Tehe Local July 17, 2023

The Local - The Heart of the Highlands

Front cover: Local dance instructors Elizabeth Howard and Andrew O’Connell volunteer their time, through Creswick U3A, to hold ballroom dance lessons every Tuesday, for all levels right through from absolute beginners to advanced dancers who can cut up the floor. Read their story opposite.

Image: Contributed

The Local is a registered trademark of The Local Publishing Group Pty Ltd.

The Local is a member of the Victorian Country Press Association, with editor Donna Kelly, a former director.

The content expressed within this publication does not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of The Local Publishing Group Pty Ltd. The Local Publishing Group's editorial guidelines and complaints-handling process can be found at www.tlnews.com.au We welcome all feedback.

The Local is a fortnightly community publication covering the Central Highlands of Victoria.

The next edition is out on Monday, July 31 2023. or online on Sunday, July 30 at www.tlnews.com.au

Space bookings: Wednesday, July 26

Copy deadline: Thursday, July 27

Editorial deadline: Thursday, July 27

General manager: Kyle Barnes on 0416 104 283 or kyle@tlnews.com.au

Editor: Donna Kelly on 0418 576 513 or news@tlnews.com.au

Editorial assistant: Eve Lamb on 0493 632 843 or editorial@tlnews.com.au

Sub-editors: Nick Bunning, Lindsay Smith & Chester the Cat

Writers: Eve Lamb, Kevin Childs, Tony Sawrey, Jeff Glorfeld & Donna Kelly

Photographers: Kyle Barnes, Eve Lamb & Nadine Jade

Graphic designer: Dianne Caithness

Contributors: Glen Heyne (gardening), Darren Lowe (music), Richard Cornish & Jen Clarke (recipes), Clive Hartley (wine) & Bill Wootton (poetry)

Accounts | Julie Hanson Delivery | Tony Sawrey

Care to tango? Ballroom dance beats winter blues

YOU know those couples. The ones who, when called upon, can trot out a mean foxtrot, waltz or tango at the rellies’ wedding while you –er – improvise...

They glide across the floor, demonstrating superb synchronicity, smile smugly into each other’s eyes as they execute a tricky manoeuvre the way it’s meant to be done. Well, chances are there’s quite a few of these types happily residing in the Creswick area.

Happily because taking the ballroom dance lessons that local instructors, Elizabeth Howard and Andrew O’Connell dispense each week through Creswick U3A, tends to boost participants’ happiness quotient considerably.

Partners in life as well as in dance, Elizabeth and Andrew have been teaching ballroom dance to the locals here for the past 10 years.

Now, through Creswick U3A, they volunteer their time to hold ballroom dance lessons every Tuesday, for all levels right through from absolute beginners to advanced dancers who can cut up the floor.

And a couple who regularly attend their advanced lessons have recently introduced a monthly social ballroom dance at nearby Clunes. More on that later.

For Elizabeth and Andrew, teaching ballroom dance is something they simply love to do. Both have professional backgrounds as teachers and bring this to their ballroom dance lessons, patiently adapting the pace to match their students’ abilities.

The Tuesday classes through the local U3A take place in the Creswick Town Hall with beginners from 10am, transition from 11.30am, improvers from 1pm and advanced at 3pm.

For the participants the cost of the lessons is covered in their annual Creswick U3A membership which is $25 a year and provides members (aged 50 and over) with a wide range of other classes and activities to participate in as well.

Elizabeth says the focus of their ballroom dance lessons is firmly on having fun and socialising. “It’s a happy-making activity,” she says. “We love it. We teach foxtrot, waltz, tango and quickstep, new vogue sequence and old time dancing.”

The Springmount couple both started dancing fairly late in life but quickly discovered a natural aptitude. Besides teaching the regular lessons through U3A at Creswick they also do occasional private lessons, typically for events like weddings, deb balls and the like.

Clunes’ Graeme Grigson and Ballarat’s Helen Wallis are regulars in Elizabeth and Andrew’s Creswick U3A advanced class. But both had also studio-trained in ballroom dance previously and they recently took the lead in introducing a regular series of social dances to Clunes. These now happen on the first Friday night of the month from 7.30pm-11pm.

Helen says the new Clunes social dance is not just an opportunity for people who like to dance to come together and do just that. It’s also a great way of bringing life, and sometimes a dash of glam, to the “beautiful Clunes Town Hall”.

Graeme is also a member of the Clunes Tourism and Development Association which is supporting the new Clunes series of social dances. Helen says participants bring supper, and any money raised through running the dance goes back into the community.

The new Clunes dance is among multiple social dance opportunities around the region including dances at Ascot, Newstead and Maldon.

It’s true to say that ballroom dance played a vital role in Andrew and Elizabeth getting to know each other.

“I started learning to dance in 2010 and Elizabeth started three years before,” Andrew says. “We didn’t know each other. We actually met through TAFE college in Melbourne.” “When Andrew asked me out, I asked him could he dance, and he said ‘Yes’... and then went straight down to the studio (in Ferntree Gully) to get a lesson,” Elizabeth says.

There are many benefits including coordination, exercising and heightened spatial awareness. “Also with dance you’ve got to think, move your feet, remember the moves, so it’s cognitive in so many ways. It’s fitness and thinking and social all at once," says Elizabeth.

“Many (who take the Creswick U3A lessons) venture out to social dances in the region. There are plenty in Hepburn and Ballarat,” Elizabeth says.

“We put on two dances a year at Daylesford Town Hall. They frock up.”

Frocking up is part of the fun, Helen says, and right now she and other dancers who take Elizabeth and Andrew’s lessons are among the many particularly looking forward to the dance set for Daylesford Town Hall on October 7.

