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Storm-affected Macedon Ranges residents now eligible for federal disaster recovery payments

The North Central Review
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Storm-affected Macedon Ranges residents now eligible for federal disaster recovery payments

RESIDENTS of the Macedon Ranges affected by the June storms can now apply for disaster recovery payments.

Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell said he had finally received confirmation that Macedon Ranges had been added to the list of Local Government Areas impacted by the June 9 storms, that could access Federal Government Disaster Payments.

“It was really bewildering that Macedon Ranges had been left off the list when we know that so many across Macedon, Woodend, Newham, Lancefield and Gisborne were badly hit by ferocious winds,” he said.

“We know that more than 1000 requests for help were made in our area after the storm ripped through our area, with enormous swathes of trees torn down causing significant damage to many properties, cutting road access, power and host of other severe problems.

“I’m pleased to say that we’ve now been able to rectify the bureaucratic error that saw Macedon Ranges left of the list of affected areas that were deemed eligible for these payments.”

Mr Mitchell said he was disappointed the government had taken so long to include Macedon.

He said residents who suffered injuries or major damage to their property could apply for the one-off, non-means tested payment of $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child.

Applications must be made by December 31.

For more details visit www.disasterassist.gov.au or phone 180 22 66.

Meanwhile, Macedon Ranges Shire Council encourages storm-affected residents to register with Bushfire Recovery Victoria, BRV, by October 31.

The cut-off date is for new registrations only.

The cut-off date does not apply to people who have already registered and are waiting for a call-back, site assessment, or works to begin.

The initiative, known as the Residential Storm and Flood Clean-up program, has been accepting registrations since early July 2021.

Council’s municipal recovery manager Tony Grimme said residents across the shire were still feeling the effects of the June storms and encouraged people to register before the October 31 cut-off.

“If you were impacted by the June storm, make sure you register now so you can take up the assistance being offered. Once you have registered, a BRV representative will make contact to discuss how the program works,” he said.

Mr Grimme said inter-agency partnerships had been an important part of the ongoing recovery process.

“We would like to thank Bushfire Recovery Victoria for their ongoing support during the clean-up and recovery, and acknowledge the work they have done with many local property owners,” he said.

“There is still time for Macedon Ranges Shire residents to register, and I encourage them to do so.”

Kilmore property owner who wants crumbling building demolished says council delay could be fatal

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Kilmore property owner who wants crumbling building demolished says council delay could be fatal

By Colin MacGillivray

AN application to demolish a building at 37 Sydney Street in Kilmore has sparked a war of words between property owner Alan Wilson and Mitchell Shire Council, with Mr Wilson claiming council had attempted to ‘acquire the property by stealth’.

Mr Wilson submitted a planning permit application to demolish the structure – a bluestone building behind the Hektik Kebabs van – in 2020, but said he had been waiting for 19 months for council to deal with his request.

Mr Wilson had previously applied to demolish the building as part of a proposed food truck park development in 2019, but said he now wanted to pull it down for health and safety reasons.

He said the building’s foundations were crumbling and the structure was in danger of collapse.

“Along the base it’s all powder – the bricks are gone,” he said.

“I’ve had many sleepless nights about this. We’ve had experts say that if this falls down it’s a danger of causing damage to properties, but if someone is around, they could die.”

Mr Wilson accused council of delaying its decision in an attempt to force him to hand over the property.

“Council have to deal with an application within 60 days, and this is now month 19,” he said.

“They’ve used RFIs [requests for information] to continue to say they’ve requested further information and that’s how they deal with it.

“For example, they requested further engineers’ reports and heritage studies. Back in September 2020 my lawyers wrote to them and said they’d done three engineers’ reports.”

An excerpt of a letter signed by Mitchell Shire Council statutory planner Robert Ford sent by Mr Wilson to the Review said that, in light of an incomplete RFI response, ‘incorporating the continuation of the Mill Street pedestrian path through to Melbourne Street [could] form part of the proposal.’

The letter stated that under such a plan council would require an indicative six-metre reserve for a future pathway.

