News
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Family's close shave
Woodend’s Steve Cutajar has family who would do almost anything for him – even shave their heads. It’s not your typical 60th birthday gift, but for Steve, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia, it meant more than he could say. His children Bianca and Matthew Cutajar, along with Bianca’s husband Marcus…
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Podcast goes global
Saltgrass, a Castlemaine sustainability podcast proudly supported by Mount Alexander Sustainability Group and MAINfm 94.9, has gone global! The podcast was recently picked up and highlighted by the New York Times when it ran a list of five environment podcasts to listen to on Earth Day. Saltgrass is the brainchild of MASG team member and long-time MAINfm presenter…
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Sweet smell of success
When the Whiteman family moved from inner city Melbourne to rural Chintin in the Macedon Ranges in 2018, they had no plans to become leaders in the lavender oil industry. With a desire to create a sustainable, mixed farming enterprise, Stuart and Sonia set about planting 12,000 plus lavender plants at Chin Chin Farm with…
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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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Love to sing?
The Pollyphonics Choir has found its voice again after a year-long COVID-19 hiatus and is regrouping this Thursday in Woodend.Conducted by vibrant choral conductor Polly Christie, this mixed voice choir sings a blend of soul, global folk, African rhythms and delicious harmonies. Polly says the choir meets fortnightly and is open to all lovers of…
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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…