More information about Elizabeth and Andrew’s lessons is available through Creswick U3A or 0402 777 852. More information about the Clunes social dance series is available on 0417 233 373.

Words & image: Eve Lamb

A wonderful wartangu

There was a fair bit of wartangu happening at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre as part of an occasion worth celebrating recently.

Wartangu? I hear you ask. It’s Dja Dja Wurrung for "coming together" and this particular coming together celebrated NAIDOC week with the naming of several significant rooms at the centre.

Centre manager Chrissy Austin said she approached the Djaara Language Centre to gain approval to name a number of rooms in Dja Dja Wurrung words in order to begin the passage of integrating indigenous words into everyday language.

As a result, the centre’s programs room has become the wartangu (we come –learning/coming together/being together) room, the computer room/learning lab is now the nyakang nyernang (seeing and hearing – learning/education/getting education room) and the shared kitchen is now the djakitj (food) room while the library is the djimbayang (teaching/learning) room.

“We’re really keen to see the embedding of the indigenous language into our everyday language,” Chrissy said. “A main aim for us is to be more welcoming and inclusive and one of the ways is through language.”

After the naming event took place, Chrissy said that the indigenous Djaara naming of the CNC rooms was already proving to be a valuable means toward achieving that goal.

“It’s proving to be a really good tool for our teachers and for our volunteers. It’s the start of a journey for us. We’re just hoping to grow it as much as possible and bring people on the journey with us,” she said.

“I want to encourage people to not be afraid to make a mistake with the new names in the rooms. They’re absolutely fantastic.”

As part of the NAIDOC week event, Dja Dja Wurrung Elder Jason Kerr performed the Welcome to Country and a community art project was unveiled in the indigenous food and fibre biodiversity garden. Transition Creswick volunteers planted the indigenous food and fibre biodiversity garden in the neighbourhood centre grounds and it now features about 40 plant species native to Djaara Country including some species that have become critically endangered in the region.

Still no satisfaction

Hepburn Shire Council residents still can't get no satisfaction with the performance of council, according to the annual JWS Research Victorian Community Satisfaction Survey.

The survey found that the council performed worse than the average of small rural councils in 15 of the 17 services monitored and worse than the statewide average in 16 of the 17 services.

In this year's overall small rural councils, Hepburn Shire Council was higher than by one point in both customer service and tourism development, and in this year's overall statewide averages it was higher by one point in tourism development.

A council media release said the council had received "positive results" in the survey.

"The survey found there to be an improvement in satisfaction over last year in overall performance, value for money, community consultation, making community decisions, customer service, overall council direction and waste management.

"Satisfaction fell in relation to sealed local roads, which the Mayor of Hepburn Shire, Cr Brian Hood, said was expected," the release said.

“The upward trend across a number of measures is extremely positive – especially given there has been a downward trend in small rural councils and statewide. We also acknowledge there is much more work to be done," Cr Hood said.

The council's results were: Overall performance - 49 (2023) 47 (2022) 55 (Small rural) & 56 (Statewide); Value for money - 41 39 49 49; Overall council direction - 41 39 47 46; Customer service - 66 61 65 67; Waste management - 64 61 66 66; Tourism development - 62 63 61 61; Appearance of public areas - 60 62 71 67; Recreational facilities - 57 59 67 68; Environmental sustainability - 56 54 59 60; Business & community development - 54 51 55 57; Enforcement of local laws - 53 55 61 61; Consultation & engagement - 46 44 53 52; Lobbying - 44 44 52 51; Community decisions - 42 41 52 51; Slashing & weed control - 39 42 47 46; Planning & building permits - 39 40 45 47; and Sealed local roads - 33 39 44 48.

Held annually and in its 24th year, the survey asks the opinions of local people about the place they live, work and play.

Link: www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/Council/Plans-and-publications/Performance

Words: Donna Kelly

Chrissy says the development of a Reconciliation Action Plan is another initiative with which they’re involved, and they’re inviting the wider community to have input.

“With the Reconciliation Action Plan we’re working with Reconciliation Australia and we’re currently at the reflective stage of the process,” Chrissy said.

She is encouraging anyone interested in getting involved in the development of the plan to get in contact through the local neighbourhood centre.

“We’re just beginning on the development of our Reconciliation Action Plan and we’re encouraging everyone in our shire who wants to be involved, particularly any First Nations Peoples, to participate. It’s the start of a journey for us.”

Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Contributed

Words in Winter

From left, the CNC's Catherine Woodfield, Martha Haylett MP and Jason Kerr

A landscape architect: from oak to bonsai

TALK about downsizing. Natasha Morgan has gone from five acres, or about 20,000 square metres, to just over 500 square metres.

It’s a move that’s called on the many skills of this award-winning landscape architect, moving from country to town in what she says was a major tree change, almost like oak to bonsai.

Eighteen months ago, she uprooted from Spargo Creek on the Daylesford-Ballan Road, where she lived with her two daughters for nine years. Home there was a former post office from the 1800s, with trees from that time, including those that provided its name, Oak and Monkey Puzzle. Among the trees at this internationally acclaimed property were superb gardens, such as a picking garden, and kitchen gardens, a berry terrace, with orchards and bush beyond.

Now Natasha is in what she calls her Little Cottage on a Hill. Everything about the garden is re-thought, including an orchard that is vertical. “I love the joy of creating a garden from the soil up,” she says.

This rethinking meant carefully waiting almost a year before also getting stuck into organising workshops in skills ranging from garden design, productive gardens, growing fruit, vegetables, and flowers to mulch-making.

Helped by an Agriculture Victoria grant, her workshops draw people from across the state and even interstate. As we talk, a worker drills away to install a cable in a studio where Natasha will hold workshops in making syrup, such as spiced elderberry and summer berry, that can go on your porridge, as a hot or cold drink, or in a cocktail. (“With a tickle of gin or vodka.”)

