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Sculpture exhibition coming to Hanging Rock

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Sculpture exhibition coming to Hanging Rock

Hanging Rock Winery’s Art in the Vines exhibition is underway, showcasing 30 unique works from local and international artists to bring the vineyards to life once again.

Now in its fourth year, the exhibition was created from a desire to add a special element to the winery’s cellar door experience, attracting works from established and upcoming artists to become the biggest sculpture exhibition outside of Melbourne in 2021.

General manager Ruth Ellis said the focus for this year’s exhibition was to be open to as many different works as possible to help artists following travel restrictions and difficulties as a result of COVID-19.

“So many of our artists live in Melbourne or New South Wales and they haven’t actually been able to get to their studios,” she said.

“On the flip side, they may have pieces that were destined for [significant shows], so they’ve got these amazing feature pieces and they want somewhere to show it.

“Having a theme [as in previous years] would really mess that up.”

The exhibition typically runs from October to March, however the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021 meant the previous exhibition lasted much longer than anticipated.

“Realistically, last year’s [exhibition] only finished a couple of weeks ago,” Ms Ellis said.

“Either sculptors couldn’t come get their pieces or there’s been no one to see them anyway.

“Normally there’s almost an entire rotation [of sculptures] every year and there’s not too many permanent ones, so we’ve had to be flexible and hold onto a lot of them for this year.”

With about 80 per cent of the exhibition’s audience typically comes from metropolitan Melbourne, the winery is eagerly anticipating the full easing of restrictions and is keen to welcome people back to regional Victoria.

The exhibition is a free event and is set to run until April 25, 2022. It features works from multiple Macedon Ranges artists including Tim Jones and Anton Hasell.

Petition to reopen Romsey Hotel after owner has kept it shut for four years

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Petition to reopen Romsey Hotel after owner has kept it shut for four years

By Tricia Mifsud

A PETITION to pressure the Macedon Ranges Shire Council to have the current owner of the Romsey Hotel, which has been shut since 2017, to either sell or restore and reopen the venue has gained more than 2500 signatures.

The Romsey Hotel, owned by Jim Hogan, has been closed for about four years, leaving the township without a pub or hotel.

Mr Hogan closed the hotel following a failed bid to put gaming machines at the hotel.

Romsey resident Sandra Chestnutt is among the passionate group of community members pushing for council to have Mr Hogan either reopen the hotel or sell the building.

She said despite many debates to arise about the Romsey Hotel, including council refusing to allow gaming machines at the premises back in 2004, the petition is about protecting the building’s heritage overlay and seeing what could be done about the empty building.

“The petition is about the heritage overlay; in the Macedon Ranges, only two places have heritage overlay and Romsey is one of them,” she said.

“There are specific rules and regulations that go along with it, including you can’t change the façade of a building, but in 2017 when the lease holder walked out, it was boarded and not with board but with aluminium, which was a big no.

“A council class representative went to meet with the owners, and he said there was an imminent sale, and he boarded it up for security reasons and security purposes, but it was never on the market, it has never been found to be on the market and it still isn’t on the market anywhere.

“It’s a private business and we can’t pressure anybody to do anything, but council need to put pressure on from their side for the owner to uphold the rules and regulations to do with heritage overlay building.”

Ms Chestnutt said even with its heritage overlay, and importance to the history of Romsey, the community were just longing for a pub where they could all come together, especially as COVID-19 restrictions eased and people looked for places to reunite.

“We just want a pub, it’s the social centre of any small town, it’s just not acceptable,” she said.

“Young ones want to go to the pub, mothers want to have catch up lunches at the pub, and I know we have other locations for that, but a pub is just different.”

The council’s planning and environment director Angela Hughes told The Free Press the council was in no position to force Mr Hogan to reopen the hotel.

“Council cannot force or require the landowner to re-open the hotel or use the site in a particular manner. A new use of the site may require a planning permit depending upon what is proposed,” she said.

Council met with Mr Hogan after it was resolved at the February 24 scheduled council meeting to write to him about what his intentions were for the site, and he met with council’s manager community and economic development, arts, and events to discuss his plans.

“As with any discussion with a landowner, the specific details of this conversation are confidential,” Ms Hughes said.

“With the exception of the above meeting, council has not had any involvement with the site in the last three to four years.”

The Free Press reached out for comment from Mr Hogan but he did not return calls.

Mr Hogan told the Midland Express that it would be six to 12 months before he made a decision on the site, but he was happy to hear from the community about what they wanted.