Mr Wilson said the letter was tantamount to council coercing him into surrendering the property.

“The property is only six metres wide, so giving up a six-metre reserve would mean I have to surrender the entire property,” he said.

“Council’s pre-planning has already designed a walkway through my property. They are trying to acquire my property by stealth, and it’s as simple as that.”

Council chief executive Brett Luxford hit back at Mr Wilson’s claims, saying some of them were simply untrue.

“Council’s planners requested updated plans and reports from the applicant in order to make an informed decision,” Mr Luxford said.

“To date, we have not received the updated information which, ultimately, led to a recommendation for refusal to demolish the building.”

Mr Luxford said an engineering report submitted by Mr Wilson had been peer-reviewed by council and an independent engineer. He said the independent review had determined the building was not in danger of collapsing.

Mr Luxford said council had served Mr Wilson a notice to stabilise elements of the building, not pull it down.

Sydney Street properties fall under a general heritage overlay, and Mr Wilson’s proposal to demolish the building as part of the 2019 food truck park development received objections from members of the public including the Kilmore Historical Society on the grounds that it had significant heritage value.

Kilmore Historical Society member Francis Payne, who owns an adjacent property at 39 Sydney Street, said the structure was possibly the oldest surviving building in Kilmore.

“We can definitely date it back to the early 1850s, and there is some suspicion from some features of the building that it may be a decade or two older than that,” he said.

“It is quite possibly one of the oldest, if not the oldest building in Kilmore, and I think it would be a real shame for it to be demolished.

“It’s covered by the general heritage overlay on Sydney Street and we think it should have its own heritage listing.”

A research document on the history of 37 Sydney Street submitted to the Review by Mr Payne said the alignment of a strip of land sold by William Hay in July 1850 suggested the existence of a building at that date, while an advertisement in the Kilmore Examiner in 1856 showed the building was not aligned to the street frontage – an unusual fact for buildings along Sydney Street, and possibly suggesting that the structure was built before Sydney Street was laid out.

But Mr Wilson said other evidence presented by the historical society did not add up.

“The building has never been heritage listed and there’s no provenance,” he said.

“The historical society have sent in a document saying this property originally had a skillion roof … but the property we’re talking about has a gable-ended roof.

“They said it was a multi-room building – it’s a single-room building. They say it had a chimney in the middle, but there’s never been a chimney and there’s no indication of one.”

Mr Wilson said there was now so little remaining of the original building that it was not worth preserving.

“A wall is all that’s left of the original building. Everything else is gone,” he said.

“The roof was completely changed in 2004. It’s a green Colorbond roof. The previous owner changed it.

“Along the side of the wall next to number 39, it’s a 1950s brick fence. This fence isn’t actually attached in any way to the building that’s left.

“The front part of the fence to Sydney Street was removed when the building in front of it was pulled down.

“What’s holding it together is an illegal verandah that was built in the 1980s that leans on the building next door. If that was removed everything would collapse.”

Mr Luxford said council officers were working to examine the heritage value of the building and would make a recommendation on whether to issue the permit before councillors vote on it at a future council meeting.

“A report was presented at a council meeting on July 19 recommending a refusal to demolish the building,” Mr Luxford said.

“Councillors deferred the decision of the application and sought officers to commence a report on the heritage status of the building.

“We must work to the Mitchell Planning Scheme and various local planning overlays for each project.

“We will continue to work for a positive result for both the site and community.

“A council investigation and an independent review has determined the building is still safe to the community.”

Series of upgrades slated for Kilmore District Hospital

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Series of upgrades slated for Kilmore District Hospital

By Aleksandra Bliszczyk

Kilmore District Hospital will receive State Government funding for several upgrades to both the hospital and its Dianella Hostel aged care facility.

Kilmore District Health will receive $2,702,505 from round five funding from Victoria’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund to begin a process of carpark upgrades; and to undertake theatre construction works and upgrade equipment that enables reprocessing of reusable medical devices.