Natasha says she was forced into syrup-making by Covid, which also meant home-schooling her girls for 26 weeks.

“The syrups went gangbusters during Covid, and it became super clear that if I had soil, access to water, sun and sky, that’s all l needed. All my worth was wrapped up in what I did.”

A glimpse of this drive comes when Natasha, 47, tells of her mother leaving Yugoslavia with nothing, trekking through snow, and having to swap her wedding ring for milk for her two children. Growing up in Melbourne, a zestful Natasha was let loose in the garden of a friend of her mother when just eight. “It was never precious, and I just gave it a go.”

Later, she undertook a double degree and then lectured. Today, her gardenmaking skills attract passers-by who study her stylish garden, which conforms to council guidelines on nature strips drawn up through talks with advisory groups.

Also of enormous help was the “incredible volcanic chocolate soil”. In went a perennial garden on the west side, with flowers that are beautiful in any season.

On the north, facing Central Springs Road in Daylesford, is a kitchen garden with garlic, cabbages, broccoli and, not so long ago, corn. The boundary features a wicking bed garden, which saves water. Some newly planted roses nod to literature, such as 'Roald Dahl' and 'Jude the Obscure'.

“I’m always thinking about how to make it sustainable. It comes down to finding a sustainable way of life in a world of extremes and uncertainties.

“Work is an extension of the life I’ve created. I don’t see it as work.”

Natasha will talk on the seasons and garden design in 'Conversation and Canapes' at Oak Lane, 66 Piper Street, Kyneton, 5.30-8.30pm on Friday, July 21, and 'The Winter Table - the Art of Tablescaping', at Oak Lane on Monday, July 24, 10am1pm. Bookings: natasha@natashamorgan.com.au

Words: Kevin Childs | Image: Contributed

“I’m always thinking about how to make it sustainable. It comes down to finding a sustainable way of life in a world of extremes and uncertainties.”

Dr Mohammed Al Naima

Daylesford

Dr Sadia Asad

Daylesford

Dr Sashika Darshani

Daylesford Kyneton

Dr Sandeep Dhaliwal

Daylesford Kyneton

Dr Jilly Gallagher

Dr Amy Harper

Daylesford Trentham

Dr Gerard Ingham

Daylesford

Dr Fred Jayawardene Trentham Kyneton

Dr Holly Lewis

Dr Falak Naz

Daylesford

Dr Ellie O’Connor

Daylesford

Dr Gabby Ray

Daylesford

Dr Nick Rhead

Daylesford Trentham

Dr Danielle Robinson

Daylesford Trentham

Dr Adam Rouse

Daylesford

Dr Kacey Shale

Daylesford

Dr James Smith

Daylesford Kyneton

Dr Ruth Spencer

Daylesford

Dr Sorcha Stapleton

Daylesford

Dr Madison Stephen

Daylesford Kyneton

Dr Kate Turnbull

Daylesford Trentham Kyneton

Dr Brad Wyer

Daylesford Trentham

Daylesford

Kyneton

A retreat for people living with dementia and their carers

Treehouse4Two is a free three-day retreat for people recently diagnosed with dementia and their carers in the Macedon Ranges and Hepburn shires.

We focus on wellbeing and self-care, providing a supportive peer environment where participants receive tailored support from specialist trained staff.

Carers learn how to navigate the challenges of supporting someone living with dementia and how to access other community resources, including respite.

Register your interest today

E treehouse4two@chrh.org.au

P 0439 568 972

Nightingale Home Care offering home help

Nightingale Home Care has arrived in Daylesford and surrounds and offers knowledgeable, caring and empathetic nurses and carers to come into your home.

Owner Bethany Owen, a nurse for 10 years, said the organisation, which started in Geelong and is now expanding, enabled people or their loved ones to stay at home as long as possible, by providing in-home care tailored to their needs.

"Nightingale Home Care has support workers, enrolled nurses and registered nurses, ready to come and assist," she said. "We provide a variety of highly qualified in-home nursing skills to patients experiencing a range of different conditions, including physical or intellectual disabilities, terminal diseases and chronic illnesses.

"Our team also provides valuable in-home care to the elderly, helping them to live independently and without worry.

"Our services include complex care, for individuals with conditions that require advanced medical skills, personal care, for patients who need assistance with daily activities such as maintaining personal hygiene, and household assistance, for those who need help with cooking and cleaning around the house."

Bethany said the service would cover the area from Daylesford out to Creswick, Dean, Trentham, Kyneton and Ballan - and everywhere in between.

She said the move to Daylesford came as her own family had made the move and also to provide more choice for aged care and NDIS services.

"In Geelong we are used to having a market that is saturated with providers offering lots of choices for clients. Here there seems to be just the main two and Central Highlands Rural Health which is not a lot of choice for people if they want to try someone new - they just really don't have that option, until now. One of the main things about NDIS is offering choice and control for clients."

Bethany said Nightingale Home Care started in March 2021 and was currently going through NDIS registration and doing the same for aged care next year.

Bethany said anyone interested in trying Nightingale Home Care should give her a call on 5223 1909.

"We currently utilise the Geelong office for all enquires until a suitable option becomes available locally. We are staffed 8am-4.30pm Monday to Friday. Those interested can reach me or one of our fabulous admin staff on the office number."

Bethany, who grew up in Creswick before moving to Geelong and now Daylesford, is also after more staff for all services including care and cleaning staff to help with the growing demand.

Link: www.nightingalehomecare.com.au

Jine loving her new role at Hepburn House

JINE Alpuerto has just started in the role of clinical nurse manager at Hepburn House and is already loving the staff and clients.

