Crossing to safety in Seymour

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January 13, 2026

PEDESTRIANS walking to Seymour’s Chittick Park for events have scored a major win, with a new raised pedestrian crossing set to be created over the next month.

Works were set to begin last week on Pollard Street, and expected to be completed by mid-February.

As ever, traffic management will be in place, while drivers around the area should allow extra travel time. Those with access to homes and businesses in the areas will maintain that access, with short delays.

The goal of the new raised intersection is that it will be safer and easier for pedestrians around the popular Chittick Park precinct, particularly for sporting, recreation and community events.

Drive to tackle road toll

Jo Kubeil

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January 13, 2026

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ROAD safety is a focus for Victoria Police in the new year following another tragic year on the state’s roads.

Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir in a press release said: “It’s been another challenging year on Victoria’s roads – the numbers are devastating, but let’s not forget that behind every number is a human life”.

There were 288 lives lost in 2025 compared with 284 in 2024.

While the provisional number of lives lost is higher than last year it came in slightly below 2023 when 295 lives lost were recorded, a 15-year high for road fatalities.

While single vehicle fatal collisions deceased slightly in 2025, concerningly the number of multiple fatality collisions increased.

Last year saw 14 double fatalities, three triple fatalities and one quadruple fatality resulting in the deaths of 41 people, compared to 13 double fatalities in 2024 resulting in 26 deaths.

Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, motorcyclists, pillion passengers, bicyclists, and e-riders made up more than 40 per cent of all lives lost on Victorian roads in 2025.

The number of motorcyclists killed decreased from 66 in 2024 to 59 in 2025.

Driver fatalities, the death of a person from injuries sustained in a road crash, made up 42 per cent of all lives lost during 2025, with 121 driver deaths compared to 127 in 2024.

Around half of lives lost occurred on regional roads, with 147 fatalities recorded. This was similar in 2024 with 146 fatalities recorded.

There were 141 lives lost on metropolitan roads, slightly up from 138 in 2024.

May was the deadliest month on Victoria’s roads with 38 lives lost, followed closely by 36 in January and at least 10 per cent of people killed in vehicle collisions weren’t wearing a seatbelt.

Speed has been a factor in at least 30 per cent of fatal collisions in 2025 and remains the highest contributing factor in road trauma.

Mr Weir also said: “In 2026, Victoria Police will continue to work with our road safety partners to drive down road trauma, and our focus will be on remaining highly visible across the state’s roads to detect and deter offending. It’s up to all of us to prioritise road safety and ensure it remains a focus in the year ahead”.

Action against illegal dumping

The North Central Review

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January 13, 2026

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THE Victorian Government is cleaning up parks and reserves with action against illegal disposal in northern Victoria, and making sure environmental polluters are held accountable.

Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes has announced that applications are now being accepted for the $8.5 million Illegal Dumping Clean-up Rebate Program, which will give public property managers and councils extra funding to clear up illegally discarded rubbish.

“We are helping keep northern Victoria clean, healthy and safe,” Ms Symes said.

For public land managers in northern Victoria, illegal dumping is a major problem. Councils and land managers deal with constant difficulties and high expenses related to rubbish clearance.

Councils and crown land committees of management will get assistance in cleaning up priority garbage under the rebate program.

The program, part of the Victorian Government’s $21.5 million campaign against illegal dumping, will be administered by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

The Illegal Dumping Taskforce will receive $13 million as part of a commitment to boost monitoring, enforcement and cleanup initiatives throughout the state in a bid to catch more people flouting the law. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) will lead the taskforce.

Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos said: “Too often councils and public land managers are left with a costly mess to clean up from the actions of wrong-doers. This rebate scheme provides support to help cover these costs and keep our suburbs and towns clean”.

Illegal dumping can be reported to the EPA on 1300 372 842.

For more information about the rebate program, visit www.environment.vic.gov.au/grants/illegal-dumping-clean-up-rebate

Pet of the week

The North Central Review

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January 13, 2026

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OUR very first VIP’s for 2026 are the amazing Belgian Malinois (MAL-in-wah) sisters.

Tikka is two and her big sister Zara is six.

These gals share a love for running and play fighting.

Casey from Broadford says ‘Tikka is affectionate and Zara always says yes to a good back scratch.’

Seven is a lucky number

Mary Hackshaw

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January 13, 2026

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By Mary Hackshaw

AT the Alexandra Picnic Race Club last meet for 2025, under clear skies local trainers almost made a clean sweep across six races when Seymour’s Don Dwyer won the first two races with Pine Valley and Wilma Wombat.

In race one, Pine Valley dropped back from 2350 metres at his previous start to a shorter trip of 1830 metres and clocked up his impressive seventh win for Dwyer and in race two Wilma Wombat scored over 1540 metres in the Open Trophy and each was ridden by Shaun Cooper.

Kilmore trainer David Dean celebrated the race three win with Indian Hills gaining her maiden win over 1540 metres ridden by Leigh Taylor. The four year old mare sired by Dundeel was having just her fifth race day start.

Race four also went the way of Dean’s runner, this time Miss Himalaya ridden by Jasmine Trenwith and sired by Frosted scored in the Open Trophy 1300 metre event.

Mornington trainer Rebecca Waymouth won race five with Mexican Fiddler ridden by Melinda McDonald and in the final race Dean’s Frostration ridden by Rowan Cox won the maiden 1300 race by seven lengths, an exciting race to watch on just her seventh race day start in impressive style as a three year old.

The traditional New Years Day meeting at Merton saw Don Dwyer score another double, this time with two first-starters for his stable in race’s two and four.

Tomanado took out the UP Build Trophy 2 handicap, leading for the entire race and winning by four lengths. In the Peter Dolling Memorial Maiden, former Craig Weeding galloper, The Village Fox won. Each of Dwyer’s steeds were ridden by Shaun Cooper across 1600 metres under clear skies.

Seymour trainer Kevin Evans travelled to Western Victoria on New Years Day to compete in the Burrumbeet races and in race eight he was rewarded when Bronco Revolution crossed the finish line first in the Benchmark 52 1000 metre ridden by Caitlin Hollowood under clear skies.

Bushfires in the region forced the abandonment of the meeting at Mansfield on Saturday.

Seymour trainer Dr John Heath has been hit with multiple misfortunes over recent weeks, firstly with his vehicle being T-boned by a truck while on his way to the Woolamai meeting on December 20. While still in hospital, Heath’s property at Longwood was destroyed by bushfires.

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Weekly Sudoku Puzzle Week 23/12/2025 Challenge

Puzzles

The North Central Review

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December 23, 2025

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Sudoku puzzle of the week

How to play Sudoku

The objective of Sudoku is to fill each row, column and sub-grid with exactly one of the possible entries (usually, the numbers 1-9). A conflict arises if you repeat any entry in the same row, column or sub-grid.

Play Sudoku together

Use the Play together option in the navigation bar to invite a friend to play this sudoku puzzle with you. Once connected, your friend’s icon will turn green. If either of you is disconnected from the Internet, the icon will turn red. If either of you is inactive, the icon will turn gray. You and your friend can now enter letters at the same time. Click on the chat icon at bottom right to talk with your friend. (Chat is not available if either player is on a mobile device.)