Chief executive David Naughton said the carpark funding would allow the hire of a civil engineer to design a fully-bitumen carpark, with improved signage, clearer lines and better entrances and exits.

“There’s a lot of historical issues with car parking here as campuses grow, so this is about making sure all the car parking, access and entrances are in line with contemporary access,” he said.

Seymour Health has also received $4,670,000 to contribute to safer parking and improved pathway connectivity.

The theatre upgrades are a statewide initiative alongside a change to national standards that require all providers to review their sterilisation processes, which Mr Naughton said was a forward-thinking move on the government’s part.

“This is a fantastic thing to get this grant, it allows us over the next year to plan and allow the works,” he said.

Aged care

As one of 21 successful public sector aged care recipients of the $10 million Rural Residential Aged Care Facilities Renewal Program, KDH’s Dianella Hostel will receive a new nurse call and emergency communication response system.

The renewal program supports improvement projects for aged care residents to help meet the growing demand for services in regional and rural Victoria.

The new communication response system will see nurse call buttons replaced in every room on a new, more reliable network.

Mr Naughton said the previous system was not broken but was quite old and needed to be replaced to ensure it would continue to work best for patients and staff.

“They are being upgraded because it’s an old system that are no longer as good as they could be,” Mr Naughton said.

“It will be a state-of-the-art system for people to use, really reliable and will improve communication between staff and patients, especially after hours.”

Mr Naughton, who is due to depart his role on October 15, said the upgrades were part of an ongoing process of monitoring and upgrading the hospital’s facilities.

Nexus Primary Health will receive $90,000 for safety and site improvements. 

Whittlesea resident with MS peddles message of accessibility on new custom trike

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Whittlesea resident with MS peddles message of accessibility on new custom trike

By Aleksandra Bliszczyk

Whittlesea resident Neale Luscombe, who has MS, went on a bike ride with his youngest son Bailey, 12, for the first time last week thanks to a new three-wheel recumbent bike. He is now advocating for more accessible trails to help everyone exercise.

Mr Luscombe was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease affecting the nerves between brain and body, in 2007 and stopped working in 2012 after his ability to walk deteriorated.

“I’d been looking for things to keep me busy and I’d been keeping sort of fit with swimming at Mill Park pool,” he said.

Afters the pool closed for renovations, in 2019 he began looking into bikes that could support his body with the help of members of the Whittlesea Trailblazers Facebook group of cyclists. But when the pandemic hit, lockdowns put the whole process, which requires custom fittings, on hold.

Nearly two years later, Mr Luscombe’s custom trike has finally arrived, giving him a new sense of freedom and more opportunities to bond with Bailey.

“It was an amazing, amazing feeling,” Mr Luscombe said.

“There’s been plenty of opportunities on my mobility scooter but that is not the same as riding with [Bailey].

“Being able to talk to him about where we can go, which way we want to go; just making those sorts of decisions that you don’t have that freedom to make when you’re not mobile … was so good.”

Mr Luscombe has been using a new bike path – laid conveniently close to his front door – to get to a loop trail on a nearby estate without having to go on any main roads.

“At the moment I’m not that keen to roll down the white line on the side of the road, but there are other trails that are acceptable and it makes a huge difference to people moving around,” he said.

“It just makes you feel so much safer, and to be able to ride with children as well, moving paths away from traffic would be so much safer.”

He said there is a strong need for more safe, paved paths around the City of Whittlesea, especially as residents have been restricted to exercising within five kilometres of home for much of the past 18 months.

In July the City of Whittlesea council announced several walking and cycling trails would be linked, with new paved trail sections at several locations including the Edgars Creek Trail, the Yan Yean Pipe Track and Hendersons Creek Trail.

The Northern Regional Trails Strategy, a partnership with neighbouring councils, is also proposing 96 new trails across northern Melbourne. The draft strategy is due to be released in December 2021.

The Whittlesea Trailblazer group has also strongly advocated for more paths, including the Rail Trail from South Morang to Mernda to be extended further to the Whittlesea township.

