News
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Support grows for local producers
The face of farmers markets has changed across the region since coronavirus hit and has given rise to a more serious and intentional shopper, market facilitators have found. Bendigo Farmers Market organisers have surveyed a 30 per cent increase in regular local shoppers since coronavirus hit and expect to retain these consumers into the future.…
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‘Protect the region’
A Kyneton business owner has refused to take bookings from people wanting to visit from Melbourne’s coronavirus lockdown areas. Ellenis Day Spa has had several people attempt to make a booking including one woman who argued that “nobody needs to know”. Owner Irene Thompson said the spa had also cancelled dozens of advance bookings from…
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Katrina’s need for speed …
Katrina McAdam describes herself as a hobby trainer who felt the ”need for speed” from a very young age when riding at the Riddells Creek Pony Club. For the past 12 years she has dabbled with racehorses, mainly at picnic events. She said at Riddell she found participating in pony club novelty events and showing…
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YJC LOCKDOWN
Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre is in lockdown after a worker tested positive for coronavirus over the weekend. The Midland Express understands the worker was an education coordinator who assisted young people with education plans in a one-on-one capacity as transition to or from the centre. The worker, employed by the Department of Education, is believed…
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Healthy landscapes
Connecting Country has been successful in round three of the Smart Farms Small Grants program and will receive $49,623 to develop a targeted Healthy Landscapes guide and on-farm workshops. The guide and workshops aim to provide local farmers and other land managers with practical tools to better understand their land and make informed management decisions…
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Second COVID-19 case confirmed for Coles Woodend
A second team member at Coles’ Woodend supermarket is self-isolating after testing positive for COVID-19. A Coles spokesperson said the team member had not been into the store since July 8 and was self-isolating after being identified as a close contact of an earlier positive case. “Any other team member who worked in close contact…
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New coronavirus cases for Macedon Ranges
The Macedon Ranges has recorded two new active cases of COVID-19 since yesterday, bringing the total number of active cases to three. Victoria has recorded 238 new cases of coronavirus since yesterday, with the total number of cases now at 4448. Mount Alexander and Hepburn Shires have not recorded any new cases. Within Victoria, 29…
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Get Lost Quick in the collective
Ten local creative projects will receive $1000 each in funding support from Mount Alexander Shire Council’s rapid-response Get Lost Quick grants program. Many of the funded projects will reveal and celebrate past and emerging stories from Jaara country, including Lisa D’Onofrio’s research to celebrate historical and contemporary local women; Jan Wositzky’s reignited ‘Storyteller’s Guide to…
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Tail-wagging wonderful!
It’s official – Castlemaine finally has a site for its first off-lead dog park. After many years of speculation and multiple aborted suggestions for a suitable site, the new off-lead park site was announced on the spot late last week. Covering 1700 square metres of leafy natural space, the site occupies the Castlemaine township edge…
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Hub push for funds
Macedon locals are fighting to keep momentum for a much-anticipated community hub as they face a cost blowout for the project. Volunteers are seeking $90,000 in Macedon Ranges Council’s 2020/21 budget to meet the funding shortfall for the building contract and continue efforts. Macedon’s Samara Hodson said the community had rallied behind the project and…
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Farmers looking after their own
Arnold-based primary producers Carly and Darren Noble of small farm business The Agri-Food Network recently launched a Mental Health Gift Hampers initiative aimed at bringing a smile to the face of fellow central Victorian farmers and small producers doing it tough during COVID. The couple launched the program in late March after close friend and…
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C-DOC returns to the Royal
It’s been swings and roundabouts but the 2020 ‘In The Clouds’ Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival is set to go ahead this weekend, July 17-19. The C-DOC team is thrilled to announce that limited ticketing is now available for the screening of its three scheduled films at Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal. Those lucky enough to secure one…