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January 22, 2019

Children received a free one-on-one mobile zoo experience at the Romsey Library on Thursday thanks to Goldfields Libraries.

Wildlife Gone Walkabout co-owner Adrian Black put on a wild show with his interactive educational incursion with native amphibians, Murray River turtle, Shingleback lizard, a small and big python, Saltwater crocodile, parrot and a Rufous Bettong (Rat-kangaroo).

“We talk about Australian animals for reasons of conservation and sustainability,” he said.

“We both love animals and want to teach children about the little changes they can make in their life to help animal populations.”

Mr Black enjoys a ‘hands-on, minds-on’ approach to learning that involves using all of the senses.

“To get the kids involved you need to make it educational and fun so they absorb the information – it’s great teaching them about species they might not know,” he said.

“We have a Rufous Bettong also known as the Rat kangaroo, it looks like the top of a rat and the bottom half of the kangaroo – he’s very cute.”

Mr Black and his co-owner Jack Sheppard started the mobile zoo in 2016 with little business experience.

“I came from a performing arts background and Jack from a land management conservation background,” he said.

“We decided to use both of our skills and are now doing incredibly well.”

Both Mr Black and Mr Sheppard are looking forward to joining Steve Backshall in his ‘Deadly 60 Down Under’ tour this month and continuing to teach children about protecting our own.

“There’s so many things that people don’t know – we live amongst these guys,” he said.

“We have to respect nature and once we do that we start respecting ourselves”

For more information head to www.wildlifegonewalkabout.com.au or www.deadly60liveonstage.com

Showcasing the Macedon Ranges

Community Groups

The North Central Review

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January 22, 2019

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The world-renowned Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is back for its 27th year and the Macedon Ranges will be hosting a number of gastronomic events throughout the region in March.

With over 250 events this year across Victoria delivering fresh, seasonal produce and award-winning wine and spirits, the Macedon Ranges has the added advantage of its undulating landscapes and close proximity to the city.

Baringo Estate Executive Chef Tim Austin – who will be involved in two events this year – hopes the festival will attract more people to the region.

“For me there’s a lot of momentum happening in the Macedon region and it’ll be great to see it really take off,” he said.

“I’ve been working in this region for 10 years now and we’ve got some of the best wine, gin and produce.”

Glen Junor Belted Galloways farm will be hosting the ‘Regional World’s Longest Lunch’ in Gisborne where it will serve it a “Proactive Retrospective” lunch with dishes from the past and for the future.

Baringo Estate, Gisborne Collective and other favoured restaurants in the region will prepare the menu and match current and vintage wines from Bindi Windegrowers, Curly Flat and Hanging Rock.

“We’re looking backwards and forwards. Both Nathan (Owner, Gisborne Collective) and I have been chefs for decades and we are going to cook what’s now and juxtapose it against an old Bindi wine that is world class or a young wine from Curly Flat,” he said.

“The beautiful thing about that is we can use different generations of wines from Hanging Rock with father and son John and Rob.”

Gisborne Collective Owner Nathan Presley is looking forward to representing his signature dishes at the event.

“Our pizzas are some of the best in Australia. I’ve done a lot of traveling to New York and done a lot of research – I’m a perfectionist but I’m finally satisfied,” he said.

“I love doing lunch or dinner parties – good wine, good company and really good fun so I’m looking forward to it.”

Other events in the festival this year also include Spring Hill Estate’s Smoke, Fire and Water Family Day, Baringo Twilight Gintastic and The 5 B’s Great Long Lunch.

For more information on the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and Macedon Ranges events head to www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au/program

Wallan family wins on water

News

The North Central Review

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January 22, 2019

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A WALLAN family has swept through the Ski Racing Australia Australian Speed and Marathon Championships at Lake Jindabyne last weekend, taking home four national titles between them.

Courtney Grech won in the Marathon Women’s class with mother Jenny driving and sister Melanie observing, while Melanie won the Under 30 Women’s class with fellow Wallanite Ross Harris observing.

Their father Kevin Grech also brought home gold, winning the 60mph Men’s Social class.

Courtney’s marathon event saw her complete six laps of roughly seven nautical miles with each lap completed on a different type of ski with increasing levels of difficulty.

Racers start on a ‘social’ ski, which is very similar to what’s used recreationally and progress through different combinations of finless or bindless skis before the final lap is completed on a ski with no bindings or fins.

“The last one is literally a fence paling,” Mr Grech said.

“Courtney can do about 85mph (136km/h) on her social ski and as she goes through, on the plank she’ll do about 50mph (80km/h).

”Courtney and Melanie are currently in their second campaign working towards a birth in the 2019 World Championships in Vichy, France later this year.