“People need community paths to move around, get out there and have a better sense of wellbeing,” Mr Luscombe said.

Mr Luscombe said he has already felt his mental health improve, and that being able to get some fresh air and exercise safely was particularly important for those with limited mobility.

“It’s really helped me – staying active, it’s really important,” he said.

“It made me realise I’d been missing that sort of stuff.”

Bundoora kindergarten to open in January after extensive redevelopment, applications open

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Bundoora kindergarten to open in January after extensive redevelopment, applications open

THE McLeans Road Kindergarten in Bundoora will open its doors in January after an extensive redevelopment, and applications are now open.

The former single-room kindergarten has been replaced with a two-room facility with a new outdoor playground, extending its ability to provide interactive and engaging learning opportunities to young students.

Kids First general manager of early years Di Earp said she was looking forward to welcoming families to the redeveloped McLeans Road Kindergarten in the new year.

“The new building is a wonderful addition to the area,” Ms Earp said.

“The kindergarten backs onto the playground, so it’ll be a great opportunity for excursions.

“Our teachers at McLeans Road Kindergarten are community-focussed and will provide innovative programs based on children’s interests.”

Council’s redevelopment of the McLeans Road facility aims to support the growing population and growing demand for three and four-year-old kindergarten programs across the City of Whittlesea.

It has been delivered with funding from the State Government.

Orientation sessions will be held at McLeans Road Kindergarten later this year (restrictions permitting) to help children become familiar with the centre.

Three and four-year-old kindergarten applications are now open. Visit whittlesea.vic.gov.au/kinder to apply. 

Campaign launched to raise awareness of child poverty in City of Whittlesea

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Campaign launched to raise awareness of child poverty in City of Whittlesea

By Aleksandra Bliszczyk

A CITY of Whittlesea-based not-for-profit organisation has launched a month-long campaign to raise awareness and funds to help alleviate local childhood poverty.  

For the month of October and coinciding with Anti-Poverty Week, Big Group Hug is asking residents to register for its Take The Lead campaign and change their profile pictures on social media accounts to one of them as a young child. For every like or comment, participants are encouraged to chat about the seriousness of childhood poverty in Australia and encourage others to Take the Lead and help make a difference.

Big Group Hug provides essential supplies to thousands of families and children Victoria-wide, but especially in the Whittlesea suburbs, who are experiencing financial stress.

In the previous financial year it experienced a 59 per cent increase in demand for its services, which executive director Geraldine Camilleri said showed the stark reality of poverty close to home.

“More so than ever now we’re seeing the impact of local poverty on our children, especially with more and more families being infected with COVID,” Ms Camilleri told the Review.

“At the moment it’s situational poverty, so they may have a roof over their head, but they don’t have any expendable income or any income to supply just the day-to-day things they’re needing.”

Big Group Hug has been receiving many requests for larger, expensive items like cots and prams, as well as clothing for teenagers and basic supplies for newborns.

“We’re getting more and more requests for formula for people to just be able to feed their babies,” Ms Camilleri said.

This year, one in six Australian children is living in poverty, and Ms Camilleri said it’s an issue that sorely needs more awareness and aid.

“Local childhood poverty does exist,” she said.

“When we think about poverty a lot of us go straight to overseas, the image comes to us of a child in third-world country, but that’s not the case. Our local children and our local families are needing our support more than ever.”

With cases of COVID-19 still raging in the City of Whittlesea, and families increasingly relying on meals, groceries or essential items supplied by local organisations, Big Group Hug hopes more awareness on the issue will encourage people check on their neighbours and to support grassroots groups.

“If anyone can say there’s been a positive of COVID it’s that people are at home and able to go through their items and are donating more than ever,” Ms Camilleri said.

But some things can’t be donated, like formula, nappies, toiletries, underwear and socks. More funds raised this month would help to meet growing need.

To register for the Take the Lead Campaign, visit bghtakethelead.raisely.com. Anti-Poverty Week begins on October 17, for more information visit antipovertyweek.org.au.

