Macedon Ranges Shire Council
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Perception shift
Macedon Ranges macrame artist Kasia Dudkiewicz will be the next creative to feature as part of the Phee Broadway Theatre foyer exhibition program. Kasia is a Polish girl who now calls Australia home. The local artist said she grew up spending time in the studio of her late aunt who was a talented painter and…
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Pilot program already making an impact
In response to a growing need for mental health support to extend to the younger years, Macedon Ranges Shire Council is leading a first-of-its-kind primary school mental health program. After months of community consultation, the co-designed Branch Out program is introducing parents and teachers to clinicians from Tuning in to Kids who will teach them…
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Game on for regional funds
Local shires expecting an economic boost from the 2026 Commonwealth Games now look to the Victorian Government’s $2 billion spending package for the regions. Premier Daniel Andrews announced last week the state would withdraw from its regional Games hosting duties, citing soaring cost estimations of at least $6 billion. Macedon Ranges and Hepburn councils expressed…
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Vegetation over views
Macedon Ranges Council has refused a divisive proposal to remove vegetation at the Mount Macedon Regional Park. Parks Victoria’s application aimed to reinstate the Mount Macedon Memorial Cross viewscape, which has been lost due to regrowth and lack of maintenance. The proposal triggered passionate debate, with 62 objections, many relating to loss of significant vegetation,…
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Woodend centre to stay open
Woodend Customer Service Centre will remain open with reduced operating hours after facing potential closure. Macedon Ranges Shire Council voted in favour of the move last week following community feedback in favour of keeping the Woodend service. The facility’s viability was in question when it recorded low visitation alongside other operational challenges such as cost…
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Housing policy adopted
Macedon Ranges Shire Council has adopted a new policy to inform future decisions around affordable housing. Council’s Affordable Housing Policy directions focus on three key roles in relation to the issue: advocacy, decision making and facilitating/investing. The policy was adopted last week following community consultation. Councillor Jennifer Anderson said local government was limited in what…
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Riddell study gets moving
The Riddells Creek Movement Network Study is taking shape with a draft recommendation report complete and aims for the final study to be presented by the end of the 2023/24 financial year. Future infrastructure projects identified include pedestrian facility upgrades, cycling facility upgrades, intersection upgrades, speed limit reduction, and streetscape and amenity improvements. Pedestrian safety…
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Scintillate the senses
A renowned Indigenous chef is coming to Kyneton Town Hall in July in celebration of NAIDOC Week 2023, featuring a live cooking demonstration to scintillate the senses. Mark Olive, aka ‘The Black Olive’, has been a chef for more than 30 years and has featured in his own television series The Outback Cafe, on SBS…
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Gisborne stirs a cuppa
Four cafes in Gisborne threw their support behind World Elder Abuse Awareness Day with Stir a Cuppa events last week. The Jolly Miller, 3 Little Pigs, Kaffeine Bar and Gisborne Bakery and Café backed the cause, encouraging people to meet or accompany the elder in their life – relative, neighbour, colleague or friend – for…
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Star Wars battle still on
Approved plans for a home designed to replicate a Star Wars light cruiser have upset neighbouring landowners. Macedon Ranges Shire Council issued a planning permit for the house at 131 Pipers Creek Road, Kyneton, which proposes a spaceship build on a lunar landscape. The house has not yet been built and the property has since…
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A lasting legacy
A much-loved member of the Woodend community has left the town she loved a lasting legacy. Jo Clancy died in 2018 but left her entire estate to the Woodend Landcare group to build a new pedestrian bridge over Five Mile Creek. About 50 community members got together on Sunday to celebrate, joined by local councillors,…
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Cross plan splits views
Plans to remove native vegetation to restore historic views to Melbourne from the Mount Macedon Memorial Cross have prompted passionate debate. The cross is considered the second most significant war memorial in Victoria but decades of growth have altered its original view lines. Parks Victoria’s viewscape project seeks to clear 0.79 hectares of native vegetation…