Mr Grech said both have a shot after their first selection races at Lake Jindabyne.

“In their first selection race, Courtney finished fourth with a fall after she was in the boat for at least 10 minutes while they made sure she didn’t break anything. Melanie came through in sixth place which we were happy with,” he said.

With six more selection races to go, the Grech family will travel to Robe, South Australia, Botany Bay and Lake Mulwala.

Courtney and Melanie are currently training for the Southern 80 in Mildura and have been invited to train with current world champion Ben Gulley in Brisbane.

Local musician inspires youth

The North Central Review

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January 22, 2019

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DOREEN musician Bianca Mallouk is not only a talented singer, but a mentor for young people around the community.

Ms Mallouk who goes by the stage name Honey Bee will be entertaining crowds at the City of Whittlesea’s Baseline Laneway Youth Vibes event this Thursday at Westfield Plenty Valley.

The event is run by council’s Youth Services Team, which encourages engagement, inclusion and healthy development of young people.

Through similar events in the past, Ms Mallouk has had the opportunity to collaborate with other artists and mentor younger singers.

“I get to help younger singers perform. They ask me for advice on how to handle nerves when singing in front of big crowds. It’s really nice helping out,” said Ms Mallouk.

Community Development Officer, Shanti Raj from the City of Whittlesea said the council is aiming to deliver music, arts and culture to the community while engaging young people and supporting local musicians.

Ms Mallouk can attribute some of her success through performing at events run by the City of Whittlesea.

“Each event opens a new door and I get to meet other contacts that want me to sing at different events.”

Ms Mallouk has experience competing in Teen Idol, singing at the Espy and the Greyhound Hotel in St. Kilda and she’s even performed at neighbourhood homes for domestic violence victims and refugee women.

Ms Mallouk hopes to take singing on full time.”I love it, I could do it forever.”

You can find Ms Mallouk’s music on her Facebook page @therealhoneybee

Call for an inclusive Australia Day

The North Central Review

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January 22, 2019

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The Whittlesea Reconciliation Group (WRG) is calling for Whittlesea Council members to consider moving council’s Australia Day Celebrations to a different date.

The community-based committee comprised of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal residents of the City of Whittlesea want the date changed to give space for Aboriginal Australians to mourn a day that represents the start of a dark history for Aboriginal people.

“For Aboriginal Australians, January 26 represents a painful time in history, when Aboriginal people were killed and forced from their homes,” a spokesperson for the group said.

WRG Co-Chair and proud Gunditjmara woman Karen Bryant said that it’s hard to celebrate on a day of remembrance, and this means Aboriginal people in our community can’t participate in a day that’s meant to be for all Australians.

“We’re calling on the City of Whittlesea to stand with Aboriginal residents and make Australia Day a celebration we can all participate in,” Ms Bryant said.

The group to date has gained significant support from the Whittlesea community.

In the first day of the campaign WRG received 500 Facebook likes and hundreds of Whittlesea residents signed up to support the change.

City of Whittlesea Mayor and WRG member Laurie Cox also shared his personal views that Whittlesea needs to have a conversation about change to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are included.

“Australia Day means everyone is included no matter what your background,” Cr Cox said.

“Australians leave no one behind, that’s why we need the conversation about change to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander are included with those born here and those who have made the choice to join us all.

“Let’s work on being totally inclusive and respect all views in the debate.”

Council will be going ahead with Whittlesea Australia Day celebrations on Saturday, January 26.

Pool fun at Tallarook

The North Central Review

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January 22, 2019

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IT was fun in the sun at the Tallarook outdoor pool last week when the Mitchell Shire Volume committee hosted a pool party for young people in the district.

The event was supervised by Mitchell Youth Services and attracted close to 100 visitors to the pool that included a free barbecue and free transport to and from the pool.

Local DJ James Phillips – AKA DJ Hamez – provided the music that added to the fun atmosphere at Tallarook. The warming 37 degrees also made water play rather attractive.

Volume is part of the Mitchell Youth Services Our FReeZA program and comprises a committee of young people aged 12 to 25 years.

The Volume committee, in partnership with Mitchell Shire Council, delivers events that are drug, alcohol and smoke-free that meet the needs and interests of the shire’s young people while also providing training and employment opportunities.

The place for a village

The North Central Review

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January 22, 2019

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TRANSITION Village Wallan (TVW) has received the nod of approval from VicRoads and Mitchell Shire Council for land on the outskirts of Wallan to build a sustainable village for the homeless.

The TVW is based on conjoining the principles of permaculture and sustainable living with the primary focus on climate change.

The project was inspired by work in the US from organisations like Dignity Village and Sanctuary Village.

