News
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Councils call for change
Rate caps, service gaps, ageing infrastructure and state/federal government cost shifting has impacted delivery of basic core service responsibilities in Macedon Ranges. Macedon Ranges Shire Council has flagged concerns in a detailed submission to the Victorian Legislative Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee that will investigate local government funding and service delivery in Victoria. Increasing expectations…
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Retiree saves the soul of Guildford
An 89-year-old Castlemaine resident has purchased the Guildford General Store to ensure its continued operation for the community. The property went to auction last Saturday with a reserve price of $750,000 and was purchased by the sole bidder, Norma Hancock, for $710,000. Owners of the Guildford Post Office stepped in to fill the void since…
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Close call for food van operators
Newstead food van operators, Caroline and Dean McLaren, had a near miss on Saturday afternoon when a large tree fell across the Pyrenees Highway at McKenzie Hill. The couple were returning home from a fundraising barbecue they had been attending with their Konjo Mama food van, to raise money for the Newstead Young Writers Festival.…
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Power flows at Newstead
The Newstead community battery and solar farm, initiated by Renewable Newstead and built and operated by Flow Power, was officially opened last Thursday. The landmark energy project, unique for its community/company co-development, will generate enough energy to power the local community and beyond with its three megawatt generating facility and five megawatt battery energy storage…
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Local fromage named Australia’s best
Long Paddock Cheese based at The Mill Castlemaine has been named among the winners at the 2024 delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards. The Long Paddock fromage claimed the top gong in the ‘From the Dairy’ category at the awards, which are the country’s most prestigious food industry campaign. Now in its 19th year, the awards…
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Roo on road to recovery
Volunteer rescuers from Wildlife Victoria, Wildlife Rescue and Information Network and local community members joined forces last week to rescue a male kangaroo that had been cruelly shot through the head with an arrow at Chewton. The kangaroo, estimated to be about seven to nine years old, was first spotted in bushland behind homes in…
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Wind, rain, cloud and sun
Wind and rain and cloud and sun – just four elements that have so much power over the earth and our lives. Wild weather, torrential downpours, oppressive heat, we get them all, and they’re increasing in number and extremity. On September 12, Macedon and Mt Macedon Landcare group is hosting an evening session with Dr…
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Alarm raised over Amess Road consultation figures
Riddells Creek residents have raised alarm over the integrity of community consultation for a major Riddells Creek planning application conducted via Engage Victoria. Riddells Creek Planning Group has written to Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny seeking the process be immediately stopped and reviewed following a discrepancy in data. On July 19, planning group members met…
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Devastated volunteers return home
Local volunteers travelling to Uganda to support the charity I Am Someone were devastated to learn they had to cut their trip short due to a sudden outbreak of Monkey Pox. Fourteen dedicated volunteers, 10 of whom live in and around Castlemaine, made the trek to Uganda for a month-long trip to try to improve…
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Felix triumphs at Logies
Macedon Ranges teenager Felix Cameron has won not just one but two Logie Awards at the awards ceremony in Sydney on Sunday night. Felix claimed the Graham Kennedy award for Most Popular New Talent and Silver Logie for Best Lead Actor in a Drama for his role in the Netflix hit series, Boy Swallows Universe.…
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Residents face eviction
Nine residents of RM Begg Aged Care units in Kyneton are facing imminent eviction from their rental properties with little hope of finding similar affordable housing locally. The units, in Epping and North streets, are an extension of the main RM Begg Aged Care facility nearby but offer independent low-cost housing. Helen Metcalfe and Helen…
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Extension a retro revival
When Eric Burton decided to downsize he took it to the extreme. He bought the smallest house in Woodend – a single-room cabin measuring 23sqm on a substantial 1175sqm block in Forest Street. The bonus of the cabin, however, was that it came with a building permit. So instead of tearing it down and building…