Whittlesea keeps citizenship ceremonies off January 26

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April 28, 2026

THE City of Whittlesea has voted to continue holding citizenship ceremonies in the days surrounding Australia Day rather than returning them to January 26.

Councillors at the April council meeting adopted the preferred approach for January 2027, meaning future ceremonies will be scheduled within the three-day period before or after Australia Day, in line with the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code.

The decision follows several years of ceremonies being moved off January 26. The last time the Whittlesea Council held a citizenship ceremony on Australia Day itself was in 2023.

Under the code, councils are required to conduct ceremonies either on Australia Day or within three days either side of the date.

A council report acknowledged the “complexity and diversity of views” within the community regarding Australia Day, while also examining the cultural, operational and financial impacts of holding ceremonies on January 26.

An alternative proposal would have seen ceremonies return to Australia Day itself.

Instead, councillors endorsed keeping the current model, which was used again this year when two ceremonies were held on Friday, January 23, with 360 people invited to become Australian citizens.

Council also resolved to continue supporting community-led Australia Day events through its Community Grants Program and to actively promote grant opportunities in the lead-up to the national day.

The move means Whittlesea will maintain a separate approach that seeks to balance formal citizenship celebrations with the range of community views surrounding January 26.

NH tributes for ANZACs

The North Central Review

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April 28, 2026

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AN ANZAC service was organised by Northern Health last Wednesday for patients and staff to remember, reflect and pay tribute to all Australians who have served in times of peace and war for over a decade.

About 50 people attended the annual service at Dianella Hostel in Kilmore, including Northern Health Chief Executive Debra Bourne, Kilmore Wallan RSL Commemorations Officer Peter Craker and Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell.

Ms Bourne recited the Prayer of Remembrance.

The ANZAC address was delivered by Northern Health Chief Operating Officer Linda Romano, who paid tribute to the ANZACs — the Australians and New Zealanders who, more than a century ago, showed extraordinary courage in the face of unimaginable hardship.

“Today, we remember and honour the 60,000 Australians who were killed and 156,000 wounded or taken prisoner in that war,” Ms Romano said.

“We also remember over 800 Aboriginal Australians who landed at Gallipoli, 13 of whom were killed in action. We remember the more than 3000 Australian civilian nurses, who volunteered for active service in the First World War.

“Today we also pay tribute to more than 1.5 million service men and women, who have served our country – from Vietnam to Iraq, to Somalia, to Rwanda, to Timor-Leste and Afghanistan. And for more than 100,000 Australians who sacrificed their lives in our country’s name.”

Ms Romano said the Northern Health workforce is from every corner of the world, speaking more than 107 languages, representing over 185 countries, and following more than 90 different beliefs. It is united by a single purpose: to care for the community.

“In many ways, our health service is a living example of what the ANZACs taught us — that unity is powerful, and that community is strengthened when people bring their diverse experiences together in service of others.”

Nationals MP for Nichols Sam Birrell and NH CEO Debra Bourne — REMEMBERING: Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell and Northern Health CEO Debra Bourne attended the service at Dianella Hostel.

Ms Romano said last year marked two significant milestones for the region. On August 20, 2025, the new Craigieburn Community Hospital was opened.

On November 24, 2025, the Mernda Community Hospital welcomed its first patients, marking an important moment for the people of Mernda and surrounding suburbs.

“These new facilities are more than buildings. They represent our commitment to ensuring that families have greater access to the care they need, close to home. They strengthen the health and wellbeing of one of the fastest-growing and most diverse communities in the country,” she said.

“Today, as we pause to remember the ANZACs, we honour not only their sacrifice but the spirit they left us — a spirit of unity, courage, and community-building. It is a spirit that continues to guide us in our work, in our neighbourhoods, and in the way we care for one another. Safe, kind, together. Lest we forget.”

Mr Birrell described the ANZAC Day service at Kilmore District Hospital as beautiful, and said it brought the community together to remember and reflect on the courage and sacrifice of our veterans, and service men and women.

“It was my first ANZAC Day service in Kilmore as an MP, as this region came into the electorate of Nicholls at the last election, and it is a great privilege to represent Kilmore and surrounds in the Federal Parliament. Lest we forget.”

$4.3 million funding to fix black spots

The North Central Review

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April 28, 2026

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BLACK spot locations in Wallan and Beveridge have received much-needed funding for safety upgrades.

These projects will deliver safety measures such as traffic lights, safety barriers, roundabouts and pedestrian crossings at locations where several serious crashes have occurred or are at risk of occurring.

The Federal Government has committed $5.7 million across the electorate as part of the $48 million funded to Victorian roads under the 2026-27 Black Spot Program funding round.

