News
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Castlemaine State Fest offers grants to creatives
Virus or no virus, come March next year the Castlemaine State Festival will happen, its director says. Exactly what form it takes will be guided by the level of restriction in place at the time, but festival director Glyn Roberts says planning for the March 19-28 festival is factoring in adaptation to the shifting COVID-19…
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Farmers win in land battle
A fourth generation Springfield farming family has taken on the state government in a David and Goliath battle over land, and won. Backed by Macedon Ranges Shire Council, the Clement family succeeded at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in preventing fragmentation of farmland at 75 Clements Road, Springfield. The family donated the land as…
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‘Fix traffic’ cry for Riddell
Traffic troubles are mounting in Riddells Creek and locals warn they must be tackled before development takes hold. Residents are urgently calling for a town traffic management and movement plan as they brace for a population forecast of 6000 people, becoming a ‘district town’, by 2036. Riddells Creek’s Ross Colliver last week called on Macedon…
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CHECKPOINT CHEATS
Macedon Ranges residents have raised concern over how easily people have been able to enter the shire from COVID-19 lockdown areas across its borders. While police have established vehicle checkpoints on major arterial roads heading out of Melbourne, several people have contacted the Midland Express to report their easy entry to the Macedon Ranges via…
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Coles Woodend staff member positive
A team member at Coles’ Woodend supermarket is self-isolating after testing positive for COVID-19. In a statement posted to the Coles website last night, the company said a number of team members who worked in close contact had also been asked to self-isolate and Coles would continue to work with the Victorian Department of Health…
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Coin coup for Castlemaine photographer
The work of Castlemaine photographer Gary Chapman has just become a niche collector’s item, worth its weight in gold after it was selected to feature on a new limited edition coin. One of the images captured by the long-time local photographer has just been used on gold and silver limited edition commemorative coins produced by…
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TEDx has landed in Kyneton
Speakers are now being sought for TEDx Kyneton to bring the region’s big ideas to a world stage. The event invites up to 20 female speakers to share profound ideas and stories from the Macedon Ranges region with a larger audience to shape our world. Facilitator Paul Kooperman said the project aimed to explore a…
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Milestone for Romsey Men’s Shed
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Friday to mark an important milestone for the long-awaited Romsey Men’s Shed project. With a lease signed and a building permit obtained, the slab for the shed is expected to be poured within the next fortnight. Rain on Friday failed to dampen the enthusiasm of those present at the…
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Warming Woodend with cheer
Woodend Library has been yarn-bombed and its bright new look is bringing joy to visitors. The library’s frontage, bike racks, trees, posts and outdoor bench-seats are covered in hundreds of knitted and crocheted pieces created by the community. Library manager Lulu Cockram said the temporary street art project continued the fun from previous years. “It’s…
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New digs for Kyneton crews
The Kyneton team of electricity distributor Powercor has moved into a new depot. The $10 million development at Redesdale Road replaces the former depot that was built in 1979. The depot includes better office facilities, storage areas for equipment and fleet, and can support the future expansion of the workforce. A heritage-listed tree was also…
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Lancefield recycling centre launches
Lancefield locals are encouraged to think twice about what they are sending to landfill through the launch of a Lancefield Recycle Centre last week. The Neighbourhood House initiative enables residents to ethically dispose of normally hard-to-recycle waste through simple sorting at The Townhouse drop-point. People can now easily dispose of and recycle bread tags, writing…
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Powerlifting women feature
Thirteen Castlemaine women who participate in powerlifting have contributed to a study investigating factors that may deter older women from strength training. Aimed at helping to overcome barriers to strength training, which is known to stave off many undesirable health conditions in later life, the newly released study is called If they can do it, I…