News
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Chvastek takes on Goliath
At a local cafe, the baristas know Nicole Chvastek’s order: An extra hot almond chai latte. What they may not know, is that she has been intimidating Prime Ministers and the establishment for years, in order to, “keep the bastards honest”. We’ve watched and listened to her hound politicians, expose injustices, and cover historic events…
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Fight ignites over service centre bid
Woodend residents are fighting an application for a freeway service centre at the edge of their town, just four years after VCAT rejected a similar proposal. Plans include three fast-food restaurants with drive-throughs, 174 parking bays for cars/trucks/caravans, internally-illuminated signage, and construction of two new on/off freeway ramps. The applicant, Welsh Leisure, has appealed to…
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Newham store for sale
Newham General Store is up for sale following the business’s closure last year and the community rally to see it reopened. The prominent freehold, on the corner of Dons Road, was listed with Keatings Real Estate in February for $985,000. Agent John Keating told the Express he had led several private inspections through the property.…
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Islay House elite
Woodend’s Islay House has ranked among the best Booking.com venues and won a Travellers Review Award 2025. Established in 1860 as the British American Hotel, Islay House was a coaching inn offering accommodation to miners travelling to the Bendigo goldfields in the 1860s. Owners Tarni James and Clive Warner worked to restore historical character in…
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Gender equity in spotlight
It was International Women’s Day last Thursday, and Woodend-based Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell was pleased to be able to talk to Kyneton Women’s Football Club representatives about gender equality in sport. The KWFC members were visiting Parliament House to help raise awareness about the significant challenges faced by women and girls in community…
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Airfield upgrades ahead
A Kyneton Airfield upgrade will introduce a new helipad for emergency services and runway extension to accommodate aircraft used for fire-fighting. Last week, Bendigo MP Lisa Chesters announced Kyneton Aero Club was successful in securing $413,500 under the federal government’s Regional Airports Program. “It is so important that Kyneton residents have access to medical and…
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Gisborne open space push
A small but valuable parcel of land could provide Gisborne with much-sought open space if Macedon Ranges Shire Council can acquire it. The 4.5 acres at 120 Aitken Street was donated to the local primary school for use as a pine plantation and bird sanctuary in the 1920s. At that time, 18 local families and…
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GROW festival exceeds expectations
A crowd of more than 560 people attended the GROW Festival of Regenerative Food and Farming at Kyneton Racecourse last month. The inaugural one-day conference and field day was a community project by Macedon Ranges Regenerative Farmers, part of the not-for-profit Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group. The organisers aim was to bring people together to achieve…
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Lana stars in topical film
Kyneton actor Lana Hughes aims to keep the conversation going about the dangers of drink-spiking through her latest short film role in Honey. Lana is one of the featured actors in the piece, which centres on a young woman locked in a toilet cubicle, drink spiked and at the mercy of the women around her.…
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Koala strike hot spots
Macedon Ranges wildlife rescuers have responded to a spike in koala road strikes with bold signage to warn drivers of hot spots. The yellow, koala-shaped markers bear the words ‘slow down’ and ‘hot spot’. Their placement indicates a high strike area. Wildlings Woodend Wildlife Shelter rescuers Mel Fraser and Karl Dawson are leading the project.…
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Push for road levy
Macedon Ranges petitioners are leading the call for a road levy charge on registered vehicles in Victoria to help fund emergency wildlife care. The proposed levy is $2 per registered vehicle and would contribute to a consistent grant program for wildlife carers. Woodend resident Rhonda Gibbard is part of the group that launched the petition…
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Protesting proposed protest laws
Central Vic Climate Action, along with a number of other groups such as Extinction Rebellion and Wombat Action Group, gathered outside Jacinta Allan’s office in Bendigo last Thursday to celebrate protest and all it has achieved, and bring an important message: democracy dies when protest is criminalised. Avery Barnett-Dacey was one of the speakers at…