He said he had originally planned for a multifaceted business prior to losing his gaming machine bid and that it was ‘unfortunate that the council did not want that to go ahead’.

Mr Hogan said he had planned to redevelop the site but had instead been focusing on other business interests, such as Hogan’s Hotel in Wallan, during COVID-19.

Whittlesea netballer makes national squad

The North Central Review
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Whittlesea netballer makes national squad

By Tricia Mifsud

WHITTLESEA’S Tara Watson has been selected as one of the 36 netballers in Netball Australia’s 17 and under national squad for the upcoming 2021-22 season.

As her first time selected for a national squad, Watson said she couldn’t believe it when she found out and was looking forward to playing netball in a professional environment.

Of the 36 selected athletes, Watson is one of the six Victorians.

“When I found it was pretty surreal – I didn’t believe it, and I was incredibly honoured to be selected,” Watson said.

“I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, and I still can’t.

“I think what I am most excited about is being able to train alongside hardworking and talented athletes and to be around the professionalism of the coaches.”

The teams were announced for both the 17 and under and 19 and under squads in late September, with selection this year different due to the National Netball Championships being cancelled because of COVID-19.

“Nationals got cancelled because of COVID-19, which was devastating but I was a part of the state trial process, including the first screening because I wasn’t a part of any state academies. There were about three or four trials I went through for selection,” Watson said.

Watson has played netball since she was four years old, and currently plays for Diamond Creek and North East Blaze.

She watched her older sister play netball before her, and was encouraged to give the sport a go for herself.

“My sister played before me and she got me into it. I love the team spirit of netball and the professionalism held by netball players and I look up to every single one of the players above me,” Watson said.

COVID-19 restrictions permiting, Netball Australia is aiming to deliver camps for both the 17 and 19 squads, giving players the opportunity to improve their ability and receive elite training.

Three ‘Local Heroes’ awarded $10,000 each for charity

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Three ‘Local Heroes’ awarded $10,000 each for charity

By Aleksandra Bliszczyk

Three City of Whittlesea-based volunteers have been named winners of the Westfield Plenty Valley Local Heroes awards, each receiving $10,000 for their charities.

The winners Gianna Donato from Encompass Care Victoria, Jill Pope from Big Group Hug, and Steve Watts from Parkinson’s Victoria, were chosen by public vote out of six finalists announced in August.

The annual award across all Australian and New Zealand Westfield centres saw a total of $1.26 million in grants to 126 community groups and organisations this year, celebrating individuals whose work has made a positive impact on their community or environment.

Encompass Care Victoria delivers food to vulnerable people throughout the City of Whittlesea and refers those in need of other care to appropriate organisations. The team also makes and provides breakfast for children at three schools in Bundoora and Mernda and runs a weekly community cafe to reduce social isolation.

Ms Donato said she was grateful for the votes she received, saying the money would make an enormous difference to the users of their services, particularly as many felt the ongoing affects of the pandemic.

“I am thrilled for our charity,” she said.

“It is lovely that our team of amazing volunteers have been acknowledged for their love and commitment to their community; I was honoured to represent the team.”

The organisation has seen a significant increase in demand for food and other supplies, as well as mental support, due to COVID-19.

“People who have never required assistance in the past have found themselves needing material aid [and] we have seen a rise in people from CALD [culturally and linguistically diverse] communities requiring assistance,” Ms Donato said.

Encompass Care’s awarded $10,000 will go towards client-centred initiatives including providing food parcels to people who experience food insecurity, breakfast programs, and its secondary college program.

One in seven children goes to school without eating breakfast, according to the organisation, and its breakfast program, supported by Mernda police volunteers, feeds school communities without isolating the children who need assistance.

City of Whittlesea-based charity Big Group Hug, which delivers essential items including prams, nappies and clothing to vulnerable families, will also receive a much-needed $10,000 boost as it reaches its third consecutive record month for requests since it began in 2014.

BGH’s warehouse manager and Doreen resident Jill Pope said the award came at a good time.

“I have to say the timing was wonderful as with the COVID-19 situation presently our team was very excited, and it uplifted them massively for us to be recognised for the work we do,” Ms Pope said.

“BGH is receiving so many requests for struggling families with COVID and in isolation – these are in addition to regular requests. These families need nappies, wipes, formula, toiletries and toy packs for the children so the $10,000 will be used very wisely.”

The third recipient of the award was Fire Rescue Victoria commander Steve Watts of Bundoora, who has spent the past four years campaigning to raise awareness and money for Parkinson’s Victoria.

