News
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Bumper State Festival launches
Melbourne-based dance crew, the Jungle City Dancers, pumped up the crowd during Castlemaine State Festival’s opening-night dance party in Mostyn Street last Friday night. Launching 10 days of events celebrating the festival’s 50th year, the enormous and varied program includes the highly anticipated production of Castlemaine The Musical, eight nights of entertainment at the Castlemaine…
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Rescuer threatened as birds die
An experienced Trentham wildlife rescuer has been threatened with arrest by Game Management Authority officials and has had his game licence suspended as he attempted to report a duck hunter breaking the law at Lake Leaghur near Kerang. Manfred Zabinskas OAM from the Five Freedoms Animal Rescue watched a shooter blast a duck from the…
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Back from the brink
Bouncing back from the impending oblivion that often ensues after voluntary administration, the Castlemaine State Festival will kick off its 50th anniversary event this Friday with its trademark street party. Seasoned festival directors Martin Paten and Linda Sproul, whose collective expertise and guidance have steered the festival to safer waters, are humble about their role…
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Newham General Store to re-open
Newham General Store has been sold and is expected to re-open to the community within the next few months. Woodend resident Jo Bombardier will re-open the store and cafe with her daughter Kayla Bombardier and son-in-law Nicholas Shepherd. Renovations are now under way for a new-look European farm-house style interior and many of the things…
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Road audit for Newham intersection
An independent road safety audit for Newham’s Three Chain Road, Egans Lane and Dons Road intersection is now under way. Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s director of assets and operations Dom Testoni said council commissioned the audit for independent technical advice on the existing conditions of the intersection. “The assessment considers the Three Chain Road corridor…
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Push for intersection upgrade
Lancefield’s dangerous intersection at High Street, Main Road and Kilmore-Lancefield Road is being considered for safety improvements. Macedon Ranges Shire Council is advocating for safety upgrades following ongoing community concerns about the intersection’s configuration, including driver confusion, traffic movements and limited pedestrian crossing opportunities. “This intersection has been an ongoing issue for the Lancefield community,…
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Ranges questions housing targets
Macedon Ranges Shire Council is seeking clarity on how it will achieve its Victorian Government imposed housing target of 13,200 new homes by 2051. The state government set targets for each municipality last year and warned councils they would need to unlock land for housing or it would “do it for you”. At MRSC’s ordinary…
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Hospital land splits councillors
A retirement village for Gisborne is likely to proceed on land once zoned for a future hospital in a vote that split Macedon Ranges Shire councillors. Benetas applied to build a retirement village on land bounded by Robertson, Neal and Hamilton Streets, seeking land rezoning and removal of a restrictive covenant. Humphrey Dixon donated the…
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‘Maine to host Dance Summit
Dancers, educators and dance professionals from across regional Victoria will gather in Castlemaine for a full day of movement, creativity and connection at the Regional Dance Summit on Sunday March 22. Presented by Ausdance VIC and Movement Zone as part of the Castlemaine State Festival, the Summit is designed to bring Victoria’s regional dance community…
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Ratepayers double billed
More than 1000 Macedon Ranges ratepayers with direct debit arrangements to pay their rates were incorrectly billed twice overnight. Adele Drago-Stevens, council’s director of corporate, said council was aware that a number of third-instalment direct debits for rates were incorrectly processed overnight. This may have resulted in duplicate debits to about 1040 ratepayers’ bank accounts.…
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2000 homes proposed for Clarkefield — Macedon Ranges Shire Council locked out of decision making
Plans for a 2000+ lot development could change the face of Clarkefield, and its fate now rests with the Minister for Planning. The 220 hectare development is described as “a landmark proposal that will redefine new town creation in Australia”. Last week, Macedon Ranges Shire Council called for the plans to be made public and…
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SES to host open day
Woodend SES is kicking off 2026 with a new member recruitment drive. Hoping to boost member numbers, the unit holding an Open Day to answer questions, provide insight and share experiences with interested locals. The SES is the state’s peak control agency for natural disasters such as floods, storms, earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides. It also…