News
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Bid to host Games
Eve Lamb It may not yet be approved as a Commonwealth Games inclusion. But if mountain biking does get the official nod then Harcourt’s La Larr Ba Gauwa Mountain Bike Park should be the place to host it. This is the case being strongly – and jointly – put by both the City of Greater…
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Snap rally to stop logging
More than 50 people attended a snap rally in Gisborne on Friday to voice their concerns about VicForests’ salvage logging in the Wombat State Forest. Members of landcare and friends groups, Wombat Forestcare members and the Sybil Disobedients (Extinction Rebellion Ballarat) rallied to demand that the Victorian Government cease the logging and legislate the promised…
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Our organics are not ‘waste’
Transitioning to a localised economy is both pressing and exciting. As we learn of recycling industries in crisis, rising fuel prices and unaffordable lettuce, the YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) members scratch their collective heads, especially when it comes to removing food organics from landfill and increasing local food growing capacity. YIMBY composters are…
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Bust of the late Felix Cappy unveiled
Lisa Dennis A huge crowd gathered at the Castlemaine Town Hall on Sunday to witness the unveiling of a bronze bust to celebrate the life and achievements of the late Felix Cappy OAM. Felix was born and bred in Castlemaine and devoted his life to community service, charitable work and preserving the town’s history. Felix…
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From gallery to garden
Eve Lamb Castlemaine’s botanical gardens have a new feature … and if you think you’ve seen it somewhere else before then you’re spot on. Ever since it was created back in 2009 by local artist Zoe Amor, the striking bronze sculpture, Dusk, has graced the portico at the front of Castlemaine Art Museum in Lyttleton Street. But…
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Tragedy commemorated
Two prisoners of war with Kyneton family have been honoured in the 80th anniversary of their tragic deaths. Civilian Harry Darley Holland and Sydney McGregor, Private 2/22nd Battalion, were among those to perish on board the unmarked Japanese transport freighter SS Montevideo Maru. The freighter was torpedoed on July 1, 1942, off the coast of…
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Macedon Ranges mayor takes up Plastic Free July challenge
How can an environmentally conscious resident reduce their single-use plastic uptake even more? That’s a question facing Macedon Ranges mayor Jennifer Anderson this month as she tackles her own challenge for Plastic Free July. The Australian-born initiative is a global movement that encourages people to reduce their plastic use to lessen their environmental impact. This…
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Kyneton Tea of Earth entrepreneur hailed a local business hero
Kyneton business owner Rebecca Moore says her local Australia Post team had been friendly faces during the pandemic when she made the move to post online orders for Tea of Earth. Now they’ve hailed her a 2022 Australia Post Local Business Hero, recognising her unique and valued connection to the local community. “The continuing support…
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Farmers push for strategy rethink
Farmers have united in a bid for a fairer deal in Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s Draft Rural Land Use Strategy. The strategy proposes rezoning pockets of Farm Zone land to Rural Conservation that would restrict primary producers who wish to diversify away from or change their agricultural focus. It’s a move that Pipers Creek farmer…
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Williams biopic filmed in Ranges
It was lights, camera, action in Macedon Ranges last month as filming got under way for Robbie Williams’ biopic Better Man. Directed and co-written by Melbourne-born Michael Gracey, Better Man will offer an introspective look into the experiences that shaped the popular UK entertainer. The film follows Williams’ journey from working-class roots to stadium-filling stardom, and the demons…
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Resilience group tackles emissions
Eve Lamb A survey conducted by Castlemaine’s West End Resilience group indicates a high level of enthusiasm for community-based energy solutions towards reducing carbon emissions. Members of the home-grown energy group say they’re are now looking into sustainable energy solutions that are accessible for all West Enders including tenants, home-owners and businesses, and also community…
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Hedgerow rejuvenation
Historic field hedges at Kyneton’s Windmill Farm are being painstakingly restored by a specialist hedgelayer. Property owner Sallyanne Craig said the 170-year-old hedges were significant enough to be heritage-listed, but were in poor repair. “Their advanced age and the absence of proper management for perhaps 70 years means they are in an exceptionally perilous state,”…