The projects were recommended by the Victorian Black Spot Consultative Panel comprising local stakeholders to ensure nominations of the highest priority and importance in the local community are recommended for approval.

Totalling almost $4.3 million, the projects in Wallan and Beveridge include:

•Botanical Avenue, Wallan – construction of raised pedestrian priority crossing, lighting upgrades, delineations and other supporting treatments.

•Darraweit Road, Wallan (Pretty Sally Drive) – install pedestrian refuge islands, median turn lanes, shared user path, lighting, signage, line marking and other supporting treatments.

•Mandalay Circuit/Golf Links Drive, Beveridge – install safety priority crossings, raised safety platforms, speed cushions, delineation and other supporting treatments.

•Lithgow Street, Beveridge – install safety raised platforms, pedestrian operated signals, shared user path extension, lighting and other supporting treatments.

Federal Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell said the Albanese Government is making a significant investment in improving road safety.

“It is great to see these projects in Wallan and Beveridge receive the funding needed to ensure a safer journey for many residents who use these roads.”

Mr Mitchell said the government will continue to work with state, territory and local governments to deliver even more critical road safety upgrades in the future.

The Federal Government has increased annual Black Spot Program funding to $150 million, improving road safety at sites across the country.

“It is a key part of our commitment to reducing fatalities and serious injuries on our roads,” Mr Mitchell said.

“The Black Spot Program delivers low-cost improvements that have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the risk of serious crashes and fatalities on our roads.”

Mr Mitchell said anyone can nominate a black spot for consideration, including individuals, community groups and local councils.

For more information, visit https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/about/local-initiatives/black-spot-program

Mixed results for Seymour in home opener

Josh Squire

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April 28, 2026

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Mixed results for Seymour in home opener

A WHOLE TEAM contribution from Seymour’s senior footballers helped them claim back-to-back victories in the Goulburn Valley Football League (GVFL) with a 135-86 victory over Euroa in their first game at Kings Park for the year on Saturday.

The winless Magpies stunned the Lions in the first quarter to take a 36-25 lead, but the home side turned it on in the second term with the wind in their favour.

A pair of majors for Ricky Schraven just after quarter-time were followed up by singles to Nathan Fowler, Jack Murphy and Jaron Murphy, and the Lions were in front by 23 at the main break.

Euroa brought the lead down to seven late in the third, but goals to Jack and Fowler extended the margin heading into the final term.

Seymour kicked seven of the last nine goals to come out victors by 49 points, with numerous players get their names on the scoresheet more than once.

Schraven led the way with four, while Jack and Jaron each kicked three along with Riley Mason.

The win means the Lions sit third on the ladder behind undefeated teams Shepparton and Echuca.

The reserves sit one spot further back on their ladder following a comprehensive 107-point win in their matchup.

Multiple goal kickers Jack Radford (five), Rory Scopel and Angus Hart (three each) were named alongside Nicholas Davey and Charlie Carmichael in the best for the Lions.

Earlier in the day, Sam Brown kicked six to steer the under-18s to a 68-25 win.

On the netball courts, Euroa got the best of Seymour in a rematch of the A-grade preliminary final last year.

In what would’ve felt like deja vu for the Lions, the Magpies flew out of the gates to take a commanding 22-8 lead after the first period, and they didn’t look back.

Extending the margin to 24 points by half-time, the visitors had the game well and truly wrapped up, handing Seymour their second loss of the season, the final score 35-60.

The B-grade side played out an exciting draw, nearly snatching the win with three late goals before Euroa tied the scores with the last goal of the game.

B-reserve continued their unbeaten run to win a replay of last season’s grand final by 14 points.

Footy and netball will remain at Kings Park next week when Tatura comes to town for round 5.

Kilmore women fall to Ivanhoe

Josh Squire

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April 28, 2026

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It was a tough matchup for Kilmore’s women on Sunday when Ivanhoe came to town, going down by 19 points in a low-scoring contest.

Coming off two impressive performances to start the season, the Blues were looking to take a big scalp against the Ivies who had only given up one goal from their first couple of outings.

A tight first quarter saw no goals for either team but plenty of positive signs for the home side that they could compete with the ladder leaders.

The ball became locked in Ivanhoe’s front half for the majority of the second term but ferocious defensive efforts from the likes of Alexis Knight and Zahra Kelly kept the scoring in check.

The visitors finally broke through with two majors just before half-time, but the Blues’ Chloe Talbot kicked the first of the third term to keep Kilmore in touching distance.

A third to the league’s leading goal kicker Georgia Pirdis gave Ivanhoe the breathing room they wanted, and another goalless quarter in the last meant Kilmore suffered their first loss of the year.

The 30-11 scoreline when the final siren sounded was a reflection of a hard-fought game, and coach Andy Stewart would be buoyed by his team’s efforts against a side that looks likely to compete for the flag.