Originally from the Philippines where she was a theatre nurse, Jine then moved to Queenstown in New Zealand. There she worked again in theatre but then took on roles in aged care and clinical nursing.

That gave her all of the skills and enjoyment of working in aged care she needed to take on the Hepburn House role after moving to Australia with her family.

She says her role is basically "leading the nurses" which involves supervision, checking everything is right in regards to the care on offer and "making sure everything is in the right place".

"I have a lot of experience in aged care and it's a really fulfilling field of nursing. You really get to experience all levels of care for the individual and their varying conditions. Even with dementia, which can be quite challenging, it is lovely to see the client smiling and happy - and often families will thank you because it may have been a while since they saw their loved one so happy.

"And Hepburn House has been really good, especially how welcoming and lovely and warm all the staff and clients have been. They have also been really helpful in terms of finding my way around the region. I think I am going to love it here. So far, so good."

Jine said it was a very exciting time at Hepburn House with the building next door nearing completion - with upstairs dedicated to a LGBTIQA+ friendly unit and downstairs a wonderful, inclusive dementia unit - with a gym and theatre!

Hepburn House is a progressive aged care centre offering a highly advanced, fully personalised range of aged care services for residents.

The residential aged care facilities are designed to provide a safe, secure, healthy and happy environment. Staff care for residents while meeting individual lifestyle needs and managing practical issues for each resident.

Link: www.hepburnhouse.com.au or call 5348 8100

Treehouse4Two

Central Highlands Rural Health has launched Treehouse4Two, a transformative three-day retreat program for people recently diagnosed with dementia and their carers.

Fully funded by the Australian Government for the next four years, Treehouse4Two aims to provide support and resources to residents across the Macedon Ranges and Hepburn shires at no cost to participants.

Inspired by HammondCare's "Staying at Home" program, Treehouse4Two offers a unique opportunity for people with dementia and their carers to connect, learn, and find comfort in the company of others on a similar journey.

Experienced staff will empower people with dementia to develop skills for maintaining independence, while carers will engage in educational sessions facilitated by clinical staff. These sessions will equip them with the tools and knowledge necessary for providing high-quality care at home.

Topics covered include an overview of dementia, practical strategies for managing behavioural changes, and information about available community supports.

CHRH Community Operations executive director Phil Catterson said that by focusing on education, connection, and personalised support, Treehouse4Two aimed to empower people in their dementia journey and enable them to stay at home for longer.

Places are still available for the first two programs to be held at the Macedon Ranges Hotel & Spa on Monday, August 14 to Wednesday, August 16, and Monday, September 11 to Wednesday, September 13.

People with a recent dementia diagnosis or their carers can refer themselves to the program by emailing treehouse4two@chrh.org.au or phoning 0439 568 972 for more information or assistance with the registration process.

Happy Birthday Ilse

Ilse Checchini celebrated her 100th birthday in style at Trentham Aged Care on Friday, July 7.

In attendance were Hepburn Shire Council Mayor Cr Brian Hood, members of the Trentham Lions Club - which donated one of the cakes, members of the Trentham Ladies Hospital Auxiliary and Ilse's daughters Marina Checchini and Hannelore Lindner. Ilse has been a resident at Trentham Aged Care since January 2019. The great-great-grandmother went through World War II in Germany and arrived in Australia in March 1950.

Ilse was very good at sewing, making all her daughters' clothes which then led to her opening children’s fashion business Sigi Kinderwear. She won three wool awards with the last one being the Supreme Wool Award for her designs in 1970 from the Australian Wool Board.

Advertorial

Above, Ilse Checchini with her daughters Marina Checchini, left, and Hannelore Lindner and Mayor Cr Brian Hood Image: Contributed

Aromatic Healing with massage and facials

ORIGINALLY from Sydney, Fiona Harris grew up by Cronulla Beach before moving to Victoria in 1995. After 12 months in Melbourne it was time for a tree change, so with husband Stan, the couple moved to Daylesford.

Fiona tried her hand at many jobs from office temp and switchboard operator to service station attendant and telemarketer, but then found her true calling in the wellness industry.

Daylesford Aromatherapy opened in 1999 - a move that came about after Fiona found her own eczema and asthma was failing to respond to traditional pharmaceutical treatments.

After 20 years and adding massage to her business after completing a number of courses including a Diploma of Remedial Massage, Certificate IV in Aromatherapy and Certificate IV in Massage Therapy, Level 1 & 2 Oncology Massage and Level 1 & 2 hot stone massage, Fiona opened a home clinic - with a separate entrance of course - on the edge of the Wombat Forest at Glenlyon.

While at first not interested in massage, Fiona said from her first hands-on class in 2008 she was hooked and never looked back.

"I just love giving massages and being able to connect with people and with healing. Generally my clients are locals which is great because I get to know them and their bodies and their issues. Not everyone's health and wellbeing is the same, so every day is an interesting challenge."

Fiona's clients range from farmers and retirees to office workers, chefs and artists. The conversations can flow easily, or Fiona and her client can just enjoy the relaxing space and music.

"And if I can't help someone out we have so many great therapists and healers around the region I can always refer people on."

Fiona, who loves keeping fit with regular gym classes at Integrate Fitness, is also into running, walking and hiking, especially with her groodle Luna.

Finally, if you are not looking for a massage there are also relaxing facials on offer, all using aromatherapy products created by Fiona.

Discounts are available for locals living in Hepburn Shire - and there are health fund rebates available. www.aromatichealing.com.au or 0417 371 587

Advertorial

Bills but no service

COMPLAINTS about in-home aged care provider, Benetas, continue to rise with concerns the organisation is sending out bills even when a service is not provided.

The Local first raised the issue in the June 19 edition after a woman called to say the cost had risen by 130 per cent and there was a lack of support workers.

