News
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Purple reign: A journey to Australia’s highest honour
On an early Saturday morning not long ago, Dr Christine Craik opened up her computer to find an email from the Governor General’s office, and, as any ordinary person would do, deleted it. Except this time she made a mistake because it wasn’t spam and she was not an ordinary person, rather, she had been…
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Supporting safety for women
Head down to the lot19 arts precinct on Saturday, February 8 for Upstander — a supercharged fundraising event supporting the freedom and safety of women. Raising funds for Annie North, a local women’s refuge, the event will be an opportunity to reflect on those who have lost their lives to violence, a chance to learn…
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Emergency warning issued for Kyneton
An emergency warning was issued for Kyneton on Saturday after a grassfire broke out near the Calder Freeway. The fire had a one-kilometre perimeter impacting properties along Tattersall Drive, Kelly Close, Tonks Court and Patterson Drive. Thanks to the swift and coordinated efforts of firefighting crews (roughly 35 appliances), Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, Forest Fire…
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Waste management needs improvement
Macedon Ranges Council has released results from an audit on kerbside bins to determine how accurately households across the shire are disposing their waste. Four tonnes of rubbish from 375 randomly selected houses tested contamination levels in their recycling, organic and general waste bins. Findings from the report published on January 9 to the council’s…
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Dingoes thriving at Jirrahlinga
Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation and Wildlife Education Centre at Chewton has been a hive of activity over the school holiday period with visitors enjoying an up close and personal experience with wildlife at the centre. Centre founder Tehree Gordon said they had been working hard behind the scenes for a number of years now to redevelop…
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Local nurses using AI could save millions
Springs Medical in Daylesford and Kyneton has united with medical partners across the globe for a world-first study that adopts artificial intelligence to detect heart failure. The clinic is funded via its share of a $2 million grant provided by the Medical Research Fund of Australia to trial portable AI-guided devices developed from U.S. and…
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Councils prioritise Indigenous relations
Macedon Ranges Shire Council has joined more than 30 per cent of Victorian councils and once more decided against hosting Australia Day celebrations in reconciliation with Indigenous Australians. This action has been in place since August 2023 when the council voted 5-2 in favour of moving the annual Australia Day Awards and citizenship ceremony. To…
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Streetscape to get $12.19M makeover
Frederick Street and Mechanics Lane in Castlemaine are set to receive a major facelift thanks a $12.19 million boost from the federal government. The works aim to link two of the town’s major shopping areas and connect them to a range of important community facilities. Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government…
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A chat with a mate leads to Games
Torben Louwen-Skovdam’s Invictus journey started with a simple conversation with an old mate and colleague. Little did he know that he would eventually muster up the courage to submit an Expression of Interest for Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 – giving his life much-needed purpose. The 40-year-old joined the Australian Army in 2008 after completing…
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Driver rescued from gully
A man had to be rescued from a gully after his vehicle crashed at Muckleford last Thursday afternoon. Paramedics were called to the scene of the single-vehicle collision about 2.30pm. A short time later SES Castlemaine were called to assist ambulance crews at the incident on Sawmill Road, where the vehicle had left the road…
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That leaf is a vegetable
Many Australians fall short of meeting health guidelines and eating the recommended five vegetable servings per day, however microgreens could help us reach that goal effortlessly. This tiny green has been adopted by high-end restaurants around the world for decades as a garnish to make expensive meals appear fancy. Picked one to three weeks after…
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Who ya gonna call to save the ghost fish?
A farm dam in Faraday is playing a leading role in the restoration of a critically endangered fish considered a canary in the climate change coal mine. The flat-headed galaxis is a small-bodied silver fish that was once prevalent across the southern Murray Darling Basin. Climate change and river regulation has decimated their population over…