Mitchell Shire preparing for Australia Day gatherings

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January 18, 2022

Mitchell Shire preparing for Australia Day gatherings

TOWNSHIPS across Mitchell Shire will mark Australia Day with a range of food, entertainment and activities on January 26.

Mitchell Shire Council will host its customary community awards and citizenship ceremony, this year in Broadford.

The awards and citizenship presentation will be during the Broadford Australia Day Festival at Island Reserve, High Street, Broadford.

The event is organised by several groups including Rotary Club of Southern Mitchell, Broadford Historical Society, Broadford Lions Club, Landcare and others, with backing from Bendigo Bank.

The day will begin with a barbecue breakfast at 7am provided by Broadford Lions Club for a gold coin donation.

There will be a flag raising at 10am, with the citizenship ceremony and community awards to be presented starting at 11am.

Live music, market stalls, community displays, a food court and bar and Broadford’s historic precinct will feature throughout the day, while a trophy is on offer for the winning team in a tug-o-war challenge at 12.30pm.

For children, there will be face painting, pony rides and a jumping castle.

Five awards will be presented at the ceremony, including Mitchell Shire’s Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Access and Inclusion Champion, Community Group of the Year, and Online or Community Event of the Year.

Mitchell Shire Mayor Bill Chisholm said the awards were ‘an opportunity for us to recognise the unsung heroes that operate behind the scenes in our community’.

“Mitchell Shire’s sporting clubs, service organisations, charities and many more wouldn’t function without a small army of volunteers,” he said.

“Australia Day is also a chance to welcome many new citizens who will call our shire home. I look forward to the day and seeing everyone there.

“The COVID-19 situation remains fluid and organisers will monitor the circumstances and implement any relevant restrictions to ensure a safe event for everyone.”

Broadford Australia Day Festival organiser Rose King said it would be a day to make social connections.

“Several community groups will be represented, including Scouts, CFA, SES, Landcare, Rotary Club of Southern Mitchell, Love in Action Broadford, Transition Village Wallan as well as local sporting clubs,” she said.

“For anyone interested in community volunteering this is a wonderful opportunity to find out what our local community groups do so you can find a good fit for your interests and skills.

“The Broadford Historic Precinct buildings will be open to the public with members providing expert information and a display of local family history which has been very well received.”

Wandong will also host its own event at LB Davern Reserve, with a free hot breakfast from 8am followed by a flag raising at 9am and then local Australia Day award presentations.

The event is free and open to all community members. People interested in finding out more information can call Allen Hall on 0413 832 411.

Seymour’s festivities will be at Kings Park starting at 8am with a breakfast that runs until 10am, with Seymour Rotary Club providing a barbecue lunch from 10am to 1pm.

At 10.30am there will be a flag raising and national anthem ceremony, and at 11am a range of awards including business excellence, Seymour police and citizens awards will be presented.

Entertainment will include a jumping castle; the Seymour Gift foot race, with cash prizes in open, under 16 and under 10 categories; a Seymour Car Club display; other community displays; sheep shearing and a live broadcast by Noel Pearson and Seymour FM radio 103.9.

There will also be Seymour Agricultural Show exhibits at the new agricultural pavilion after the 2021 show was cancelled due to COVID.

Classes include baking, open and junior; photography, open and junior; needlework and craft, open and junior; and a wool and VAS conference competition.

People can enter by visiting seymouragshow.org.au.

Improved safety on the way for Kilmore Primary School

The North Central Review

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January 18, 2022

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Improved safety on the way for Kilmore Primary School

KILMORE Primary School students and families are set to enjoy improved safety in 2022, with construction starting on a new shared user path on the north side of Kilmore-Lancefield Road.

The new path will connect Kulin Drive and Church Street, making it safer and more accessible for students and their families to walk or ride to school.

The $865,000 project will help with safety along the road, which attacts about 4000 vehicles each day.

Pedestrian crossings at both ends of the shared user path will also be upgraded along with the parallel parking area opposite the school, helping avoid wet and muddy conditions in winter.

Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the project would be a welcome upgrade for the school and surrounding area.

“We listened to the community and are getting on with this vital work, so that our Kilmore kids can get to and from school safely and easily,” she said.

“This project is an example of how we’re working to support active and healthy lifestyles while also improving safety for our most vulnerable road users.”

A safety barrier will be installed at the Conway Street intersection to protect path users from turning traffic, as well as electronic speed limit signs near the school to alert drivers of reduced speed limits when entering the school zone during drop-off and pick-up times.

The project is expected to take up to 10 weeks to complete.

