Epping grassfire investigation ongoing

The North Central Review

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January 23, 2024

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Whittlesea Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a suspicious grass fire in Epping on January 15.

Emergency services were called to the fire on Genesis Drive just after 9pm.

Investigators have been told a man was seen walking his dog before walking to the middle of a vacant block and setting the long grass on fire.

He then left the scene on foot, heading south towards Revelation Road.

The man is perceived to be Caucasian, about 180 centimetres tall with a medium build, wearing dark-coloured shorts and a black and white t-shirt.

He was walking a small dark-coloured dog with white markings on its chest.

Investigators have released CCTV of a man they believe can assist with their enquiries.

Detectives are also investigating a previous fire at the same location about 7pm on January 11.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Kilmore’s Barton bags first trainer-jockey win

Jordyn Grubisic

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January 23, 2024

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Kilmore’s Barton bags first trainer-jockey win

Kilmore jockey Tyson Barton registered his first training win on January 14 with War of Wisdom taking out the Edward Eli Bull Memorial Trophy Race at Balnarring picnic races.

To make the victory even sweeter, Barton rode the mare to victory himself pinching a winning lead on the corner beating Kingdom Fighter and registering his first win as jockey/trainer.

Barton had also won the Phase Two Balnarring Trophy Race with Summerhill earlier in the day.

Having been a jockey since 2021 riding 33 winners, Barton began training in early December with War of Wisdom – a family owned horse – his 10th runner.

“It was a pretty special win. It was really a big achievement for me,” Barton said.

“I’ve been riding for a few years now and I took out my assistant trainer’s licence with my uncle Tony in Kilmore.

“I was doing that for a year and then I wanted to get my trainer’s licence to train my own.

“The main reason is because my weight is starting to get a bit heavy for riding so I’ll probably move onto training once I finish race riding.”

Alongside his racing career, Barton has also signed on to play football at Kilmore this season.

Works to start on new Lancefield kinder

The North Central Review

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January 23, 2024

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Early site works are set to begin this month to prepare for the construction of a new kindergarten and maternal and child health centre at Lancefield.

A planning permit has now been approved for the project at 76A High Street, with the modern three-room facility to be complemented by accessible and secure entries as well as a dedicated rear playground area.

Early works will include the installation of temporary fencing, site clearing and levelling works, and installing building footings and stumps.

The works will then pave the way for installation of the modular buildings transported to site, building fit-outs, landscaping and all other required works.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s community director Maria Weiss said the priority project for council was expected to be operational by mid-2024.

“This project will provide many benefits for the community including increased kinder places for local children, local maternal and child health services, and space for community-based and supported playgroups,” she said.

“We’re grateful to many groups for collaborating with us to make this a reality including the Lancefield Park Recreation Reserve’s Committee of Management, the neighbouring men’s shed and the Lancefield Playgroup committee.

“We look forward to seeing the project take shape and will continue to work closely with these key stakeholders and others – including contractors, the neighbouring primary school, residents and current kinder families – to enable a smooth build and transition once the new centre opens.”

Key features of the current site will be protected and retained, including heritage gate pillars at the entrance and the mature trees bordering the west and south of the site.

The off-site construction of the modular buildings means a more efficient and less disruptive build.

The project has received $3 million in funding through the State Government’s Building Blocks Capacity Building Grants stream and will be delivered by the Victorian School Building Authority.

Council has allocated $144,000 to ensure the new centre is fully furnished and has improved environmental and sustainable design elements.

for more information, including project updates.

Historic Plenty River bluestone bridge retained

The North Central Review

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January 23, 2024

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Historic Plenty River bluestone bridge retained

Photo caption: The historic bluestone bridge over Plenty River. 

A Mernda descendent of local pioneers is keen for the Bridge Inn Road upgrade to improve safety while also retaining the heritage of the historic bluestone bridge over Plenty River.

Major Road Projects Victoria and construction partner Laing O’Rourke are delivering a new four-lane bridge over the river and transforming the 125-year-old bluestone bridge into a shared walking and cycling path.

Neil Johnson, the great-great-great grandson of Moses Thomas who officially opened the bluestone bridge in 1867, said he was thrilled the upgrade would improve safety and travel time but also retain the bridge.

“It’s really important the old bluestone bridge will be kept for the community as an asset for future generations as part of the Bridge Inn Road Upgrade,” he said.

“As a local I’m well aware of the need to improve local roads to keep up with the growth of the area, and the benefits of the Bridge Inn Road Upgrade for travel times and safety will be unquestionable.”

A father of 18, Mr Thomas built the local Presbyterian church, the area’s first state school, and the original Bridge Inn Hotel.

He also managed a flour mill on the banks of the Plenty River.

The repurposed bridge will connect with other shared walking and cycling paths to enable better relations for active transport in the area.