Mr Watts was diagnosed with the disease in 2017 and has since created innovative ways to help the non-profit provide peer support, health advice and research funding.

The Westfield Local Heroes Program is now in its fourth year, and has contributed $4.8 million in grants to more than 485 groups and organisations.

New kindergarten announced for Donnybrook

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New kindergarten announced for Donnybrook

A new two-room kindergarten is being built on Eucalyptus Drive, Donnybrook, increasing capacity for kinder children in the growing area by 132 places.

The kindergarten is being delivered by the State Government and the City of Whittlesea on the site of Hume Anglican Grammar. It is being built using modular construction and will be ready for new enrolments in 2022.

The State Government is fully funding the cost of delivering kindergartens using modular construction across the state, ensuring more kindergarten places are available in Victoria’s fastest-growing areas.

Kindergartens using modular construction are built in a factory, with installation and commissioning occurring on site, reducing construction time compared to traditional on-site construction.

The new Wallan East Family and Children’s Centre in Mitchell Shire, which was supported by a $2.3 million Growing Suburbs Fund grant, was also constructed using a similar modular approach and opened for families in early 2021.

The Donnybrook kindergarten will provide indoor and outdoor learning environments as well as help to respond to the demand for additional kindergarten places.

Member for Yan Yean Danielle Green said the facility was welcomed in the high-growth area.

“We are investing in the educational future of our next generation of learners to ensure they can access the best education close to home in Donnybrook,” she said.

The State Government is investing almost $5 billion to provide three-year-old children with access to an additional year of funded kindergarten programs.

From 2022, three-year-old children across the state will have access to at least five hours of kindergarten. Services will then scale up their hours to reach the full 15-hour program by 2029.

Hume Fwy upgrades at Beveridge to use recycled asphalt

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Hume Fwy upgrades at Beveridge to use recycled asphalt

Upgrades to the Hume Freeway Melbourne-bound at Beveridge are using recycled asphalt, designed to be more robust and last longer.

Reconophalt, which has a lifespan of 15 per cent longer than standard asphalt, uses processed soft plastics such as shopping bags and chip wrappers, acting as a ‘glue’ that bonds and waterproofs roads.

It will be used to rebuild both through lanes and both shoulders of the southbound carriageway on an 800-metre stretch of the freeway.

Once complete, the new road surface on this section of the freeway will be composed of the estimated equivalent of 80,000 glass bottles, 600,000 plastic bags, 160 tonnes of reclaimed asphalt and 14,000 printer cartridges completing the recycling loop for the products.

“By diverting this waste from landfill and putting it into road projects like this Hume Freeway upgrade, we are taking the pressure off our natural resources,” Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said.

“We are supporting regional communities and the Victorian economy by helping to keep freight moving on critical transport connections like the Hume Freeway.”

An average of 39,000 vehicles travels on this section of the freeway each day, two-way traffic, including 15 per cent of heavy vehicles.

The $2.5 million project is the largest of 130 projects being delivered as part of the State Government’s $50 million road maintenance blitz across north-east Victoria.

Works are now underway and are expected to be complete within three weeks, weather depending.

Reduced speeds and lane closures will be in place during the duration of construction. Drivers are reminded to stay alert when travelling through work sites to keep road workers safe.

1600-hectare Wandong gum plantation for sale to developers

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1600-hectare Wandong gum plantation for sale to developers

One of Australia’s largest wood exporters has put 1600 hectares of blue gum plantations in Wandong up for sale, offering the land as an opportunity for developers.

The land between Kilmore and Wandong is being sold with a leaseback to the owner, Midway Limited, an exporter of Australia wood fibre and pulp to Asia, and is expected to pick up more than $20 million.

The land, marketed by Biggin and Scott Land, has the potential to be converted into rural residential subdivisions of 40 hectares each, once it has been cleared of all trees in seven to eight years’ time.

An indicative subdivision plan by Tract architects comprises 639-hectare Glenbane Park in Wandong, 420-hectare Overdale in Kilmore and 516-hectare Glenburnie in Kilmore East.

Within each subdivision, Glenbane Park could support about 15 40-hectare lots, Overdale about 10 40-hectare lots and Glenburnie about 12 40-hectare lots.

The Geelong-based company said in a statement the land in Melbourne’s high-growth Hume Highway corridor was well-suited for residential development.