Applications open for Yan Yean Youth Council

The North Central Review

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January 18, 2022

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Applications open for Yan Yean Youth Council

Yan Yean Youth Council is on the lookout for members – young people interested in representing their peers and making a difference in their community.

Applications for the 2022 council are now open, and young people across the Yan Yean electorate, aged 14 to 24, are invited to nominate.

The council provides young people with a unique leadership role within the community.

Participants will be given the opportunity to explore and share their opinions and ideas, while actively engaging with decision-making processes.

The council will be coordinated by the office of Danielle Green, State Labor Member for Yan Yean, and will meet regularly throughout the year.

Last year’s councillors made their voices heard at a youth roundtable hosted by the Minister for Youth, built their leadership skills by helping co-ordinate a Clean Up Australia Day event, and supported their peers by creating mental health resources in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To apply, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/K7BBHK2 to access the 2022 application form.

People need to submit their contact details, and answer some short questions.

Ms Green encouraged all young people to apply, particularly those of different gender identities and cultural backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

For enquiries email danielle.green@parliament.vic.gov.au.

Applications close Monday, February 7.

Accessible restrooms receive funding

The North Central Review

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January 18, 2022

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Mitchell and Macedon shire councils and the City of Whittlesea were each successful in securing grant money to build accessible restrooms.

People with a disability will have greater access to comfortable public restrooms, following the State Government announcement of grants to build 18 new, fully accessible public restrooms across Victoria.

Mitchell Shire Council will build one at Wallan’s Hadfield Park, the City of Whittlesea was funded for Whittlesea, Banyule and Nillumbik Marveloo; and Macedon Ranges Shire Council at Gisborne Adventure Playground.

Many of the accessible restrooms with adult change tables and hoists will be placed in tourist areas, such as the Great Ocean Road and Melburne CBD.

Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Anthony Carbines said the Changing Places program offered grants of up to $110,000 for each project.

There are now 90 Changing Places in Victoria, out of 193 nationally. To see existing Changing Places locations, visit changingplaces.org.au/find-a-toilet.

Victorian Companion Card holders are now eligible for a free Master Locksmiths Access Key – a universal access key used to open Changing Places facilities. Apply online at masterlocksmiths.com.au/mlak.

Mr Carbines said the restrooms were relied on by 326,000 Victorians.

“These new Changing Places will open up even more of Victoria, allowing people with disability to enjoy the best our state has to offer,” he said.

“Changing Places make a real difference in people’s lives by removing barriers to getting out and about – whether close to home or at major tourist sites.”

Clonbinane resident and community radio host Julian Hickford remembered

Ian Blyth

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January 18, 2022

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Clonbinane resident and community radio host Julian Hickford remembered

IT has often been said that it is not about the number of years on this earth, it’s about how we live those years. Clonbinane resident, Julian Hickford, was an excellent example of years well lived.

His life was packed with community activity and adventure from a young age. Mr Hickford served as a member of Victoria Police and after his retirement as a volunteer on many local community projects.

Many will not have met Mr Hickford but will recognise him by his radio fit voice on community radio station OKRFM, where he presented the popular Rambles program with the late Roger Fletcher for nearly 10 years.

He hosted the program twice weekly during which time he interviewed people ranging from politicians, healthcare workers and other notable people from the local area. Many community groups relied on Rambles to get their message out.

In 2011-2012 Mr Hickford undertook volunteer work by regularly taking his beloved dog Sam to visit the residents in aged care at Dianella in Kilmore, which was greatly appreciated by the residents.

Also starting in 2011 Mr Hickford became an instructor of the Wallan-based Learner Training Program, LTP, whichhe continued for close to nine years until COVID and failing health forced him to stop.

LTP is a mentor program assisting eligible learner drivers to attain their 120 hours. During his time he clocked up 1400 volunteer hours and boasted a 100 per cent success rate with the young drivers he mentored to licence test level.

To know and understand what drove Mr Hickford, it is important to know the child who grew up in England and South America during the late 1940s and into the 1960s.

Mr Hickford was born in Newmarket on January 31 1946, the eldest of three children.

In July the same year, Mr Hickford’s parents travelled with him as a baby to Buenos Aires, Argentina for his father to work in a senior position on the railways. They remained there for three to four years before an uprising saw the family move to La Paz, Bolivia.

They stayed there for two years and then as a result of another uprising they moved to Oroya, a small mining town 1200ft up in the Andes in Peru.

Speaking with Mr Hickford before he passed, it was clear those formative years in South America played a big part in forming the man that many knew and loved.

While his family remained in Peru in the early 1960s, at age 14 Mr Hickford was sent to Eastbourne boarding school in England for two years due to the lack of schooling options in Peru at the time.

