News
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‘Oldest outlaw’ gets gong
Andrew Denton once called him “Australia’s oldest outlaw” – but Yandoit’s Dr Rodney Syme chuckles at the term as he celebrates news he’s just been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). The high-profile voluntary assisted dying campaigner is among the nation’s Queen’s Birthday Honours recipients, and the prestigious accolade is especially significant…
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A pressing matter
Barfold Olives and 3000 Acres have teamed up to turn unloved urban olives into oil. The local producer has pressed 2495kg of olives to yield 380 litres of olive oil from a city harvest in a pilot program to reduce waste. Delivering the haul to Barfold last Monday, 3000 Acres’ project manager Claire Hetzel said…
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Memory whisperer writes again
Castlemaine’s Dr Lynne Kelly is one busy woman as she prepares for the official launch of her new book – Memory Craft. Published by Allen & Unwin, Memory Craft follows on from Dr Kelly’s 2016 best-selling The Memory Code, which changed the way researchers across the globe regarded memory techniques of indigenous cultures. “The big…
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Buzz about a chimney
A beehive discovered during council building renovations in Kyneton was safely relocated in a 12-hour operation last week. Bee Removals Victoria was called in to remove the hive that had formed in the chimney of the Mollison Street building and measured one and a half metres tall. “It was a decent-sized hive in an awkward…
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Contaminated water flows again
Contaminated water is once again flowing down the Campaspe River as Coliban Water admits to another unauthorised release from the Kyneton Water Reclamation Plant. It is the 11th time since 2007 that undiluted Class B or Class C water has been released from the plant to the river. The water authority last week advised the…
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Golf club in land deal
Financial strain and declining membership has pressured Kyneton Golf Club to carve up part of its land in a deal with Queensland retirement village developer GemLife. The proposal is for a retirement village on about 20 acres of land including the 17th and 18th holes of the Vern Morcom designed course. Club secretary Jenny Kerr…
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Cashed-up buyers fuel house-price growth
Cashed-up buyers moving from Melbourne have helped to fuel a surge in house prices in Kyneton and the Macedon Ranges over the past 12 months. Prices in Kyneton have risen 12.7 per cent in a year to a median of $572,000. The previous 12 months’ growth was 8.2 per cent. Woodend continues to be popular…
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Lancefield plan endorsed – Councillors divided on ‘community opinion’
Passionate pleas for council to dump a restrictive development plan for Lancefield have ended in disappointment for some landowners. Macedon Ranges Shire councillors endorsed a development plan overlay on three residential areas in the township in a 5-4 vote at their ordinary meeting last Wednesday. Lancefield local Robert Green said the move had taken away…
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Threats trigger security
Security and police have been engaged over threats from the public made to Macedon Ranges Shire Council staff. Security guards screened all general public attending Wednesday’s ordinary council meeting following threats made relating to an agenda item up for discussion. Acting Macedon Ranges chief executive John Hausler did not divulge the nature of the threats…
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MAINfm kicking goals for community
The second annual MAIN Kick-Off is hitting Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve this Saturday for a community fundraiser of a different kind! The day will feature an all-inclusive game of footy plus loads more and promises to be fun for all! The day is a major fundraising initiative for 94.9 MAINfm and will kick off the station’s…
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Brewing some good
A new craft beer co-operative took its shaky first steps last week in Castlemaine. Rock & Ranges Brewing Co-operative is based in the Macedon Ranges, community-owned and democratically managed and seeks to help locals to “live their dream and (eventually) own the brewery”. After their first commercial brew, a collaboration with Castlemaine’s Shedshaker Brewing, the…
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Broiler farm battle ends
Local residents who led a protracted legal battle against large-scale chicken broiler farms being built at Baringhup are celebrating this week after the long-running saga finally concluded with a VCAT ruling in recent days. The VCAT ruling to cancel remaining permits and applications by the broiler farms’ proponent, Michael Vukadinovic and Pavilion Partners, now spells…