The new bridge between Mernda and Doreen opened with one lane in each direction in December, with all four lanes on the 68-metre bridge expected to be open later in 2024.

The project team will soon look at the bluestone bridge, preparing it for pedestrians and cyclists.

The bridge and path work complement the upgrade’s construction of extra lanes in both directions between Plenty and Yan Yean roads.

While the upgrade will deliver more reliable travel along Bridge Inn Road, it will also improve access to Mernda’s train station and town centre, as well as boost safety and connect communities across the growing outer northern suburbs.

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Broadford BMX facility funding sought

Jordyn Grubisic

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January 23, 2024

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Broadford could be home to a new BMX and mountain bike facility if Mitchell Shire Council’s submission to the State Government’s Local Sports Infrastructure Fund, LSIF, is successful.

At its December meeting, council voted to submit two applications under the Sport and Recreation Victoria, SRV, LSIF – one for the BMX and mountain bike facility strategy and a second for upgrades Seymour’s Graham Street playground.

Council will apply for $225,000 from the LSIF fund for the Graham Street play space upgrades while contributing $75,000 from its funds to complete the $300,000 upgrade.

An application for $37,500 will be made for the $50,000 BMX and mountain bike facility strategy with council contributing the remaining $12,500.

Cr Rhonda Sanderson said both applications were for two ‘really good projects’.

“It’s great this program is available for us to apply for some funds,” she said.

“Every bit of external funding that we get means we can then use the cash we may have in our budgets to redirect towards other things to save the ratepayers.

“We know that there’s strong community interest especially in Kilmore around [BMX riding] and there is a lack of opportunities to undertake this interest there.”

Cr Fiona Stevens said upgrades to the playground were also needed.

“For those unfamiliar with this particular park, it’s a little pocket park and it’s in an older part of Seymour,” she said.

“It’s quite well used but it’s very basic. So an upgrade is very well needed and it will certainly be appreciated by those that live in the immediate vicinity particularly with smaller kids.”

Cr Stevens also noted the BMX facility would cater to other interests.

“It’s not going to be limited to BMX and mountain bikes. It’s actually going to look at pump tracks and skate park facilities,” she said.

“We’re aware of the mountain bike and BMX desire out there but we’re also aware of the desire for pump tracks and the skateparks so that will be included as well.”

Announcements of successful applicants are expected from April and projects must be completed within 24 months of signing the funding agreement.

Telstra work upgrades commence

The North Central Review

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January 23, 2024

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Telstra has started upgrading its mobile base station in Broadford for improved 4G capacity and new 5G coverage requiring temporary service disruptions or reduction in mobile coverage.

A full shutdown occurred between January 15 and 19, and if all goes well, the work will be completed by Wednesday, January 24.

Telstra mobile customers may receive text messages informing them of the upgrades, while landline services, NBN internet services and mobile coverage from other providers will not be impacted.

Any calls to triple zero from a Telstra mobile when the site is off-air will automatically be switched to any working mobile network for connection to emergency services.

The aim of the work is for Broadford customers to enjoy a better mobile experience.

When the works are completed, Telstra customers in Broadford will join more than 4900 Telstra 5G sites on-air within chosen areas of more than 400 cities and towns across Australia.

For mobile coverage in the interim, if residents have access to a Wi-Fi signal at home or at work, Telstra encourages them to activate Wi-Fi calling – a free setting on most phones to make and receive phone calls via Wi-Fi network.

Many businesses use the Telstra network for EFTPOS terminals, however Telstra does not operate the EFTPOS network, it is managed by financial institutions.

EFTPOS terminals can be connected using fixed line or Wi-Fi/NBN internet connections.

Retailers should contact their bank for more information and details on how to switch between methods to ensure continuous service.

and if people experience concerns after the outage period, report faults through 132200 Telstra Faults.

Road safety in focus for Macedon Ranges

The North Central Review

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January 23, 2024

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A new Macedon Ranges Shire Council road safety strategy aims for a zero road toll in the shire and to reduce wildlife trauma.

The Mobility and Road Safety Strategy 2023-2032 and its action plan have been designed to support the vision of both the Macedon Ranges and the State Government to work towards reducing fatalities and crash injuries within the shire.

It was also developed with non-vehicle road user considerations in mind and targets a reduction in wildlife road trauma.

Councillors adopted the draft strategy at its December meeting with no opposition.

Cr Janet Pearce said while the strategy had been in the works for some time, council was ‘pleased’ to see it come to fruition.

“I think one of the big points is that we recognise the environment, we recognise the position we are [in] with the peri-urban and also regional area that we are,” she said.

“If we feel that there are points in here that need to be addressed, it’s making sure that we do advocate and that we are continually telling our residents when there are complaints or concerns about things that might not be council’s responsibility, but we inform them who to notify.”

