News
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Crossing creates division
Q. What do you get when you put a zebra on top of a wombat? A. A pedestrian crossing that divides the community. The new pedestrian crossing on Mostyn Street in Castlemaine’s CBD, a wombat (a raised speed hump) with a zebra (thick, parallel white stripes) on top, was officially opened on Friday by MP…
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Push for safer parking
Liberal MP for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell spoke in parliament last week asking that the Minister for Environment fund construction of new on-site parking at Expedition Pass Reservoir in the 2026-27 state budget. Mount Alexander Shire Council has identified a location for building a new car park on Parks Victoria land on Llewellyn Road, Chewton.…
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Caravan fire takes off
Two caravans were destroyed by fire at a Gisborne property last Tuesday. Gisborne Fire Brigade was paged to the scene on Braeside Road about 5am when they found the two caravans fully alight. Firefighters acted quickly to contain the blaze and ensured it did spread beyond the initial area. The caravans were a total loss.…
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Council throws off “blanket solution”
Macedon Ranges Shire Council calling for the Victorian Government to hit pause on sweeping planning reforms they fear will shake the Ranges. Under the Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Bill 2025, Victoria’s new homes, duplexes, townhouses and low-rise apartments will not require notice and there will be no third party appeals. It also seeks…
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“What is the point?” Protections ignored
A document built to protect Macedon Ranges’ distinctive areas and landscapes is being “ignored” and lacks power, Macedon Ranges Shire councillors say. While Macedon Ranges was the first declared Distinctive Area Landscape in 2018, the council says vital steps have lagged that would ensure its special protection. The Macedon Ranges Statement of Planning Policy 2019…
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Nurturing connection on Country
An excited crowd of local First Nations and non-Indigenous community members gathered on Friday at Me-Mandook Galk Indigenous Education and Bush Tucker Place in Chewton for a celebration filled with music, connection and hope for the future. The event marked the launch of Uncle Rick’s Community Shed and the announcement of major BIG Project funding…
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Inquiry calls for change
The Victorian Government has been warned that the current model of volunteer wildlife rescue is unsustainable and wildlife roadstrike danger in increasing. The Legislative Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee tabled its final report on the Parliamentary Inquiry into wildlife roadstrike in Victoria last Tuesday. It presented 32 findings and 18 recommendations to respond the crisis…
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Mayor caught drink-driving, won’t stand for re-election
Macedon Ranges mayor Dom Bonanno has lost his driver’s licence after being caught speeding and drink driving in the mayoral car last month. Police said Cr Bonanno was pulled over on McGeorge Road in Gisborne South about 8.15pm on Friday, October 31. He returned a positive roadside breath test and was taken to a local…
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Old hospital rebirth begins
Embracia Victoria has begun early works on the redevelopment of the Old Kyneton Hospital into a mixed-use destination. Director Sarah MacKenzie said Embracia had long awaited the chance to restore the Old Kyneton Hospital into a mixed-use destination. “The proposed adaptive re-use development will combine commercial offices on the ground floor, which will endeavour to…
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Bill to silence objectors, speed up planning
Victorians could be stripped of third-party planning appeal rights as the state government prepares for what it has called the “biggest planning shake-up in decades”. Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny introduced the Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Bill 2025 into the Victorian Parliament on October 28 in a bid to speed up planning processes.…
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Department of Justice throws BBQ for Malmsbury
The Department of Justice held a public forum in Malmsbury last Thursday night for its first official meeting with residents since announcing the town’s youth detention centre would reopen. About 50 residents, local first responders and councillors attended the DOJ’s sausage sizzle, held on the prison lawn adjacent to the carpark. The crowd informally gathered…
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People, pets to go together
Castlemaine Cemetery Trust has played a role in helping to change the law regarding burials in Victoria. “We are just the second state that will allow your family pet to be buried in your family plot,” the trust stated last week. Woodend-based Animal Justice Party MP, Georgie Purcell, was successful with her amendment put before…