Despite serving as school captain, Mr Hickford found the restrictions of boarding school hard to deal with and was happy to board a ship for a new life in Australia.

He left Southampton in 1963, aged 17, as part of the Big Brother movement consisting of 15 boys on the Fairsky disembarking in Sydney after four weeks at sea.

From there Mr Hickford moved to Corowa and worked on a sheep farm for about two years until he bought a car and started travelling.

He signed up for the police force at a recruiting campaign in Albury Wodonga and was sworn in on May 8, 1967, serving for 14 years stationed at Flemington and Broadmeadows.

In 2002, Mr Hickford suffered a major heart attack that he was fortunate to survive. He continued to live life to the fullest despite that heart attack and his failing health brought about the onset of Parkinson’s disease some years later.

His relentless battle against Parkinson’s and its associated complications has been described as truly inspirational.

Mr Hickford died on December 31, 2021 after suffering a fatal heart attack. He is survived by this wife Danielle.

He was farewelled at a service at Kilmore Golf Club on Friday attended by family and friends. The service was also live streamed to family members in England.

Kilmore actor makes television debut in Binge series Love Me

Max Davies

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January 18, 2022

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Kilmore actor makes television debut in Binge series Love Me

By Max Davies

Kilmore actor John Sharp has made his television acting debut, scoring a role in a new show, Love Me, on Binge.

The show focuses on three people dealing with the death of a family member – a son and daughter losing their mother and a husband losing his wife – with the story covering the ways in which the characters deal with the loss separately and together.

Mr Sharp said finding out he had been chosen to be a part of the show came as a pleasant surprise.

“It was very exciting for me, because obviously I’ve been auditioning for things for quite a while,” he said.

“You always audition and you have the expectation that you won’t get [the job] so you don’t get disappointed, so I was very surprised when I heard I got the job.”

Mr Sharp has acted in various music theatre productions, including with the University of Melbourne, Broadford Amateur Theatre Society and his former school Assumption College Kilmore.

In Love Me, he plays a character who recently reunited with his father and is looking to spend time with him, becoming a minor antagonist when his father meets a woman and begins to have less time to spend with his teenage son.

Mr Sharp said he was happy to be given the opportunity to act in a television series at an early stage in his career.

“Being able to be a part of a TV show is a privilege, it’s always been something I’ve wanted to do even if it’s just once and never again,” he said.

“With a career in acting, it doesn’t work out for most people, so I figured since I was young and I’m able to play teenage characters I would try and go for it.

“I’m glad I’ve at least got one TV show under my belt, and if it leads to other endeavours then I’ll welcome it and if it doesn’t, I have other options that I’m willing to do.”

Mr Sharp last year began his Bachelor of Music Composition and Technology at Monash University and is currently working on an upcoming theatre production. He thanked his parents, aunt Michelle and acting teacher Georgina for their contribution to his career so far.

Seymour McDonald’s fundraiser for young cancer victim

The North Central Review

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January 18, 2022

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Seymour McDonald’s fundraiser for young cancer victim

By Tricia Mifsud

SEYMOUR McDonalds is calling for people and businesses to donate towards a raffle raising money for a young employee who has been diagnosed with cancer.

Michelle Lavryssen, in her early 20s, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, before finding out she also had sarcoma, with the cancer spreading into her lungs, liver and pelvis.

Sam Payne has been a close friend of Ms Lavryssen’s while the pair worked at McDonalds and said the fundraiser would help with any medical expenses, and to encourage Ms Lavryssen to tick off some of her bucket list items.

“Michelle has been at our store for about a year and a half, and as well she was there a couple of years ago. She’s just so lovely, helpful and puts a smile on everyone’s faces at work,” Ms Payne said.

“Last year, Michelle found out she had breast cancer and there were a few of us at work that she messaged about it, and we all thought [after treatment] she’d be okay.

“But then she was told it had spread to her liver, lungs and pelvis and we all wanted to do something to help make things somehow easier for her.

“She’s so lovely to everyone and it’s killing us having to digest that someone so young is going through this, so we hope the more money we can get for Michelle, the more things we can help her do.”

A fundraiser day, ‘Michelle’s Day’, is also being organised for Ms Lavryssen, which will be at the Royal Hotel in Seymour on February 5. Details are still being finalised and will be made public for anyone wishing to attend.

Along with Ms Payne, other McDonald’s employees Nathan Xuereb and Emma Sainsbury, as well as Ms Payne’s partner Troy, are helping with the planning including gathering donations, organising Michelle’s Day and printing Michelle’s Day tee-shirts.

Mr Xuereb said he couldn’t imagine what it would have been like for Ms Lavryssen to have gone through what she had to, particularly doing it alone during the pandemic. He said the fundraiser was the least the store could do to help.