The Blues will play their next game at home against Reservoir who sit just behind them on the ladder in what should be another tight battle.

Whittlesea women cruise to 3-0

Josh Squire

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April 28, 2026

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A DOMINANT performance from Whittlesea’s senior women in division 3 saw them run out 46-point winners over Montmorency on Sunday.

Travelling to the Magpies’ ground, Whittlesea were keen to build on their momentum following their hard-fought win against Macleod last weekend.

Able to move the ball more freely this week, the Eagles leant on their captain Audrey Steinke once again, and she produced two goals in another standout performance.

Forward craft from Chloe Hicks was rewarded with a goal, and she joined Steinke in the best alongside Kaila Vangeli, Harper McPherson-Goulding, Ivana Pecanac and Ashley Fitzpatrick.

The win showed Whittlesea at its stifling best again, making it two games out of three where its opponents haven’t registered a goal for the entire match.

It sits at the top of the division 3 ladder with fellow undefeated sides Eltham and Epping close behind.

Languishing further down the ladder, it was another disappointing result for Laurimar who was beaten by Epping by three goals in an away fixture.

Isabella Zanussi kicked the first and only goal of the opening term, but the Power couldn’t maintain the scoreboard pressure as the Pingers poured on four straight majors in the second and third quarters.

Co-captain Sarah Campbell kicked a consolation goal in the last, cutting the margin back to 17 points before two behinds to the home side capped off a 33-14 win.

Rai Chambers, Brittany Zahra and Breanna Dyer were some of the best for the Power.

This week, Laurimar heads to Darebin where a first victory of the season beckons, while Whittlesea will play Epping in a top-of-the-table clash at Epping Recreational Reserve on Sunday.

Green light for bridge repairs

The North Central Review

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April 28, 2026

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WITH initial bridge barrier repairs done, stage two works to repair the Oak Street bridge over Whiteheads Creek in Seymour will start soon.

The structural damage was identified during routine inspections.

Stage two focuses on structural rehabilitation of the bridge deck, resurfacing with new asphalt to reinstate the bridge’s functionality, and reopen it to two-way traffic and improve its long-term durability.

During the project:

The Oak Street bridge will be temporarily closed to all vehicles and pedestrians

Oak Street will also be temporarily closed between the Wimble Street roundabout and the Tarcombe Road/High Street railway level crossing, but will be accessible to local traffic

The Oak Street and Mentor Street intersection will be temporarily closed, but will be accessible to local traffic

The Oak Street and Abdallah Road intersection will be temporarily closed to all traffic

Signed detours for heavy and high clearance vehicles will be in place via Wimble Street, Delatite Road, Tarcombe Road and High Street.

For more information, contact council on 5734 6200.

Call to make public high school a priority

Jo Kubeil

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April 28, 2026

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Call to make public high school a priority

STATE Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland urged Mitchell Shire residents to share their concerns about the lack of a public high school in Kilmore at a meeting last Wednesday.

Ms Cleeland attended the midday public meeting held at Caffeine Bar.

Mitchell Shire councillors Tim Hanson, Andrea Pace, Bob Humm and Bob Cornish also attended. There were also more than 15 residents in attendance at the meeting.

The future of a public secondary school in Kilmore is a number one issue for Ms Cleeland and as a former journalist, she attended the meeting to publicly film responses which included financial hardship, family breakdown, and broken friendships between students who are zoned to attend a different secondary school despite having established emotional connections with their peers in primary school.

“I don’t think the (State) Government understands the human toll this is having on our community,” she said.

“The financial pressure of going to a school of choice is crippling relationships … It’s about a matched commitment [from government.] If we don’t stand up now, they’ll think regional towns are a push-over … a 300 per cent increase in the population without the infrastructure is going to have some solid challenges.”

Central Ward Cr Hanson, whose children are aged four and 10, agreed. “I don’t know how we got to the point where the oldest inland town of Victoria does not have a high school. This is one of our main advocacy points for the [November] state election and [today] we have a councillor from each ward representing [our community].”

On the number of residents in attendance fellow Central Ward Cr Humm said: “I think it’s good to get the community input from the people who are affected. We’ve got Kilmore Primary School, Willowmavin Primary School, and [there’s] an overlay on the Kilmore Structure Plan for another (Kimore Primary School) on its south side. That’s three primary schools in Kilmore. Where are these kids going to go for high school? I hope someone listens.”

Northern Ward Cr Pace, commenting on the mood in the room, said: “It’s hopeful and desperate. We really need somebody to listen, to understand the pain the government is causing by ignoring the issue.”

Southern Ward Cr Bob Cornish agreed: “[These] people are outspoken. As they should be.”