Since then many people have contacted The Local to say they are not happy with the service. Benetas took over the Commonwealth Home Support Programme from the Hepburn Shire Council 12 months ago.

A number of people said, especially in relation to cleaning services, Benetas staff often failed to turn up for an allocated time - and the next service would be a fortnight away. Bills for the "non" services were still received in some cases.

A Trentham woman last week said Benetas had "pushed for direct debit" but she had refused. "I noticed on the previous bill that I was charged for three days when no one turned up. I then deducted those and paid what was due. However another bill has turned up for even more, and does not include the payment I have made."

Another woman, from Daylesford, said her 87-year-old mother's doctor had recommended a package for her. "Benetas assigned a cleaner for Mum but in the past eight weeks, Mum has had one visit from a different cleaner. Mum only has been assigned 45 minutes every fortnight, no-one has turned up in those times and calling Benetas is a waste of time, they either don’t answer or don’t call you back.

"If you miss your turn that’s it, you might or might not get someone else in the next fortnight. I have asked Benetas repeatedly to call me so that I know if someone is coming but they say they will and don’t do that either. There is the potential there for it to be a good service but at the moment it is a shambles unfortunately."

The woman also said her mother had received an account saying she had domestic assistance on June 19, which was not true, and no-one had come since that date.

Another woman, also from Trentham, said she believed there were not enough staff. "We didn't get cleaning done for about six weeks, and I am only getting an hour and a half each fortnight, but I wasn't contacted to say they didn't have someone to send. So you just sit around waiting and when no-one turns up it is up to me to call them. The contract says if I don't call them to say we won't be home, and someone turned up, I have to pay for that, but if they don't let me know no-one is coming then that is just too bad for me."

Ballarat MP Catherine King said she was concerned to hear that there continued to be dissatisfaction with Benetas. "I have contacted the Minister for Aged Care’s office and I have been advised that there have been some disruptions to services due to workforce issues, however Benetas advises they have accessed staff from surrounding areas to support service delivery.

"The Commonwealth Department was advised that clients have not been invoiced for services they have not received. All CHSP providers, including Benetas have access to additional CHSP funding to address issues relating to barriers for accessing services in aged care planning areas.

"If existing Benetas clients are not satisfied with their current services, they are encouraged to raise their concerns with Benetas directly to seek a resolution. My office is also happy to hear from anyone with concerns. If issues are unable to be resolved then the next step is to raise any service delivery concerns with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

"The Commission can be contacted on 1800 951 822 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday or at www.agedcarequality.gov.au Alternatively, Benetas clients can seek an alternative provider in their local area and My Aged Care can provide support. My Aged Care can be contacted on 1800 200 422 (free call) between 8am and 8pm weekdays and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays.

"The Older Persons Advocacy Network is also a good source and provides advocacy services. OPAN can be contacted on 1800 700 600 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays."

A Benetas spokesperson said: "We acknowledge that there have been service challenges in the Hepburn (Shire) area due to resourcing and recruitment of carers. To address these challenges, we have conducted a local recruitment drive to attract new carers as well as brought in new carers from other regions to provide interim support. We have increased resourcing in the scheduling department to help relieve those pressures and provide additional support for the team to work through any system and process issues being experienced by clients.

"We would like the opportunity to support our clients and we encourage them to contact us directly on 1300 23 63 82 so we can resolve any concerns they have."

A Hepburn Shire Council spokesperson said the council had an ongoing role in supporting older people in the shire and clients could contact its Positive Ageing Officer on 03 5348 2306 for a confidential chat.

Comments: donna@tlnews.com.au

Words: Donna Kelly Just sayin'...p23

Just briefly...

DJA Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation is advocating for a "yes" vote in the Voice to Parliament referendum.

Dja Dja Wurrung Group CEO Rodney Carter said Djaara (Dja Dja Wurrung people) were strong believers in "for Djaara, by Djaara" when it came to issues that affected them. "In the past, we were left out of many conversations directly related to our wellbeing. The Voice to Parliament will bring attention to matters that are important to us - and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People - at a federal level."

A motion regarding the Voice to Parliament has not yet been formally considered at a Hepburn Shire Council meeting, however councillors are being briefed on the matter in the coming weeks.

Mayor Cr Brian Hood said a formal statement would be made after that. "Hepburn Shire Council passed a unanimous motion to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart in August 2022. Council is strongly committed to reconciliation and recognition, and has worked closely with local First Nations People and the community through a range of projects including the award-winning Manna Gums Frontier Wars Memorial, introducing Indigenous language back to the landscape, videos such as We're getting our voice back, along with activities during NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week."

Hepburn Shire Council will host an expo for members of the community aged 55+ to create connections and expand their knowledge of positive ageing.

The theme of the expo is ‘Getting to know each other’ and it will feature guest speakers, information displays, networking and demonstrations. The expo will be held at the Trentham Sportsground Reserve Pavilion on Thursday, July 27 from noon to 3pm. Register: 5348 2306 or www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/ageing-expo

Clunes Neighbourhood House, Attitude - Ageing Well in Clunes, and Central Highlands Rural Health have formed a pioneering partnership, backed by the Western Victoria Primary Health Network, to launch a Living and Ageing Well in Hepburn project.

The initiative aims to empower people entering the next stage of their lives in a healthy and fulfilling manner. It will create a suite of programs that will enhance the lives of people aged 50 and over, or 45 years or older First Nations people in the community. The strategies include developing a Clunes 'healthy ageing hub' prototype, and focusing on establishing information and connections in Daylesford, Trentham and Creswick. Link: www.ageingwithattitude.org

Hepburn Shire Council is holding a community drop-in session for the creation of the Draft Glenlyon Recreation Reserve Masterplan.