“We wanted to raise money for her as I couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be for her, going to appointments, staying in hospital alone due to COVID-19 restrictions. Going through chemo is something no one that age should have to face, especially alone,” he said.

“We felt the fundraiser is a good way to get the community together and let Michelle know she isn’t alone in this battle.

“She’s had to overcome so much already and we want to do everything possible to ensure she keeps fighting, and once she comes out of this we want her to be able to relax a little and enjoy herself.”

Anyone who would like to donate to the raffle fundraiser, contact Ms Payne on 0403 073 296 or email sampayne01@hotmail.com.

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Inaugural Lancefield equine market bringing together enthusiasts

The North Central Review

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January 18, 2022

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Inaugural Lancefield equine market bringing together enthusiasts

By Tricia Mifsud

THE inaugural Central Victorian Equine Market is set to call Lancefield Park its home, bringing together equestrian enthusiasts for a day full of all things horses products and services.

Market organiser Stacey Groves has ridden horses all her life and noticed the lack of a market specific for those in the equestrian industry to come together.

“Central Victorian Equine Market is a market for all businesses and second-hand horse gear holders to come together, being a specific equine market offering coaches to have a stall, feed, supplements, saddlery, clothing, anything equine,” she said.

Being a business owner of Lucky Kids Equine clothing and accessories, Ms Groves wanted to provide a market that was regular and accessible for businesses, but also one that was affordable for small businesses to attend.

“You have your farmers’ markets every month, and second-hand gear markets but that doesn’t really target businesses and so I wanted an ongoing, cheaper and affordable market to happen for all other equestrian businesses,” she said.

“There’s events like Equitana that runs once every two years but for a business to go to that, it’s a minimum $3500 to $4000 outlay just to trade so as small businesses, people can’t afford that whereas Central Victorian Equine Market is giving everyone the opportunity to trade to the targeted audience.”

Ms Grove is currently liaising with stallholders to see how regularly the market should run – every quarter, six months or yearly.

The market will give the region’s equestrian groups the opportunity to fundraise, with a sausage sizzle to be coordinated by a different group each time.

Ms Groves is looking for businesses to host a stall at the market and welcomes people to reach out should they have any questions or would like to register for a stall.

With 1200 people responding as ‘attending’ on the Facebook event for the market, Ms Groves encouraged all equestrian-related businesses to take on the opportunity to reach a large consumer base.

Central Victorian Equine Market will be at Lancefield Park on March 26, from 10am to 4pm.

or email cvemarketbookings@gmail.com.

Police news across the Mitchell Shire

The North Central Review

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January 17, 2022

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Theft of vehicle

Between 4.30pm and 8.50pm on January 10, unknown offenders stole a white 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander station wagon that was parked in Lakeside Drive, Wallan.

The vehicle contained numerous work items including iPads, laptop and cash. Total value is estimated at $30,000

Theft from Liquorland

At about 7pm on Thursday, three unknown men entered Liquorland, near Coles Kilmore, walked around the store before leaving without buying anything.

About 10 minutes later, one of the men returned to the store and loitered near the front door before picking up a slab of Carlton Draught beer and leaving without paying.

Description of the man is thin build, shaved head wearing a black t-shirt.

Theft of registration plates

Between 3pm on January 9 and 10am on January 10, unknown offenders removed the front and rear registration plates from a vehicle parked in Church Street, Kilmore.

Criminal damage to vehicle

Between 2.30pm and 3pm on January 9, unknown offenders entered a backyard in Howe Street, Seymour and slashed the front and rear right-hand side tyres of a vehicle with an unknown object.

If anyone knows the identity of the offenders or anything about the incidents, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Possess drug of dependence

At 3.10am on January 7, Kilmore Police spoke to a man, 21, from Wallan at the United Service Station carwash in Powlett Street, Kilmore.

The man produced two small bags containing drug of dependence, and was arrested and conveyed to Kilmore Police Station, where he was interviewed and released pending a future court date.

Police investigating double murder in Mill Park

The North Central Review

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January 17, 2022

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Police investigating double murder in Mill Park

Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman and girl in Mill Park on Thursday night.

Emergency services were called to an address in Kellaway Crescent about 7.50pm after reports of a stabbing.

On arrival police located a 40-year-old man, 39-year-old woman and a six-year-old girl with critical injuries.

The woman died at the scene and the man was taken to hospital in a critical condition under police guard.

The girl was also taken to hospital in critical condition, but later died on Friday morning.

At this stage, detectives believe all parties are known to each other and the matter is being investigated by the Homicide Squad.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or with footage or further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.