News
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Meet … the orchard keepers
A poet, an engineer, a nutritionist and a filmmaker walk into an orchard… The result is The Orchard Keepers – the newest kids on the block at Harcourt’s Organic Farming Co-Operative. Over the past few weeks The Orchard Keepers – aka Terry Eyssens, Yoann Le Guen, Ingrid Hyland and Alex Kelly – have taken over…
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A walk on the wildflower side
Rare and striking wildflowers of the Macedon Ranges are celebrated in a combined Newham and District Landcare Group / Woodend Landcare film project. The two groups have captured stunning images of wildflowers in bloom at Woodend’s Grassland Reserve and Quarry Road Reserve, and along Newham’s rural roadsides. Newham group secretary Helen Scott said the locations…
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Outrage at kangaroo processing proposal
National wildlife welfare advocates in Castlemaine say a proposed kangaroo pet food meat processing plant at Inglewood risks wiping out that area’s native kangaroo population within months. They’re urging the state member for Bendigo West and the state’s agriculture minister to intervene to stop the plant going ahead. The Campaspe Meat Company has applied to…
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Protection a burden?
Proposed heritage overlays could be too great a burden on not-for-profit organisations, Macedon Ranges Shire Council has heard. Freemasons Victoria and the Coptic Orthodox Church have urged reconsideration of overlays at Woodend Masonic Lodge and Campaspe House respectively as the council deliberates its latest amendment to the heritage study. Representing Freemasons, Andrew Baird said a…
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Hospitality struggles through restrictions
Regional hospitality venues had the green light to reopen with lockdown lifting on Friday but many remained shut as tough restrictions rendered some operations not viable. The latest pandemic restrictions cap hospitality patrons to just 10 inside and 20 seated outside – a fraction of the capacity of many venues. Owner of The Malmsbury, Anda…
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Maldon millionaire!
A young Maldon man’s dream of buying his very own home can now come true after he scored $2.5 million in the weekend’s TattsLotto draw. The local player held one of the four division one winning entries in TattsLotto draw 4189, drawn Saturday September 11 – each pocketed $2.5 million. Speaking with an official from…
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Meet the market mutts
The fundraising team at St Paul’s Anglican Church has again been able to make ‘Market Mutts’ Dogs of the Kyneton Farmers Market calendar for 2022. This was possible due to the generosity of local photographer Simon Griffiths who donated his time to take photos of 112 dogs! Father Ian Howath recently left St Paul’s to…
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Wellness retreat for Romsey?
A wellness retreat and organic farm have been proposed for Highfields at Romsey. “The retreat aims to celebrate the power of silence and rejuvenation through healing foods, meditation and yoga based on the 5000-year-old tradition of Ayurveda,” plans state. The application includes construction of a yoga room, pool studio, olive production warehouse and conference room.…
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Call to save heritage
Macedon Ranges residents are petitioning Regional Roads Victoria to honour plans to save some of Gisborne’s oldest heritage in the Kilmore and Melbourne Roads intersection upgrade. The $12.5 million state government upgrade to improve traffic flow and pedestrian crossings puts at risk a historic bluestone bridge and channel and significant trees. Macedon Ranges Shire Council…
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Wanted: ex-prisoners for theatre project
Local men who are ex-prisoners or have personally experienced the criminal justice system are wanted to participate in an innovative new paid theatre project that’s ultimately hoped to help improve the state’s criminal justice and rehabilitation system. Local producer with the Out Alive arts and justice project in Castlemaine is community arts facilitator Lisa D’Onofrio.She says the…
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Indigenous talent to feature at fringe
A new play written by Yapeen local Brodie Murray will premiere at this month’s Melbourne Fringe Festival. The Wamba Wamba man and Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts graduate penned Billy’s Choice with dramaturgy by acclaimed playwright Geoff Kelso. The new offering by the 20-year-old actor and writer follows the the success of his debut play Soul of…
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Farming for a better future
Farmers in Mount Alexander Shire are learning how to increase productivity and profitability through the practice of regenerative farming. They’re benefiting from workshops run by the Mount Alexander Regenerative Agriculture Group, which provide practical demonstrations and on-ground implementation. Regenerative agriculture has been identified as a critical means by which we can mitigate climate change and…