Residents take on Kilmore Creek clean-up in lockdown, removing at least 40 bags of rubbish

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Residents take on Kilmore Creek clean-up in lockdown, removing at least 40 bags of rubbish

By Tricia Mifsud

A GROUP of Kilmore locals have taken it upon themselves to conduct a thorough clean-up of Kilmore Creek, removing at least 40 bags of rubbish and other larger items, hoping to preserve the local wildlife, including platypuses inhabiting the area.

Tam Curran, one of the volunteers, said she was completely shocked by the items the team found in the creek, which was more than litter and general waste that hadn’t been disposed of correctly.

“Scooters, bikes, trolleys, weights from the gym, carpet and so much of it. Wheels had been chucked in as well, which unfortunately some had to remain in the creek because it had become part of the habitats,” Ms Curran said.

Originally, a group of 30 volunteers associated with rescue group Wildlife Rescuers put their hands up for the project, however with COVID-19 restrictions still in place, plans changed to recruit people within 10km of Kilmore and its creek.

Twenty people from town came to Ms Curran’s rescue, and with a COVIDSafe plan in place, the clean-up could go ahead.

Ms Curran said she was overwhelmed with the community’s response to a private social media call-out she made to find some volunteers.

“We wanted people who were aware of the habitats and wildlife in the area, so just for people to be extra careful. It’s great to have people jump in the creek and clean up the rubbish, but we had to be careful that we weren’t pulling up someone’s home,” she said.

“We had even found a few nests that were in the middle of the creek embedded in rubbish that we couldn’t move and had to be careful, and we had to really drive that home with the volunteers we did have on board.”

Ms Curran registered the clean-up with Clean Up Australia, which was able to provide bags and gloves. Mitchell Shire Council provided two trucks to transport the waste along with four staff members to assist the clean-up.

Kilmore business, Fat Rat Trading, also donated two pairs of waders so that the volunteers could get right into the thick of the mess at the creek.

The items pulled out of the creek and surrounding area were easily able to fill up the trucks provided by council, which was then transported away to be disposed of correctly.

Ms Curran said that the Ryans Creek Reserve in near Kingsgate Village in Kilmore was also in a similar state and would be the next area the volunteers target, once restrictions ease to allow more people to take part in clean-up activities.

“The creek that runs through there is absolutely disgusting, and the last time I was there, it was just a dumping ground,” she said.

“There’s cars and couches, and so much more items, and that’s our next project to clean that area.”

Ms Curran urged the community to dispose of rubbish correctly to help preserve wildlife and habitats in the area. She added that there were the services available to assist people to dispose of rubbish correctly.

“There’s people that even come out and collect rubbish, and it cost less than taking it to the tip,” she said

Mitchell Shire council approves Kilmore multi-lot development, despite farm zoning

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Mitchell Shire council approves Kilmore multi-lot development, despite farm zoning

By Colin MacGillivray

MITCHELL Shire Council narrowly voted to issue a planning permit for a multi-lot subdivision Mill Road, Kilmore despite the block being located in a farming zone.

The subdivision will result in 230 Mill Road being split into one property of 8.83 hectares and two smaller blocks of 1.57 hectares and 0.96 hectares.

The permit application had previously come before council in August, when councillors voted against an officer recommendation to refuse the permit.

As there was no alternative motion to issue the permit, it came before council again last month.

Officers had recommended the permit be refused on the grounds that the small lot sizes were inconsistent with the farming zone overlay and contrary to the Kilmore Structure Plan, but Cr Nathan Clark said he believed it was an ‘exceptional case’.

Cr Clark said a large body of water sitting in the middle of the block meant it was unlikely to be viable as farming land.

Cr Louise Bannister also supported the subdivision and said while large-scale farming could not take place on the land, micro-farming could be explored as a possibility.

“There have been no objections to this proposal, and there is a large body of water right in the middle which does make the land not a typical farmland block,” she said.

“Micro-farming is becoming a popular and profitable practice across the world. Micro-farming can be done on blocks of five acres or less and involves smaller crops like mushrooms or garlic, as well as fast-turnover crops, worm farms [and] bamboo.

