Macedon Ranges
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Professionalism commended
Two local detectives have been commended for their professionalism in investigating a raft of serious offences committed by inmates who escaped from the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre in January last year. Detective Leading Senior Constable Wade Andrews and Detective Leading Senior Constable Glenn Johnston were awarded Divisional Commendations last Tuesday for their dedication, resilience and…
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Farm zone housing still a ripe issue
Olive growers in Pastoria’s east have argued their produce, animals and farm plan would suffer without the constant on-ground care that a house on their property would allow them to deliver. The couple recently lost an appeal to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for a building permit at their 16.25 hectare Langley-Baynton Road property…
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Biggest pothole in history
Macedon Ranges Shire Council has unearthed one of the biggest potholes in its history, on Premier Mine Road, Kyneton. A council employee operating a grader for maintenance work uncovered what seemed to be an air or ventilation shaft from a nearby historical mine site last Tuesday. Council’s director of assets and operations Dale Thornton said…
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Postie pilgrimage to make tracks
A pilgrimage of old iconic Australian ‘postie bikes’ led by locals will make tracks this September to raise funds and awareness for ‘low survival’ cancers. The Postie Bike Pilgrimage of 12 new and experienced riders will travel about 500kms from Mount Wallace, Victoria, to the Homebush Hotel in Penarie, outback NSW. One of the ride’s…
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Parma night for the farmers’ fight
Local pubs, clubs and restaurants are serving up parmas with added incentive. They have backed the widespread ‘Parma for a Farmer’ campaign that sees participating venues donate $1 towards drought recovery in NSW for every parma sold during the month of August. Kyneton RSL general manager Rebecca Hemphill said people in Kyneton had thrown their…
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Local brigades step up
Local firefighters are stepping up to to fight depression, PTSD and suicide in this year’s Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb. Each participant will race up 28 floors at Crown Metropol while wearing 25kg of firefighting gear to raise funds and awareness for the cause and are calling for community support. Joining forces for Gisborne Fire Brigade…
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New courts to be a hit
Tennis will become even more of a hit in Riddells Creek with three new Tennis Australia compliant hard courts to be constructed. The $100,000 upgrade for Riddells Creek Tennis Club’s long-awaited stage two development will be funded through the Building Better Regions Fund – Infrastructure Projects stream. Riddells Creek Tennis Club secretary Andrew Nicoll said…
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Macedon wants a hub
A group of Macedon locals have banded together in a bid to convert a council-owned building into a community hub. The former maternal and child health centre at 47 Victoria Street was earmarked to be sold by council to fund refurbishments to Macedon’s ovals and other upgrades, until lobbying by the group gained them a…
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Blaze at Highbank
The historic Kyneton farmhouse owned by television personality Tonia Todman was significantly damaged by fire yesterday morning. Firefighters arrived at Highbank, on Donnelly Road, at about 6.45am to find the property’s Bed and Breakfast accommodation fully ablaze and spreading to the adjoining homestead. The fire started in the roof, with a five-layer ceiling – tin…
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Match 500 for a sport master
If, when he began playing junior footy for Macedon in 1981, Ray Tadd had listened to people who told him that he was “not much chop” then he wouldn’t have run out with the Woodend-Hesket Masters last Sunday afternoon through a banner congratulating him on his 500th game playing football. Ray, who has been playing…
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Cash windfall boosts budget
Public submissions and an unexpected cash windfall of $465,000 in federal government grants has changed the shape of Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s 2018/19 Budget Report. Council adopted the budget, Strategic Resource Plan and Council Plan at its ordinary meeting last Wednesday with minor changes including distribution of additional government funds. Projects to benefit from the…
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Comparing our crime stats
Mount Alexander Shire has a consistently higher crime rate per head of population than its Macedon Ranges Shire neighbour, the latest Crime Statistics Agency data indicates. The new data shows the offending rate in Mount Alexander was 5632.3 per 100,000 of the population over the 12 months to the end of March this year with…