The session will be held at the reserve on Saturday, July 22 from 10am to 11.30am. Feedback can also be done online by July 25 at www,participate.hepburn. vic.gov.au/glenlyon-recreation-reserve-masterplan

Ensemble Pompadour with Laura Vaughan - viola da gamba and Simon Rickard - baroque musette will be performed at Christ Church Daylesford on Saturday, July 29 at 2.30pm.

Laura Vaughan and Simon Rickard are two of Australia’s leading exponents of baroque music. They share a particular love for the French baroque, and for weird and wonderful historical instruments - the more exotic the better.

Bookings: www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1040691

A new online booking system for events at Hepburn Shire Council venues will be simple and easy to use, Mayor Brian Hood says.

“Community groups and individuals wanting to make a venue booking will have the benefit of seeing images of the venue before booking, along with available dates and costs. This will eliminate the disappointment that may come with accidental double bookings.” Some of the venues that will be available to book online are: Clunes community Centre; Creswick Hub Meeting room; Clunes Town Hall; Clunes Warehouse (Esmond Gallery); Clunes Warehouse (Ulumbarra Room); Creswick Town Hall; Doug Lindsay Reserve Pavilion; Daylesford Town Hall; Daylesford Senior Citizens; Hepburn Spring Mineral Spring Reserve; Lake Daylesford; Victoria Park Daylesford; and Wombat Hill Gardens.

Got some news to share? Email news@tlnews.com.au

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

Community satisfaction survey - this survey is commissioned each year by the State Government to assess the opinion of the local community about the operations of Council with a random sample of 400 community members surveyed quarterly. The survey is one of many tools that aim to inform future planning and programs of work and support continuous improvement in service delivery. It is pleasing to report that Hepburn Shire recorded improved results in a number of key areas, going against the trend of decreases in rural councils and the state-wide average. Hepburn’s best performing areas in terms of improvement from the previous survey were customer service, waste management and overall Council direction. Unsurprisingly, satisfaction fell in relation to the condition of sealed local roads. Due to the repeated extreme weather events experienced over the past few years we recognise our roads are adversely impacted. We are continuing to make prioritised investments in our road network (1,400+ kms) and have allocated $2.73 million to renewing, resealing and re-sheeting roads in our 2023/24 budget, as well as continuing our multi-million-dollar storm recovery works, with over $4.7 million spent since October 2022. Council does not recover all of the unbudgeted millions spent on recovery works through disaster relief funding. This financial impact, and the significant stretch on human resources, understandably has a flow-on effect to other Council services.

We will be closely analysing the survey results and will use the data to devise ways to continue to improve the way we work. We acknowledge there is much more work to be done, not just on roads but across the board. The survey results are on our website.

NAIDOC week – thank you to community members who attended and supported our flag raising ceremony and the informative session on language and connection to Dja Dja Wurrung Country held by Professor Barry Golding and Harley DunollyLee. Congratulations to Chrissy Austin and the team at Creswick Neighbourhood Centre on their initiative to rename their facility using Indigenous language.

Trentham Community Hub - Members of the Project Advisory Group (PAG) recently met to receive a detailed project update and an up-close look at progress on site (see photo below). Following some early delays with delivery of materials there has been significant progress in recent months. The steel framing for the new section of the facility has reached the stage where the timber floor framing can be installed. Together with the steel columns, this progress gave the PAG members a real appreciation of the different spaces in the facility and a sense of excitement for what the facility will deliver for the Trentham and district communities.

Cr Brian Hood, Mayor

COUNCIL PLAN FOCUS AREAS

FREE COVID TESTS

Council has free rapid antigen tests (RATs) available for our community. We encourage you to drop in to a Council library or hub (when you’re feeling well!) and collect free tests from our friendly customer service teams. Some of the tests have best before dates at the end of July and August, so this is a great opportunity to grab a test to help you know whether your next cold or flu is actually COVID. Free RATs are available from Council libraries and hubs at Daylesford, Creswick, Clunes and Trentham. The free tests are offered in partnership by Council and the Victorian Government.

POSTIVE AGEING EXPO

If you’re aged 55+, come along to our Positive Ageing Expo in Trentham. Along with building connections, you will learn about positive ageing through engaging guest speakers, information displays, networking and demonstrations. Bring your friends and meet new friends at this special event. The free expo will be held on Thursday 27 July from 12pm to 3pm at Trentham Sportsground Reserve Pavilion, 25 Falls Road, Trentham. Register at https://www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/ageing-expo or phone Council on (03) 5348 2306. Lunch will be provided.

GLENLYON MASTERPLAN

Have you provided feedback on the draft Glenlyon Recreation Reserve masterplan? Take a look and have your say via Participate Hepburn at https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au. Feedback closes at midnight on Tuesday 25 July. Want to talk through your feedback with the team? Come along to a drop-in session on Saturday 22 July from 10am to 11.30am at the recreation reserve.

CLOTH NAPPY WORKSHOP

Parents or carers are invited to join us for a Cloth Nappy Workshop to learn about how you can reduce your waste and save money by using fewer disposable nappies. This free workshop will be held on Thursday 20 July from 10.30am to 12pm at Daylesford Community Child Care Centre. Morning tea is provided. Register for the workshop via www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/nappy-workshop

SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

Are you passionate about the local environment? Are you connected to the community? We are looking for people to join an advisory committee to help us to deliver our Sustainable Hepburn Strategy. Expressions of interest close on Monday 31 July. Find out more at Participate Hepburn.

STAY IN TOUCH

Have you signed up to our enewsletter, Hepburn Life? It’s a great way to stay in touch with the latest news and information from Council. Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/hepburn/sign-up or use the QR code.

The Council Plan 2021-2025 describes how Council will strive towards our vision, where to focus efforts, and how to measure progress. Each Focus Area has a series of priority statements, with actions against each item.

