News
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Refugee to research fellow
During his six-year imprisonment on Manus Island, a mobile phone was Behrouz Boochani’s most valued possession. It kept him in touch with the outside world and his own mental wellbeing. And it enabled him to write a memoir of life on the island – a literary tour de force that would earn him international renown.…
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Free forum talks tenants’ rights
Tenants, landlords and real estate professionals are invited to join a free Tenants’ Rights Forum in Castlemaine aimed at educating the community about tenants’ rights and available support services. Organised by My Home Network’s Tenants’ Rights Working Group, the forum will feature a diverse lineup of speakers, including local tenants sharing their own experiences, Residential…
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Gambling policy on pause
Kyneton Bowling Club must wait until mid-September for the outcome of Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s Gambling Harm Minimisation Policy, which will determine its future. The policy threatens to shut down KBC’s pokies, raising uncertainty about the club’s future sustainability as it would prevent any form of gambling at council-owned or managed sites. It introduces a…
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Pat does us proud
Romsey archer Patrick French delivered a tremendous performance in tough conditions against tough competitors at his first Paralympic Games. He represented Australia in the men’s para-archery compound open 1/16 elimination round on Saturday against Indonesia’s Ken Swagumilang. The tightly contested match played out in torrential rain and French narrowly missed advancement with a score of…
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Levy to impact tourism, but boost housing
Macedon Ranges accommodation providers are nervously awaiting the outcome of major changes to their industry and expect tourism to also take a hit. Short stay rentals will become more costly from January next year following the Short Stay Levy Bill introduced to Parliament last week. The legislation introduces a 7.5 per cent levy on short…
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Baco workers strike
More than 80 Australian Manufacturing Worker’s Union and Electrical Trades Union members working at Don KR Castlemaine began strike action last Thursday. ETU strike organiser Aaron Douglas told the Express that wage negotiations with the company over the past few months had been unsuccessful. “We put together a log of claims that were intended to…
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Level crossing upgrade
The Victorian Goldfields Railway in conjunction with Mount Alexander Shire Council is in the process of upgrading the level crossing over Sawmill Road in Muckleford/Castlemaine. The latest works follow the recent re-build on the Muckleford-Walmer Road at the Muckleford Station. The purpose of the latest upgrade is to improve the safety of the crossing in…
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Armed robbery at Kyneton RSL
Armed Crime Squad detectives have charged a 42-year-old man after two licensed venues were robbed at gunpoint this month. Detectives allege the man threatened a female staff member with a firearm at the Kyneton RSL about 9.20am last Friday morning. It’s also alleged the man had earlier threatened a female staff member at the Lara…
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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…