Macedon Ranges
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Solar win for social enterprise
A Kyneton not-for-profit cafe’s annual power bill will be slashed by around $5000 a year after the installation of solar panels. The Social Foundry has installed a 20kW solar system thanks to a $20,000 grant from energy retailer Powershop and support from the More Australian Solar Homes community solar bulk-buy. The 68-panel solar system will…
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Licensed to kill
Hundreds of kangaroos across the region shot by incompetent hunters issued state government permits to kill, need to be euthanised by wildlife rescuers to put them out of their misery. Manfred Zabinskas, who runs a wildlife shelter in East Trentham, said rescuers were regularly finding kangaroos that hadn’t been “killed cleanly”. “They’ve been shot horribly.…
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Traffic plan draws criticism
A Kyneton residents group has criticised a council plan to manage increased traffic flow through the town as new housing estates and infill development are expected to see the population reach 10,000 by 2036. The draft Kyneton Movement Network Study, currently on public exhibition, aims to guide and provide the transport infrastructure needed to cope…
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Hungry for more
Central Victoria’s reputation as a foodie destination stands to gain international recognition from Greater Bendigo’s bid to become a designated City of Gastronomy. The submission to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network could put the region on the world map for food and beverage alongside the likes of Gaziantep (Turkey), Chengdu (China), Parma (Italy) and Tsuruoka…
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Towering troubles ahead
A group of Woodend residents are petitioning local council to stop plans for a 33 metre tall mobile phone tower at Woodend Train Station. The Optus proposal forms part of the Victorian Government’s Regional Rail Connectivity Project to improve coverage in black spot areas but locals want to see its location reconsidered. “There’s no objection…
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Car park confusion
The installation of new one-way traffic signage and line marking arrows in the Woolworths car park in Kyneton caused considerable confusion for shoppers taken by surprise last week. Sections of the car park are owned separately by Woolworths and Macedon Ranges Shire Council and the safety improvement works were undertaken by council in response to…
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Locals join fire fight
Local firies joined the fight at Bunyip State Park and Gippsland firegrounds last week. A Macedon Ranges strike team with firefighters from across the district was in force, as well as crews from Harcourt and Campbells Creek and CFA members from Castlemaine and Newstead. The strike team comprised members from the Coliban and Mountain brigade…
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Urgent call for change
Biolinks Alliance has submitted an urgent call for more research and funding to the 2018 inquiry into Australia’s faunal extinction crisis. The Kyneton-based alliance comprises 18 landcare and environment groups dedicated to repairing regional landscapes and saving threatened species. Board member Karen Alexander OAM, who authored the submission, said Victoria was the most cleared state…
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History-making Kyneton show
The 2018 Kyneton Show made history when the pavilion opened for the first time on the Friday night. Kyneton Agricultural Society president Michael O’Sullivan said it was a real hit. “It did mean bringing forward everything with entries closing a day earlier but people really embraced it and there was no resistance to it,” he…
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Home grown champ
Chloe Stewart has added to her very impressive list of local, district, state and national lawns bowls achievements by capturing the 2019 American singles and pairs titles. While Bowls Australia was unable to confirm that the 22 year-old who spent so much time honing her skills on the Kyneton green is the first Aussie to…
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Precinct certainty: community a “rolling thunder”
With state capital all but secured for the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct, attention now turns to the federal government and peak sporting bodies to round out the funding. A $15 million pledge from Opposition Leader Matthew Guy last week now competes with Labor’s pledge of $11.6M toward the New Gisborne project which unites visions…
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Walk to the Cup
Kyneton Cup Day holds particular significance for former local resident Nathan Elms (‘Elmsy’) and even more so this year. The 19-year-old will be walking onto the Kyneton Racecourse for the last leg of his Caulfield to Kyneton Walk for Prostate Cancer. Nathan is making the 105km effort for his father who was diagnosed with cancer…