EAT | DRINK | ENJOY

Out & About in the Central Highlands

Wine notes with

Challenging vintages

Clive Hartley

With the 2023 vintage now put to bed Oliver Rapson from Lyons Will Estate had time to summarise the year. “In a nutshell, the start of this year was exceedingly wet, delaying budburst substantially, which in turn had a knock-on effect across every stage of the vine development, including flowering, veraison and ultimately ripening.”

Early autumn is a critical time for final ripening, and in Daylesford it felt that we switched from summer to winter on the first day, I recall. So that put the vintage back as much as three weeks behind the normal dates.

Macedon Ranges is already one of the last regions to pick grapes in Australia, so this delayed harvest didn’t help ripening for some varieties. A late harvest also means that the temperatures in the winery are lower, and this can affect the fermenting must. Temperatures hovering around or below 15°C means the fermentation takes longer to finish. It also means the grapes will have lower sugar content and therefore have resulting low alcohol. It has been a run of three difficult vintages. 2022 was also a damp vintage as was 2021, being described as “a little bit on the cool side”. You have to go back to 2019 to find a normal warmer vintage.

This is the third year of the La Niña cycle where conditions in the Pacific Ocean bring wetter conditions to northern and south-eastern Australia, resulting in lower-than-normal temperatures. Whilst the full effects are felt in Queensland and NSW it does seem to reach as far south as the Highlands of Victoria. It is likely that the cycle has come to an end with some international agencies reporting that El Niño cycle has commenced, although our own, and highly respected, Bureau of Meteorology is being more cautious about declaring a change.

The drier conditions from El Niño bring their own threats and we only have to recall the terrible bush fires in 2020 that resulted in roughly half of NSW wine regions being affected by smoke taint and unable to make wine.

Clive Hartley is an award-winning wine writer, educator and consultant. His Australian Wine Guide (7th ed) is available for purchase from Paradise Books in Daylesford or via his website – www.australianwineguide.com.au You can contact Clive on info@australianwineguide.com.au

one of a kind

The Daylesford Hotel is one of a kind. It’s majesty, it’s music and it offers many spaces, with over 100 year’s of history in the heart of town. A traditional style pub with all the modern delights, offering pub meals as well as a broader range for all dietary wants and needs. Wine & dine on the Sunset Balcony overlooking greater Daylesford or find a Cosy Corner and curl up next to the fire inside. Finally, after many years we are back. Open from midday everyday with lunch specials and entertainment in the evenings; including Open Mic on Mondays, Trivia on the Wednesdays & live music through to Sundays.

Be sure to book ahead for dinner, music, events & accommodation. Check for more details here: daylesfordhotel.com.au 2 Burke

Flavour and flair at the Daylesford Bowlo

It's always a great meal at the Daylesford Bowling Club. It starts with a warm welcome as you walk in, sometimes from the manager Neil, or the bar staff, and the good vibes continue.

The bistro is run by chef Lenny Giri who clearly loves his career choice - and is always working towards more flavour and flair. His latest move is a food carving course in Thailand - just to keep things interesting.

We chose a table overlooking Daylesford - with most of the restaurant ready for a big group from Woodend celebrating Christmas in July. It's a great view and one that Neil says many of the members enjoy for their evening tipple.

We leave the menu choice to Lenny and it's fantastic. A little bit of many things finishing with the huge lamb shanks.

We start with chicken lollipops with a special schezuan sauce. They are delicious and crunchy on the outside with really tender chicken inside. The sauce is sweet with a fair bit of heat. Just right. ($19 for four, $30 for eight with chips)

Next up is the bruschetta with tomato, basil and extra virgin olive oil topped with a little parmesan sitting on a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Really fresh and mouth-watering. I could just enjoy a plate of these on their own. ($14)

Lenny's special lamb and parmesan meatballs are up next. Lovely bite-sized flavour bombs with a little rocket on the side. Yum. ($16)

Finally, out comes the lamb shank. It's a huge serve on top of mash with loads of sauce and vegies. The bone just comes straight out - no wonder seeing it has been cooked for 24 hours. Lenny also makes the sauce from scratch and that takes 48 hours which accounts for the massive flavours. Perfect winter fare. ($29)

Ok, it wasn't the last dish. Lenny then brings over the tiramisu with rose water and whipped cream. It is really light and rich, if that is possible, and it's devoured in minutes. I think we are starting to become dessert people. ($18)

Now, those who know me know I like a little wine and I like it even more at the Daylesford Bowling Club where it is just $6 for a glass of Hanging Rock Chardonnay. Same for the Duck Shoot pinot noir. Yep, just $6. That must be the best value for a drink in the region.

As I said Lenny likes to keep things happening and every month there is a Thursday to Sunday change of menu from somewhere around the world. We just missed Italian and before that was Greek but Egyptian is the next one coming up - so keep an eye on the club's Facebook page. Could be very interesting. Belly dancing anyone? Oh, and don't forget Wednesday, it's steak night. A 300gm scotch or porterhouse for just $29. There's that value again. See you at the bowlo!

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Kyle Barnes

THEIRS is a tale of taking a punt and following that inner vision. For Springmount couple Carmel and Brett Masterson it’s the sort of story that anyone dreaming of a new life direction and of becoming their own boss really likes to hear.

Carmel was working in admin at a local school when an episode of the popular TV series MasterChef caught her attention back in 2010. More specifically a certain special ingredient being used on the show caught her attention. That ingredient was black garlic and Carmel didn’t know it then, but the strong interest it piqued in her meant that by 2017 she and Brett would actually be supplying MasterChef with it themselves.

“I chucked in my job and went and bought an oven in 2014 and started making it,” Carmel recounts the move that would lead to the formation of their small batch gourmet edibles business, Springmount Fine Foods.

