Latest
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Brigade calls on community
Langley-Barfold Fire Brigade volunteers are appealing for community assistance to replace their stolen support vehicle. The Ford Ranger was found torched near Lake Eppalock in April and now the brigade is faced with the challenge of replacing the vehicle and having it fully functional before the next fire season. Brigade captain Ian Lonsdale said the…
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Comparing our crime stats
Mount Alexander Shire has a consistently higher crime rate per head of population than its Macedon Ranges Shire neighbour, the latest Crime Statistics Agency data indicates. The new data shows the offending rate in Mount Alexander was 5632.3 per 100,000 of the population over the 12 months to the end of March this year with…
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When less is more
In a world with a population forecast to hit 8.5 billion in just 12 years, the need to find more effective means of housing people is becoming ever more urgent, Castlemaine’s Anitra Nelson says. As associate professor with the Centre for Urban Planning at RMIT, identifying new and more efficient ways of housing people is…
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Backlash over bike review
Community backlash may force Macedon Ranges Shire Council to reconsider a review of its ban on motorised recreational vehicle use within 500 metres of a house. The local law was adopted five years ago in response to a multitude of complaints about recreational vehicle noise and impact to amenity, but councillors recently voted 5-4 to…
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Battle of the vines
Several Macedon Ranges locals are set to feature in an innovative Australian-developed lifestyle TV series that is about to shake up the staid world of wine on television. Welcome to Battle of the Vines where there is only one question – “Who makes the best wine?” The six-part series is ‘State of Origin’ style across…
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Two Mad Italians – And a dinner at Braemar College
Back by popular demand, and with the support of the Italian Institute of Culture, accordionist Pietro Roffi and violinist Davide Monti return to Australia for one performance only together at the Woodend Winter Arts Festival. There will be one other chance to see Roffi: He will be the feature artist at the Festival Finale Dinner…
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Homegrown jazz debut
Castlemaine’s own Goldfields Jazz Orchestra is a testament to people power – and to the zest of the region’s homegrown music talent. Inspired after catching some of the big sounds at last year’s Castlemaine Jazz Festival, Castlemaine Secondary College music coordinator Kirsten Boerema and instrumental teacher Michael Timcke thought – why can’t we do that?…
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Music and movement
This weekend Woodend will be bursting with colour, music and movement as the Woodend Winter Arts Festival launches with the much-loved free fireworks on Friday night. It will be the biggest Friday night for entertainment in Woodend for the year as the town is set to triple its population with visitors from Melbourne, interstate and…
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“Pathetic” – Councillor slams Australia’s recycling inaction
Mount Alexander Shire Council has joined calls for a federal government inquiry into the future of waste and recycling in Australia with a local councillor slamming the nation’s recycling inaction as “pathetic” at last week’s council meeting. Meantime, the federal member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters says the nation’s recycling and waste management is at crisis…
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Wildlife carers slam proposal
A government department proposal to consider making it illegal for wildlife carers to rehabilitate native wildlife species deemed ‘over abundant’ has raised the ire of many local wildlife carers, rescuers and others concerned with animal welfare. The proposal mooted on page 31 of DELWP’s current Review of the Authority to Control Wildlife discussion paper suggests…
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‘A win for democracy’
Two Castlemaine fathers who appeared in court last Friday charged with trespassing in a politician’s office during a protest against Queensland’s proposed Adani coal mine are hailing the court’s decision as a win for democracy. Damien Cook and Bernard Tonkin, both members of Central Victoria Climate Action, fronted Bendigo Magistrates Court on Friday charged with…
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Marvellous mushrooms
After just a few months of operation, Windarring’s urban mushroom farm in Castlemaine is flourishing, and with multiple local eateries signing on to purchase the organic mushrooms the venture is growing in recycled coffee grounds. It’s a win-win for the Windarring workers who were otherwise facing redundancy after The Copy Centre closed – and for…