fire at Yapeen in recent days spotlights a wider issue of dogs attacking livestock in the area. Late afternoon, April 25 just gone, beekeeper and honey producer Noel Taylor was using gas to melt hive wax in his big honey production shed when his neighbour across the road phoned with the shocking…
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Clear the verges – Firefighter speaks out on fuel loads
Andrew Avent knows a thing or two about wildfire and has a controversial idea for rural roadside management across the Macedon Ranges. The Newham resident, firefighter and air attack supervisor fought both the 2003 and 2015 ‘planned burns’ that escaped control in the Cobaws; the first from the ground and the second from the air.…
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Just breathe – Men's event unlocks the power of breath
Mark Kluwer is a tradie who now carries a different set of tools. In a search for fulfilment in his early 50s, he unlocked the power of breath and connection. Mark is now helping others find healing through a breathwork and ice water therapy technique that he says has the potential to change a life.…
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A 'lunar landscape'
Fancy a bit of recreation on the Lauriston Reservoir in your tinny or kayak? You’ll have to navigate a “lunar landscape” to reach the water first, local fishermen say. David Taylor is among a group of reservoir users critical of a boat ramp that was supposedly designed to enable on-water recreation. “When the government and…
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Job opportunities at Rationale's new Kyneton headquarters
Luxury skincare brand Rationale will host an information evening at Kyneton Mechanics Institute to share details about their move to Kyneton, its teams and workplace culture and job opportunities. Opening of the state-of-the-art campus facilities on High Street is expected to bring opportunities across the entire Rationale business, each with unique opportunities for growth, development…
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Forest frustration
More than 40 state, national and international groups are calling on the state government to accept recommendations for new national parks in the state’s central west including Wombat State Forest. Following the two-year expert investigation by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, recommendations have been made for large areas of public forests of the Wombat, Wellsford,…
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Sign of the times – Churches slated for sale
A ‘sign of the times’ is the way the looming sale of two historic Uniting Churches is being described by what remains of their once-strong congregations at Yandoit and Newstead. The two historic churches are earmarked for sale with the much-diminished and ageing congregations in each location struggling to cover costs for their ongoing maintenance…
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Jazz fest makes a comeback
The Castlemaine Jazz Festival is set to return in winter 2021 after a year’s recess. Castlemaine Jazz Festival committee member Lyndal McClure and treasurer Caroline Cox told the Express they were thrilled to be bringing a COVID-safe event to the region on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend – June 11, 12 and 13. The highly anticipated event…