Low-density development approved for Tallarook township

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Low-density development approved for Tallarook township

A planning permit for a four-hectare, low-density residential subdivision in the Tallarook township has been approved by Mitchell Shire Council.

The block, located about 220 metres north-east of the Tallarook Railway Station and abutting the Tallarook Outdoor Swimming Pool, will be developed into nine residential lots with an average lot size of 4639 square metres.

Residential lots, ranging from 4008sqm to 6313sqm will form an owners corporation with all lots accessed via 2954sqm of common property, which will have a single access point to Upper Goulburn Road.

The permit also grants the creation of access from a road zone and the removal of 0.7ha of native vegetation, including 19 trees.

At last week’s council meeting, councillors voted unanimously to approve the permit.

Cr Nathan Clark said the size of the lots was in line with the type of development council was looking for.

“I think it’s good to see development happen like this where it looks much more like to low-density residential development that used to exist throughout the shire, and has been replaced with the more conventional development that we find throughout metropolitan Melbourne,” he said.

“All the new developments you see through Kilmore and Seymour have much more to do with metropolitan Melbourne than they do with the historical low density developments that were typical throughout the shire.”

Cr Clark noted that during Australian Bird Week from October 18 to 24, reports found many native birds were disappearing from suburban areas and dying due to a loss of habitat.

“As we see … high density developments, we lose Australian animals, so on developments like this on larger blocks, I know that we’ve got homes for our little birds,” Cr Clark said.

Cr Bill Chisholm said it was a positive for a small town like Tallarook.

“[This] is a real transition between the rural and town-size blocks in the township of Tallarook,” he said.

“But also like other small towns, Tallarook needs to grow, they don’t want to be a major town or anything like that, but they do need a population to support the shops, the hotel, the school and other community facilities around there so I think this is a good one.”

Only 4.8% of Mitchell population consumes enough fruit and vegetables, while smoking and alcohol rates smash state average

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Only 4.8% of Mitchell population consumes enough fruit and vegetables, while smoking and alcohol rates smash state average

A new health and wellbeing plan by Mitchell Shire Council has identified low nutrition, high tobacco and alcohol consumption, and climate change as some of the municipality’s greatest challenges for the next four years.

At last week’s council meeting, Mitchell Shire councillors voted unanimously to endorse the Health and Wellbeing Plan 2021-2025, which was designed using gathered data as well as feedback from consultation with residents and community health organisations in April and May.

Organisations who submitted feedback to the plan include Goranwarrabul House, Mitchell Multicultural Community Association Incorporated, and the Youth Advisory Network.

Under four key goals and strategies in the plan – active and healthy; informed and connected; safe and respectful; and liveable and thriving – respondents online and at community consultation sessions highlighted gaps in access to healthcare services, healthy food and exercise infrastructure.

Active and healthy

A Mitchell Shire report found that 4.8 per cent of the Mitchell population consumed the daily recommended intake of fruit and vegetables, and 62.7 per cent were considered overweight or obese, while 61 per cent of residents were interested in improving their dietary habits.

“Seymour does not have a green grocer. My experience is that the big corporations have pushed everyone who has tried out,” one respondent wrote.

“Our public institutions, schools, events shopping centres, fuel stops should all be rewarded for offering sugar-free, vegetable-leaning offerings and removing heavily processed foods,” wrote another.

Drug related offences in the municipality also increased in the past financial year, while 67 per cent of residents consume alcohol at a rate that risks harm, and 24 per cent are smokers – above the Victorian average of 17 per cent.

For residents who increased their alcohol or tobacco consumption in the past financial year, 42 per cent said it was due to anxiety, stress or boredom associated with COVID-19 lockdowns.

In the plan, council committed to working to promote healthy eating and reduce barriers to accessing nutritious, low-cost food; improving walkability between townships; and supporting access to alcohol, tobacco and drug assistance services, among another other initiatives.

Informed and connected

Council will work to improve access to health services and advocate from the expansion of mental health services after data and community consultation revealed barriers to access in the shire.

Respondents reported waiting up to eight weeks to book doctor’s appointments in the past 12 months, and an acute shortage of allied health professionals, emergency department doctors and mental health professionals.

Mitchell Shire residents have some of the poorest mental health in the state, with 46.5 per cent of residents reporting they feel valued by society.

A total of 14.8 per cent report high or very high psychological distress, higher than the state average, while many residents aged 12 to 25 report feelings of loneliness.

Safe and respectful

Over the next four years, council will work to make its services more gender inclusive; deliver education and awareness of sexual and reproductive health; and advocate for more locally based family violence services in response to inequality within the sector.