Later, Ms Cleeland shared on OKR FM community radio that she has a survey for regional Victorians to complete and to encourage feedback from all sections of the community, there is an iPad available to win.

A community group will be established to look at what the financial, emotional and physical impacts would be if a proposal for a Kilmore high school is not put into the state budget.

Major works set to cause disruptions

The North Central Review

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April 28, 2026

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COMMUTERS across Mitchell Shire are bracing for a month of major disruption, with all Seymour and Shepparton line trains to be replaced by coaches as Inland Rail works intensify through Broadford, Wandong, Tallarook and Seymour.

From Tuesday, April 28, until Monday, May 25, replacement coaches will run between Southern Cross, Seymour and Shepparton, leaving thousands of passengers facing longer travel times, altered timetables and the inconvenience of bus transfers. Even before the full shutdown begins, coaches replaced late-night Seymour line trains from Southern Cross in mid-April.

For communities already dealing with years of construction impacts, the latest shutdown is another blow. Inland Rail will use the 28-day V/Line possession from April 28 to May 26 to push ahead with a string of major works across the corridor.

At Wandong, the old Broadford-Wandong Road bridge will be demolished, while in Broadford protective screens will be installed on Hamilton Street bridge to prevent items falling onto the rail line below.

Roadworks around Broadford-Wandong Road, Rail Street and Epping-Kilmore Road will continue, along with drainage, utility relocation, lighting installation and the construction of a temporary residents’ access road.

A section of Rail Street will also close for about 10 weeks, forcing another detour via Heathcote Junction.

Major track works will also take place beneath Broadford’s Short Street bridge, where both ARTC and V/Line tracks will be removed, lowered and rebuilt, alongside the installation of new drainage. Nearby, piling and retaining wall works will continue at Marchbanks Road in preparation for the construction of a new bridge later this year.

Under the Hume Freeway at Tallarook, ARTC and V/Line tracks will also be removed, lowered and rebuilt, with drainage upgrades and bridge strengthening works carried out. Similar works will occur under the Hume Freeway at Seymour.

In Broadford, residents and motorists face heavy vehicle movements, detours and temporary road closures as crews lower the rail tracks beneath Short Street Bridge. About 100,000 tonnes of material will be shifted between the rail corridor and a High Street project site between April 27 and May 12.

Marchbanks Road Bridge and sections of High Street will close during high-impact truck movements, with traffic diverted via the Hume Freeway Clonbinane interchange. Closures are scheduled from 7pm on April 28 until 7am on May 5, apart from limited daytime reopening on April 30 and May 1.

Locals have also been warned to expect about 80 trucks using haulage routes through town, including access points at Last Street, Jamieson Street, Short Street and near the Broadford Bowls Club.

A spokesperson for John Holland has advised that during the closure access to the Hume Freeway will be via the Clonbinane on and off ramps and B-doubles and oversized trucks will be required to travel north to Seymour to turn around to travel south, due to limitations regarding alternative turning circles for large vehicles along the route.

An Inland Rail spokesperson said the scope of work in the upcoming track possession is the largest it has undertaken in a single rail possession.

“With train services suspended, all eight sites will become centres of high activity as we carry out important construction work. We understand that these works will have an impact on the local community, so we thank them for their patience and cooperation.”

Hub helping Seymour to thrive

The North Central Review

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April 28, 2026

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HELPING people to find work and thrive there – this is the goal of Mitchell Shire’s first Thrive Hub employment service in Seymour.

Minister for Employment Natalie Suleyman last week visited Seymour to officially open Victoria’s newest Thrive Hub employment service.

Thrive Hubs, run by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, are community-based, people-centred services that provide personal support to people who need help finding a job or starting training.

Services include personalised coaching, job-readiness workshops, interview preparation and pre-employment accredited training.

By collaborating with local employers and training providers, the hubs also help each person to build their own pathway into training and employment and connect with real job opportunities.

Ms Suleyman said the State Government is providing more opportunities for Victorians to enter the workforce – because it knows secure, meaningful employment supports local families and local economies.

“These programs are the gateway to more local jobs,” she said.

The initiative was first launched as a pilot with a Thrive Hub in Frankston to support the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula regions and another in Broadmeadows to support the Hume region. Both these hubs now also have funding support from the Federal Government.

The State Government is now expanding Thrive Hubs to Fitzroy and Seymour.

Brotherhood of St Laurence Executive Director Travers McLeod said what makes the Thrive Hubs unique is that they are tailored to the specific needs of the communities they serve and focus on meaningful employment for the individual.

“Collaboration is integral. We work with industry experts, training providers and people with lived experience to create employment and education pathways that are effective and sustainable. This powers connected communities,” Mr McLeod said.

To find more about Thrive Hubs, visit www.bsl.org.au/thrive-hub/