News
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A complicated tale of joy and despair
Like most people in his profession, Mark Chew is more comfortable behind the lens than in front of it. Photos show a quiet, reflective individual, with, just occasionally, a hint of sadness. It’s hardly surprising. He’s seen things. For more than 30 years, Mark has carved out a career as a highly successful commercial photographer.…
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Council votes to sell
Macedon Ranges Shire Council will sell Hanging Rock’s East Paddock to the state government with conditions aimed at securing community priorities. Retaining public open space in perpetuity and ensuring any development on the East Paddock is consistent with protecting the natural, cultural values and views of the site will be vital to any agreement. Ensuring…
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Stakes high for forests
In the same week that the Victorian Government announced permanent protections for Victoria’s three new national parks, the government also flagged new penalties for anti-logging protesters. Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio, last Thursday announced $4 million to establish the new boundaries for the parks, which will be created by linking existing…
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Nalderun celebrates friendship
A Reconciliation Week (May 27 – June 3) exhibition was officially unveiled at the Castlemaine Market Building last Friday morning. The day saw team members, friends and supporters of local Indigenous service, Nalderun, gather for speeches, the presentation of Nalderun Awards and a morning tea to launch the week. The event was opened by Nalderun’s…
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Thought-provoking film and Q&A
Northern Books and Nalderun are partnering up to bring an exciting Reconciliation Week event to Castlemaine. The event will see a screening of the provocative and award-winning short film, Refugium, followed by a Q&A session with the film’s creators. Refugium is a short film of speculative fiction in the climate emergency context, by artist-researcher Jen Rae (Métis)…
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Honing healthy skills
Nutritious and delicious food made from scratch is on the menu at Gisborne Secondary College. Students have been sharpening their skills through a cooking course delivered by local culinary nutritionists Expert Eats, Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health, Healthy Heart of Victoria and Macedon Ranges Shire Council. The classes are based on the cooking videos of…
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Saving gorgeous Gertie
Guildford-based animal welfare group Parrot Conservation Australia is appealing for community help following a costly surgery to save one of their beloved sulphur-crested cockatoos. The local grassroots organisation rehabilitates surrendered and injured birds and has been battling to stay afloat for the past two years due to the impacts of COVID. However, founders Roger Sellwood…
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Mobile disruption for Riddells Creek
Riddells Creek residents may notice some disruption to Telstra mobile coverage this week, as NBN installs new fixed wireless antennas on Telstra’s 35m high mobile tower located near Sutherlands Road. Telstra regional general manager, Steve Tinker, said the NBN work would require the mobile base station to be turned off while their technicians were working…
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RAAF thanks for a centenarian veteran
A Kyneton resident who was among the first girls in history to be enrolled in the Royal Australian Air Force was last week honoured for her service to the nation during WWII. At age 19, centenarian Margaret Emily Green (nee Selway) was enrolled with 15 other girls at No 1 Recruiting Centre, Queens Street, Melbourne,…
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Future brighter for RM Begg
The future of Kyneton’s beloved not-for-profit RM Begg Aged Care facility now appears more secure thanks to a proposed federal government funding model. The new Australian National Aged Care Classification is due to replace the Aged Care Funding Instrument from October 1, 2022. Adopting the new funding model was one of the key recommendations from…
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Truffle farm build rejected
Building on a small Farm Zone property has been rejected to support what Macedon Ranges Shire Council has described as “de facto hobby farming”. Plans were to build a home in support of a two-hectare truffle orchard and seasonal grazing on 17 hectares in Lauriston. While no permit was required for the farming activities, building…
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Eye-catching issue
Eve Lamb A Castlemaine resident has used public question time at last week’s Mount Alexander Shire Council meeting to raise concerns about the ongoing prevalence of graffiti in the town and wider shire. Retired school teacher, Bill Wiglesworth, has little time for uninvited graffiti in public places and has long been pressing to see it…