The strategy was designed with four safe system key principles in focus, those being safer roads, safer speeds, safer people and safer vehicles – all of which serve to promote better habits and create useful knowledge about minimising risks when using roads.

The strategy also recognises the importance of supporting active transport such as walking and cycling, working with road safety partners such as police, listening to and engaging with the community, and considering wildlife safety.

Cr Christine Walker, who commenced her role in November 2023, said she was impressed by the strategy’s development and proud to see it in action.

“As a new councillor, I was very impressed with this document because I think it’s one of the things that occurs in the background that makes a change and difference to our residents,” she said.

“It represents an enormous amount of work that is ultimately about the safety of our community, so I think it’s a very important document and I’m very proud of council for having generated it over the past few years, it’s a very impressive thing.”

Cr Geoff Neill also said he was proud that council was aspiring to achieve zero road deaths over the coming years.

Macedon Ranges council seeks flood feedback

The North Central Review

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January 23, 2024

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Macedon Ranges council seeks flood feedback

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is seeking first-hand feedback from residents impacted by recent storm/flood events to help officers provide and tailor additional support where appropriate.

Since Christmas Eve 2023, council has received hundreds of reports of flood and storm impacts, with council officers working diligently to prioritise and promptly address each of the queries.

Council’s community director Maria Weiss said council was eager to adopt lessons from previous flood events and support impacted residents where appropriate.

“We know we were more fortunate than some of our neighbouring councils and others across Victoria in terms of extensive flood/storm impacts, but we’ve been here before and we want to be proactive in gathering information and supporting our community,” she said.

“I encourage anyone impacted to get in touch and on behalf of all of our teams here at council, I’d like to thank the community in advance for their patience and understanding as we continue to work methodically through a high number of customer queries during this time.”

To gather more information and provide further support, council officers are travelling to several towns across the shire with a roving Recovery Operations Centre, ROC, inviting and assisting impacted residents to register for support and provide feedback.

Proposed ROC drop-in sessions, subject to change, include:

January 24: Lancefield Neighbourhood House, 2 to 4pm
January 31: Darraweit Guim Memorial Hall, 10am to 12pm and Romsey Hub, 2 to 4pm
February 2: Council’s Kyneton administration centre, 10am to 12pm

Residents can also provide feedback online by visiting and filling out a public registration form. to fill out a form or contact the customer service team on 5422 0333.

Grants for young sports stars

The North Central Review

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January 23, 2024

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Young sports stars who are participating in a state, national, or international championship this year may be assisted in the latest round of the Local Sporting Champions grant.

The Local Sporting Champions program provides financial assistance for coaches, officials and competitors aged 12-18 participating in state, national or international championships.

Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland encouraged eligible local athletes to apply for the grants.

“We are a region with an extremely proud sporting culture, particularly with our youth sports,” she said.

“Sadly, living regionally can bring forth some additional barriers for our local athletes to attend some of the major sporting events in cities across the country.”

Providing up to $750 in funds to compete in a sporting championship, the latest round is currently open and will close at 11.59pm on January 31.

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Seymour-based communications business launches

The North Central Review

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January 23, 2024

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Seymour-based communications business launches

The Mitchell Shire is home to a new communications business following the recent launch of MICOM, founded by Seymour’s Mitch Itter.

The business provides a broad range of media and communication services to local organisations, including website development, branding, media liaison, social media, copywriting and speechwriting.

Mr Itter grew up and resides in Seymour. He holds tertiary qualifications in politics, international relations, media, communications and education.

His media experience includes working across government, corporate affairs, the not-for-profit sector, sporting clubs, and small businesses.

With a passion for regional people, sharing stories and lifting brand awareness, MICOM has been launched with the intention of being the one-stop shop for organisations looking to build their profile and increase efficiency.

“My professional experience has given me fantastic opportunities to work across so many communication channels and I can’t wait to share my experience to help local businesses,” he said.

“This includes working across both the public and private sectors and being heavily involved with organisations in the Goulburn Valley.

“We have already partnered with several local businesses and clubs that are seeing strong results from their investment in MICOM.”

MICOM offers tailored solutions to businesses no matter the size or industry.

“A partnership with MICOM could be as simple as a one-off event or announcement you’re looking to amplify or an ongoing contract to be at your service around the clock,” Mr Itter said.

“I’m passionate about increasing the reach of businesses and helping them reach new audiences.

“In the current climate, it’s more important than ever to be utilising online and traditional media forms to meet and exceed your business goals.

“I can’t wait to help more businesses across our region tap new markets and thrive through partnering with MICOM.”

To find out more, follow MICOM on Instagram or Facebook, visit micomonline.com.au, or get in touch with Mr Itter at mitch.micom@gmail.com or 0431 542 660.