News
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Railway maneuvres
Victorian Goldfields Railway volunteers have begun dismantling the old Castlemaine-Guildford railway track before re-using the rails to upgrade the Castlemaine-Maldon tourist railway. The project that started last week opens up interesting questions as to the future of the Castlemaine-Guildford corridor and, more pointedly, the currently disused Castlemaine-Maryborough passenger line that it’s part of. Starting at…
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Reclaiming the Campaspe River
Campaspe River landowners are taking the health of the river into their own hands by commissioning independent scientific monitoring of the waterway. The residents fear waste from the Kyneton Water Reclamation Plant will continue to pollute the river, as Coliban Water faces 11 criminal charges relating to the illegal discharge of thousands of litres of…
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Fierce forest fire
A thick layer of smoke has blanketed parts of the Macedon Ranges after lightning sparked a fierce blaze in the Cobaw Forest near Pipers Creek about 4pm Sunday. About 40 CFA, Forest Fire Management and Parks Victoria crews attacked the firefront that threatened farming properties. Emergency warning alerts were issued as winds spread embers over…
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A home of their own
Providing secure, affordable and accessible housing options for local people with intellectual disabilities has been one of two major priorities for the Mount Alexander Shire Accommodation and Respite Group since it formed almost a decade ago. Over the past three months, MASARG has been consulting with local groups and businesses about their ‘A Home of…
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Castlemaine ceramicists inspired by the natural world
A trio of local ceramicists are sharing their beautiful handmade works with the public as part of a new gallery and working studio space at The Mill Castlemaine ‘Studio Su’. Artists and friends Ann Ferguson, Kaori Fujimoto and Anna Read explain that ‘Su’ is a Japanese word meaning nest and ‘being one’s true, authentic self’.…
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Don’t be under insured
The keynote speaker at a Fire Ready Victoria session in Lancefield on Saturday evening emphasised the importance of property owners being “paid up” and having the appropriate amount of insurance cover needed to rebuild their homes if they were destroyed by fire. Chewton Fire Brigade’s community safety officer Rob Reid Smith pointed out that flowing…
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Know your bushfire survival plan
In the event of major bushfire or emergency in which you must evacuate your home, it is important that you have a plan in place for where you will go. When you decide to leave is the most important decision you will make. Driving in a bushfire is extremely dangerous and can be fatal. A…
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Castlemaine event to connect a community …
The unprecedented fires impacting Victoria and other states, and the underlying issue of climate change, is upsetting not just for those directly involved – but for the wider community. It’s a strong awareness of this that’s prompted local muso and editor and publisher of national health and wellbeing magazine The Art of Healing, Cate Mercer,…
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Boost for Kyneton creatives
Kyneton Contemporary Inc. will receive a $38,000 grant for the development and presentation of the next Kyneton Contemporary Art Triennial – KCAT2021, which will commission new work by diverse artists, presented in a range of predominantly unconventional exhibition sites across Kyneton. The project is among 40 recipients across the state to share in the latest…
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Locals react to Baringhup solar farm approval
A Baringhup farmer has criticised the failure of the state planning minister to inform objectors that a solar farm has been approved for the area in recent days. Long-time local Peter Baker was among multiple residents who had formally objected to the solar farm proposed for a 230-hectare site at Baringhup West Road – and…
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Pick your own looks peachy at Harcourt
The time is ripe for some prime picking at Harcourt’s Tellurian Fruit Farm where the annual Pick Your Own Fruit Fridays are proving popular among those enjoying school holidays. “We’ve found school holidays are the busiest time of year,” Tellurian owner Ant Wilson says. While it’s been a great season for cherries at the local…
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Residents call for safety improvements after crash at Kyneton intersection
Residents on Edgecombe Road at Kyneton are calling for safety improvements to a notorious intersection following a frightening collision between a truck and a car last Friday morning. A 40-year-old Kyneton woman was attempting to turn right into Melville Drive about 9.15am when a truck travelling behind her collided with her vehicle, causing it to…