News
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Clarkefield future in focus
A 2300-home development will change the face of Clarkefield if approved and now the Victorian Government has opened consultation. The move follows Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s calls for broad community awareness and input after the plans were referred to the state’s Development Facilitation Program. Draft Macedon Ranges Planning Scheme Amendment – C164macr proposes a new…
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Lancefield development ‘sterilised’
A group of Lancefield landowners are hopeful a lengthy planning battle restricting development may soon come to an end. Macedon Ranges Shire mayor, Cr Kate Kendall, has sought Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny’s urgent assistance to remove Development Plan Overlay Schedule 24 (DPO24) that has created almost the opposite outcome of its intent. Cr Kendall told…
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Park powered down after theft
Copper wire thieves who targeted Lancefield Park Recreation Reserve last week disrupted the facility’s power supply and cut off broader town telecommunications. Committee of management secretary Bill Balcam said the discovery of about 100 metres of stolen power cable was made at the reserve early last Monday morning. “They came in and ripped out the…
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Head-on crash on Calder
A 20-year-old Mildura man is facing serious criminal charges after leading police on a chase that ended in a crash on the Calder Freeway at Kyneton last Friday night. The man evaded police for a traffic offence before driving down the wrong side of the freeway – heading south in the north-bound lanes – when…
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Tour a sustainable home
Composting toilets, electric vehicles and air-tight homes: what does it mean to live sustainably and why are more people making the change? If you ask Clare Claydon or Kerryn Burgess why they transformed their homes for sustainable living, they’ll tell you it was to improve their environmental impact, and that the long-term savings are also…
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Urgent calls for safety upgrade
Two school children struck by cars and injured within a week of each other at Woodend have prompted calls for urgent road safety measures. The incidents occurred at Romsey Road on April 21 and April 28 when children were walking home from school. Both children required medical care and one was taken by road ambulance…
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A transformation of the CBD
Works to transform the heart of Castlemaine’s CBD are now under way and are expected to be completed by mid-2027. The $12.1 million redevelopment of Frederick Street has drawn mixed reactions from residents, though the mayor Cr Toby Heydon has described it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to create a safer, greener and more connected town…
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Trials to future-proof farming
New trials are under way to prepare the farming sector for future resilience, and change is on our doorstep. Langley Vale Farm is among 26 trial sites for the North Central Catchment Management Authority’s Climate Positive Farming Initiative. The initiative is working directly with farmers across the catchment area to help them better manage variable…
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Kilkenny ‘please explain’
Macedon Ranges Shire Council is calling on Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny to explain removal of significant trees from Mount Macedon without notification. Parks Victoria has gained ministerial approval to remove snow gums and other vegetation to reinstate view lines to Mount Macedon Memorial Cross ahead of Anzac Day. Works began earlier this month without…
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Composters call for delay on green bins
Local composting group YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) is calling on Mount Alexander Shire Council to delay the roll-out of a green bin service. The green ‘FOGO’ (Food Organics-Garden Organics) bin is designed to divert organic waste from landfill. Lucy Young from YIMBY said that while the group agreed with the council that it…
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Anzac fund barrier removed
Macedon Ranges Shire Council has removed a controversial barrier to Anzac Day support funding, but not without opposition. Both Kyneton and Malmsbury were denied Anzac Day Commemorative Services Support Fund assistance for this year’s services due to conflict with the council’s Gambling Harm Minimisation Policy. The policy came into effect last July and precludes activities…
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Graffiti mural builds connection
A garden wall at Castlemaine Community House has been brought to life with a vibrant new mural by local artist Joey Pratt, creating a colourful and welcoming space for the young people who gather there. The artwork takes its cue from the surrounding community garden — a reflection of both place and community. For Joey,…