News
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Locals mourn logging destruction
Members of the Wombat Forest community joined with Extinction Rebellion to draw attention to what they describe as environmentally damaging salvage logging in the Wombat State Forest. Theatrics took place on the roadside at the Forest Fire Management Victoria log storage site near Daylesford last Tuesday. Large volumes of logs are stored from nearby salvaging…
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Music icon burgled
A vintage guitar collection belonging to Black Sorrows front man Joe Camilleri was stolen from his Kyneton home last Thursday evening. Police said it was understood offenders forced entry to the music icon’s home about 10.30pm. They stole nine of his prized vintage guitars, personal papers, a passport, Apple iMac, Apple laptops, leaf blower and…
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Off the market: Land of the dead
The local Anglican Parish has announced there are “currently” no plans to sell St John’s Anglican Church in Riddells Creek, contradicting a statement they made in May that suggested otherwise. Fr Scott Mudd sent a letter to parishioners on May 12 and advised “To realise the necessary funding for the redevelopment of Fisher Street [Gisborne],…
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Drought takes a toll
Michael O’Sullivan can’t remember a period of drought as challenging as the one we are now experiencing. Together with his sons, Martin, John and Anthony, the Baynton farmer breeds sheep and cattle on close to 3000 hectares of grazing land. Like many other farmers, they have had to shed stock to survive. “I’ve been through…
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People power prevails
The Castlemaine Community Investment Co-operative has created history by smashing its $1.95 million target to purchase the town’s Hub building and bring it under community ownership. The Co-op’s debenture campaign surpassed its target at lunchtime on Thursday. The campaign officially closed on Sunday with the co-operative announcing it had raised $2 million of investments to…
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Fair not lost to the Ranges
Macedon Ranges has secured the return of one of the region’s most unique events for 2026: The Lost Trades Fair. Hanging Rock will be the backdrop for the event, which celebrates craftsmanship, skilled manual work, decorative arts, heritage crafts, rare trades and generational knowledge. Lost Trades Fair founders, Lisa and Glen Rundell, are thrilled to…
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Joey drowns, mother euthanised
A female kangaroo has been euthanised and its joey has drowned after the two became trapped in the Coliban Water Channel near Elphinstone. Wildlife rescuer Ian Slattery attended the incident and said the female kangaroo was found lying in two feet of water with a ripped patella, “a death sentence for kangaroos”, while its joey…
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Call for caution after battery fire
Firefighters battled a shed fire in Maldon last Monday, managing to contain the blaze before it spread to a nearby house. The fire, which was believed to have started in a stand-alone battery pack stored in the shed, broke out at 4pm at a residence on Maldon-Newstead Road. Firefighters from 11 CFA units worked together…
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Plans to drop road speeds
Plans to reduce speed limits in core business and activity areas of Kyneton, Woodend and Riddells Creek for are now out for public comment. The three town proposals aim to improve safety and most proposals are to reduce speeds to 40km/h. The plan is fully funded through the Victorian Government’s Safe Local Roads and Street…
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Farmers under pressure
Fourth generation Gisborne sheep farmer Tom Neal could be the last in his family to work the land. He doesn’t like to think that but admits it’s a possibility he faces as more and more challenges emerge for Victorian farmers. After months of drought and dry conditions across most of the state, the latest obstacle…
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Builders try to burn a house
Two builders renovating a house set light to a toxic bonfire in Carlsruhe last Friday afternoon and resulted in police, a local laws officer and multiple fire brigades from across the region battling the blaze until 8.30pm. A CFA member from Carlsruhe station said the 7x12m pile of waste being burnt was made up of…
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Kyneton pubs feature in new TV series
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has commissioned a new three-part TV series about the life of Evonne Goolagong and filming of the production took place last in Kyneton last Friday. TV crews were seen filming inside The Kyneton Hotel and a few blocks away outside The Royal George Hotel. While many details about the show remain…