TVW CEO and Founder Judy Clarke is hoping to provide grassroots community support for people who have recently become homeless in and around Wallan.

“We’re using the village to help people because it’s against all community and personal values to have someone who hasn’t got the basics,” she said.

“We’re trying to use materials that are sustainable, or at least don’t need repairs or painting. We’re putting in productive gardens and being off grid as much as we can using grid connect solar systems, composting toilets and water tanks.”

Transitional housing residents can stay for up to 12 months and are provided support for a safe, sustainable and better connected way of life.

“In our village people will be encouraged to fix things themselves, go to the repair cafe in Seymour or start one here – we want them to learn resilience,” Ms Clarke said.

“It’s about teaching how to bulk buy and cook and how to use grains. The final piece of the jigsaw is all around climate change – you can cook healthily and not think about climate change but you can’t look at climate change and cook unhealthily.”

Ms Clarke believes this kind of living can provide a more wholesome experience for those who have suffered.

“Homelessness is everywhere. People think that it’s not around here but many people go into the bush where it’s safer,” she said.

“I’ve spoken to people who have been homeless who said if they had something like this it would have saved them years of homelessness.”

TVW are not focusing on retrenched homelessness with mental or health problems but rather those who have recently transitioned.

“That leaves resources for those who really need intensive care.” she said.

“Some people think that it’s going to be like a shanty town but it’s not, it’ll be a nice village and we’ll hopefully do tours once a month.”

“Residents will be thoroughly screened. I live in a street and am surrounded by three rentals – I don’t know who they are but we will know and have an interview panel decide.

With a $200,000 grant from the state government and an upcoming cabaret fundraiser, the village is expected to be finished around August.

“I think people want to do good but just don’t know how to – this upcoming fundraiser allow people to help,” she said.

“This village is a trial, we have to make it succeed. Then hopefully other areas might implement our template.”

For more information on TVW or the cabaret fundraising event on February 16, please visit @transitionvillage on Facebook or call 0404 740 261.

The pursuit of happiness

News

The North Central Review

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January 15, 2019

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RIDDELLS Creek local Niki Wells understands the many pressures women face in their daily lives.

From balancing the frustrations of work and motherhood to strained relationships and body-shaming, she found herself living in a world of unhappiness.

“Being a mum I was constantly stressed and I was trying to run the business and look after my kids and be with them – I was just living in this world of frustration all the time,” she said.

“We’re missing out on so much joy. My husband and I were constantly looking for the next best thing and waiting for things to make us happy, but when does it end?”

It wasn’t until she started to look inward and give meditation a try that she began to notice positive changes in her life.

“Many people think this is about meeting a spiritual guide or going into some other reality – it’s not,” she said.

“It’s really about training your brain to slow down and feel stillness. It’s really changed my family.”

Before meditation, Mrs Wells would stay awake at all hours of the night overthinking scenarios in her head.

She now has learnt methods to calm her busy mind.

“For women we’ve got the added drama of our bodies and how we look and how we feel. We say ‘I’ll join the gym when I lose weight and feel more comfortable,’” she said.

“After my experience, I just really want to help women connect and feel good about themselves.”

Mrs Wells has since organised Hearts Alight, a five-session women’s healing workshop on Saturday, January 19 aimed at improving your well-being and overall joy in life.

The 1.5 hour sessions include yoga, emotional harmony, qoya, the power of thoughts and meditation – with five different teachers.

Mrs Wells hopes to start teaching youth on the benefits of meditation.
“At an early age we are feeling self-conscious and we overanalyse many things.

If I can help teenagers alleviate some of that drama then maybe it can help them later on in life.”

For more information head to Facebook @souladministration or by calling 0447553998.

FP (2019-01-15)

News

The North Central Review

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January 15, 2019

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Enviro talk opportunity

The North Central Review

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January 15, 2019

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EXPRESSIONS of Interest to speak and exhibit at the 2019 Loddon Mallee organics recovery information series for the horticulture industry are now open.

Following on from the success of the 2018 event, the 2019 information series returns and will once again be hosted by the Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Group (LMWRRG) in partnership with Sustainability Victoria (SV).

The 2019 event will be held on Wednesday 1 May 2019 in Mildura.

The organics recovery information series for the horticulture industry is a unique opportunity for business and industry to share information about the better management of organics waste and increasing its recovery for reprocessing into higher value products for reuse.

Expressions of Interest are now invited for both speakers and exhibitors to present on the following topic areas – existing and emerging technologies, soil health, end product users, biosecurity and investment opportunities.

Apply by Wednesday, February 13 to speak or exhibit. Visit www.lmwrrg.vic.gov.au