News
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Riddell plans with minister
A planning scheme amendment and development application that could dramatically change the face of Riddells Creek is now with the Minister for Planning for review. Public submissions opened last Monday for plans that would facilitate stage one of the Amess Road Precinct Structure Plan with a 182-lot subdivision. Last year Riddells Creek residents rallied in…
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Feral deer forum
Feral deer have been spreading across the state for decades and are now emerging as a serious issue for the central Victorian community. Feral deer can have a devastating impact on nature, farmers, foresters, gardeners and are a danger to road users. A forum is being held in Malmsbury on Sunday June 30 to raise…
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Petition on green waste
Macedon Ranges Shire Council will begin charging residents to drop off green waste and co-mingled recycling at its resource recovery facilities from July 1. Local resident Kate Kendall manages a 20+ acre farm and as an affected ratepayer has created a petition to call on council to reevaluate its decision. “This change will negatively impact…
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Uncovering scandal and tragedy
Actor and writer Stephen Curry, famously known for his role in the iconic film The Castle, recently made his way to Chewton for the SBS series Who Do You Think You Are? Born and bred in Melbourne, Stephen, with his wife and two boys, recently moved to rural Victoria. With his boys fast growing up,…
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Teen faces fight of his life
Ashton Choothesa was entering his final years of high school, working and volunteering in his community, and planning an overseas adventure when he suddenly had to put everything on hold. The Castlemaine 17-year-old’s world changed when he was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma earlier this year. He is now two weeks into an intensive…
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A slice of Trentham’s pub past
A slice of Trentham’s pub past was captured for the last time before it was dismantled earlier this month as its owners prepare for a fresh start. Chris and Victoria Perry purchased their Victoria Street property in 2017 and the old Ogdens Forest Hotel building was part of its charm. The couple had plans to…
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Montessori preschool’s plea
Parents and educators are racing time to boost enrolments and save Macedon Ranges Montessori Preschool from potential closure. For almost 40 years the preschool has offered an alternative early education experience but the cost-of-living crisis and state government’s new free kindergarten offering have impacted the not-for-profit organisation. Preschool committee member Moya Grech said enrolments had…
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OAM for healthcare champion
It takes courage, education and passion to transform a country’s approach to maternal child health services. They’re key ingredients to Samantha Turner’s success in changing lives of women and children in countries across the world through her volunteer and advocacy work. The Macedon resident was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the…
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Breaking barriers
When Luz Restrepo received an email telling her she had been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the multicultural community of Victoria, the Maldon resident thought it was spam! “It’s incredible. I feel so proud. I am the only Latina this year and I think in the history of…
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The Love of community
When Sue Love says she’ll do something, she always turns up. It is this tenacity and commitment to serving her community of Malmsbury that has led her to receive a Medal of the Order of Australia in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours. “If I say I’m going to do something, I stick with it and…
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Highest rate of trauma
Macedon Ranges has the highest rate of wildlife road trauma in the state, adding to a strain on Wildlife Victoria’s services. CEO Lisa Palma said since 2019, more than 4000 native animals had been struck by cars in the Macedon Ranges alone. The organisation experienced a 46 per cent increase in state-wide incidents over that…
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Archibald finalist a study of Greer
Artist Liz Sullivan has been selected as a finalist for the 2024 Archibald Prize for her portrait of Germaine Greer. Greer is a trailblazing feminist, academic, author and conservationist, who became a household name in 1970 with her seminal, bestselling book The Female Eunuch. She now lives in aged care near Sullivan’s home in regional…