Local News
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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…
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Connecting communities – A board game to celebrate the Ranges
As we come out of COVID days, Macedon Ranges Council is supporting the community by funding 10 artists to deliver a range of Creative Encounters projects before the end of June. One of these projects is Connecting Communities – a board game about Macedon Ranges Shire. Artist and writer Jenni Ivins is asking for your…
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Deployed to WA
Gisborne and Castlemaine State Emergency Service members were among the 75 volunteers deployed to Western Australia to support the state’s Cyclone Seroja response and recovery effort. During five-day deployments they assisted in the storm damage response, roof and chainsaw operations and with other resourcing requirements. The category three cyclone hit near the town of Kalbarri…
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Taylor a finalist
Kyneton-based visual artist Ross Taylor will be representing Australia as a finalist in this year’s Sovereign Asian Art Prize held in Hong Kong. The nomination-only prize is recognised as the most established and prestigious annual art award in Asia-Pacific and Taylor was one of 30 selected from a pool of 800 artists. The selected artwork, Ember,…
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On location at Lauriston
Production is under way in Lauriston on The Cost, a psychological revenge drama from director/writer/producer Matthew Holmes (The Legend of Ben Hall, Twin Rivers) and South Australian co-writer Gregory Moss. Set over an intense 48-hour period, The Cost is a harrowing tale of vengeance that spirals desperately out of control. “While revenge is a common theme in movies, it’s…