Mitchell Shire is ranked seventh out of 79 Victorian councils for police callouts for family violence incident, increasing 5.7 per cent between March 2020 and March 2021.

Women in the shire also reported barriers to reproductive health services and a lack of empathy and understanding from healthcare professionals, while LGBTQIA+ women, and women with a disability, are twice as likely to experience discrimination in healthcare.

Liveable and thriving

Council has reported climate change as the biggest threat to liveability in the area as the peri-urban parts of the shire grow.

The health impacts of climate change in the shire include worsening air quality, changes in the spread of infectious diseases, risks to food safety and access to drinking water, and significant mental health impacts like PTSD, anxiety and depression.

Cases of persistent PTSD in Mitchell residents more than doubled in the four years after the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.

Council plans to deliver more awareness raising activities to help people plan and stay safe during extreme weather events. It will also build awareness and education around the health impacts of climate change, as well as incorporate Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) principles into all council planning.

An action plan will be developed from the Health and Wellbeing Plan 2021-25 that will include specific actions, responsibilities, timeframes and resources, and will be evaluated annually.

At the meeting, Cr Fiona Stevens said while the in-person and stakeholder consultation had been extensive and successful, the ‘sad part’ was the lack on online or written submissions.

“I really say to the broader community, keep an eye on what we’re doing because we would absolutely love your input, and if you don’t fit in the areas we’re targeting that doesn’t exclude you from having input,” she said.

Mitchell Shire council adopts 2050 vision plan after 5000 pieces of feedback

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Mitchell Shire council adopts 2050 vision plan after 5000 pieces of feedback

By Aleksandra Bliszczyk

An outdoor pool for Wallan, extending and expanding bike and rail trails, and dedicated entertainment venues were among the community’s wishlist in Mitchell Shire Council’s Community Vision 2050.

The need for more public recreation facilities was strongly highlighted, along with respondents calling for council to declare a climate emergency and develop an urgent action plan.

The council adopted its Community Vision 2050 document at last week’s council meeting, following extensive community consultation.

Key pieces of feedback from the final consultation spoke to infrastructure, impacts presented by climate change, and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

The document outlines six themes that capture the long-term dreams and aspirations of the community, and will be used to assist council in developing its priorities.

Council will also use the vision to guide focus areas in Mitchell’s other major plans, and will guide advocacy, funding priorities and the planning and delivery of programs, infrastructure and services into the future from council and other organisations.

More than 5098 responses from 1491 participants contributed to the document, which outlines a two-stage approach, supporting surveys and how the themes evolved and developed into the final narrative.

The six themes to emerge from the community feedback include: vibrant communities; working, learning and tourism; travelling and getting around; shaping neighbourhoods; nature and parks; and climate action.

Upon finalising the six themes, a secondary consultation took place across two online sessions to present these themes and take feedback from the community.

Council officer feedback reported that online sessions were supportive and indicated the themes had captured and accurately framed the community aspirations.

The recommendation to adopt the plan, with an amendment to slash the launch budget, was narrowly passed at the council meeting.

Councillors voted five to four in favour of Cr Louise Bannister’s move to reduce the output budget from $45,000 to $20,000, saying the community would rather see the money put towards implementing the goals.

“The vision will be a pivotal tool in making sure we work towards and align with our community’s aspirations,” Cr Bannister said.

“I think however $45,000 seems to be a bit exorbitant for the outputs of this vision. From my interactions with the community, I think they would prefer the majority of the money to go towards achieving the vision, rather than launching and displaying it.”

The original figure was divided into $20,00 for website development, $10,000 for video production, $5000 for any printed material, and $5000 for design work and a small amount for an in-person launch in celebration of the document.

Crs Rob Eldridge and Bob Cornish spoke in opposition of Cr Bannister’s proposed amendment, saying they ‘can’t afford not to let the community know what we’re doing’.

“By cutting the budget, we’re actually cutting out a portion of the community that needs to know what the vision is because for many of them, they don’t realise what’s happening with the growth,” Cr Eldridge said.

“To shortchange that feedback loop on such an important document is just not appropriate.”

Cr Annie Goble said with the technology available to council, she ‘could not imagine’ that it would not be able to effectively share information of the document.

Crs Goble, Bill Chisholm, Christine Banks, Bannister, and Fiona Stevens voted for the amendment, with the remaining four councillors voting against.

People can read the plan at engagingmitchellshire.com/hub-page/mitchell-2050.

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