“With these developments, I believe this subdivision proposal may be beneficial to the community as it provides opportunities for future micro-farming use on land that may need more affordable [options] than traditional larger farming blocks.”

Cr Rob Eldrige was opposed to the subdivision, claiming it would set a dangerous precedent for people who wished to sell off smaller blocks in farming zoned land.

“It’s the thin end of the wedge when we start making excuses for cutting up the farming zone,” he said.

“If it was to facilitate micro-farming then you would cut this in equal parts of three, not two very small lots and one large lot.

“I don’t see that this particular subdivision supports any of that. It’s just an opportunity for someone who’s got that land to have a nice big piece for themselves and make a little bit of money on the side.

“It’s going to make a precedent, and whether we like it or not, there will always be people who will leverage that precedent.”

Cr Annie Goble said she thought the subdivision would ultimately make for a better use of the land.

“The two new proposed blocks … will have all the benefits of rural living blocks but they will be close to Kilmore,” she said.

“There is a need for rural-living properties in Kilmore, and whether they are micro-farmed or just properties where people can keep a pony or two and have all the available services of a town, I think that’s really important.

“It’s not a thriving rural enterprise as it stands, so I think it’s probably going to be a better use of that land.”

Cr Bannister said she understood Cr Eldridge’s concerns but said she believed granting the permit was the right thing to do.

“I acknowledge the fear of approving this item for fear of setting a precedent, but I do believe council needs to be flexible in considering items on a case-by-case basis, looking at what is logical and beneficial to the community as a whole and being open to proposals as they occur,” she said.

Council voted to issue the permit, with Crs Clark, Bannister, Goble, Bill Chisholm and Christine Banks in favour and Crs Eldridge, Bob Cornish and Mayor Rhonda Sanderson opposed.

Beveridge family stumped after homemade bicycle jump blocked off

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Beveridge family stumped after homemade bicycle jump blocked off

RESIDENTS of Mandalay in Beveridge are calling for an explanation after their homemade bicycle jump was blocked off by work crews last week.

Parents and their children dug a small bicycle jump near Mandalay’s creek in order to enjoy time outdoors with friends following extended lockdowns and COVID-19 restrictions.

Residents were saddened to find the jump had been inexplicably blocked off and are now asking for information.

Mandalay resident Shelly Walters said the jump was greatly enjoyed by the community.

“For over a week it’s been full of kids loving having a piece of freedom again and just being innocent kids,” she said.

“Sadly while walking … I noticed it’s been blocked off by a maintenance crew.

“It has really upset our kids as well as parents.”

Ms Walters said parents and children both enjoyed using the jump, which provided an opportunity for families to go outside and socialise after months in lockdown.

“We believe our kids have suffered enough with lockdown and we want our jumps back,” she said.

Broadford Railway Station upgrades underway

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Broadford Railway Station upgrades underway

WORKS are underway at the Broadford Railway Station to improve travel experience for passengers and make the precinct more inviting, comfortable, and accessible.

Seven workers will be on site over the coming weeks to upgrade the platform shelter and improve customer facilities along with improvements to staff facilities.

Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said opportunities to deliver upgrades to community facilities were always welcome.

“We are always looking for opportunities to improve safety, comfort and accessibility in the community and this project will bring a welcome update to the Broadford facilities,” she said.

“It’s wonderful to see that Broadford will benefit from this funding and we will keep the community updated as this important project progresses.”

Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll said the works would help improve the overall travel experience for Seymour line passengers.

“While this is an important project for passengers in northern Victoria, it will also help keep the local economy moving as we continue to safely respond to the coronavirus pandemic.”

Work commenced on September 3, as part of the Victorian Government’s $328.4 million investment in critical public transport and roads maintenance and upgrades.

Broadford is one of 16 stations to receive a share in a $24 million package to support jobs and deliver improved facilities for passengers across the network.

To ensure the works are able to continue, crews are following strict protocols on work sites to protect the health and safety of workers and the community.

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