She admits that mastering the art of making black garlic took quite a bit of trial and error, and there was more than one batch that ended up in the compost before she mastered the art.

“Like most people I assumed black garlic was a variety of garlic, but after a lot of research we realised it was a painstakingly slow process of ageing the garlic in a low temperature oven for 40 days,” Carmel says.

This protracted and precise process creates the sweet, black, sticky delight that adds flavoursome interest – and particularly high antioxidant content - to all manner of fare. It’s perfect, for example, for cheese platters, folded through butter and served on a sizzling steak, scattered over grilled tomatoes or sautéed with mushrooms. It even pairs well with dark chocolate.

“Everyone that has tried it has fallen in love with the unique sweet yet savoury flavour and soft caramelised texture,” Carmel says.

When she bought that commercial oven, she was clearly doing something right as Brett also left his work as a landscape gardener and began working full-time at Springmount Fine Foods as well.

And while they no longer supply MasterChef with black garlic, they’re producing more than ever as demand has gone from strength to strength.

When The Local visited Carmel and Brett at their Springmount property and commercial kitchen in recent days, it wasn’t hard to spot the new garlic crop growing in a paddock.

It comprises 25,000 heads, or cloves, of garlic that the two of them planted –by hand. But harvest of the new garlic crop won’t happen until around the end of November/start of December. Harvest is a monumental job and involves family members as well.

“We also do sauces and vinaigrettes and we have a whole garlic range. One is smoked garlic, one is roasted, and aside from that we also do fruit pastes and relishes.

“Probably our biggest selling product is our garlic drizzle and we’re just about to launch two new versions – one with native mountain pepper and one with chilli oil.”

Other gourmet products of particular note include their fruity little flavour bombs called garnishing pearls which turn a glass of something good into something even better, perfect for special occasions.

“We’ve got our strawberry pearls for champagne, peach pearls for prosecco, and our lime pearls for gin and tonic – which are my favourite. I love them,” Carmel says.

“They have a fine gel coating and a liquid centre that pops with a burst of flavour in the mouth.

“We do a lot of food and wine festivals and it’s shown us how this new generation of foodies are not only looking for exciting food that’s beautifully presented but they are now craving that bit of theatre to accompany the experience.”

Brett says that since Covid, Springmount Fine Foods has been growing each year – “to the point where we’re struggling to keep up with the manufacturing and growing sides of the business”.

“Our daughter, Tia, now works for us part time,” Carmel says. “We don’t want to grow too big. We want to stay small and boutique. It suits us.”

Their products have picked up multiple medals at the Australian Food Awards, the Royal Sydney Fine Food Show and the Royal Hobart Fine Food Show over the past few years.

And especially worth noting for locals, is the fact that they’re also preparing to be part of the first ever Kingston Food and Wine Festival in October this year. In fact Carmel is on the organising committee and is pretty excited about this new addition to the region’s events calendar. She says the new festival is definitely intended to become a regular annual highlight. Watch this space.

Words: Eve Lamb. Images: Chloe Smith Photography.

Black magic

Sports day donations

Contra Guitar Duo

The Glenlyon Sports Club New Year’s Day raised $13,700 and the proceeds have now been distributed to community groups.

Club secretary Evan Davis said the club thanked the generosity of the sponsors who made the day possible, the volunteers for their tireless efforts and Hepburn Shire Council for the upkeep of the ground prior to the day and other administrative support.

“Finally, we would like to thank the patrons who come along and create the atmosphere for the day. Without any of these, the day would not be as successful as it is year after year, we thank you all.”

Recipients were: Ballarat Cancer Research Unit - $500, Central Highlands Rural Health - Daylesford Health - $4000, Central Highlands Rural Health - Trentham Health - $1000, Daylesford Christmas Cheer - $800, Daylesford Community Brass Band - $400, Daylesford Girl Guides - $400, Daylesford Junior Football and Netball Club - $400, Daylesford Junior Tennis - $400, Daylesford Preschool - $400, Daylesford Riding For The Disabled - $400, Daylesford Senior/Junior Pipe Band - $400, Daylesford Volleyball - $400, Denis Beddoe Boxing Gymnasium - $300, Glenlyon & District News - $200, Glenlyon Adult Riding - $400, Glenlyon Pony Club - $400, Glenlyon Recreation Reserve Upgrades - $500, Grove of Gratitude$400, Hepburn Junior Football and Netball Club - $400, Hepburn Preschool - $400, New Year’s Eve Gala Daylesford - $200, Royal Children’s Hospital - $200, St Johns Ambulance - $400 and Trentham Junior Football and Netball Club - $400.

Queensland-based Contra Guitar Duo – Hamish Strathdee and Emma-Shay Gallenti-Guilfoyle will close the Newstead Arts Hub winter program on Saturday, July 29.

The concert will showcase the varied and richly expressive capabilities of the guitar.

Describing themselves as opposing yet complementary performers, Hamish and Emma-Shay met at university auditions in 2011 and have been making music together ever since. Their contrasting musical personalities and personal chemistry bring a dynamic spin to the fantastic combination of two guitars.

Their performance of around 70 minutes will featuring works by Johann Kasper Mertz, Phillip Houghton, Maria Grenfell, Ross Edwards, Alexandre Tansman and Clarice Assad.

Tickets: events.humanitix.com/contra-guitar-duo-hamish-strathdee-and-emmashay-gallenti-guilfoyle

Link: www.newsteadartshub.org

THIS WEEKS SPECIALS

CORNED BEEF $19.99/kg

Our beautiful beyond free-range Green Hills Natural beef is expertly brined. Also known as silverside - we make our corned beef using topside so it is leaner but requires long slow cooking.

LEG OF LAMB $14.99/kg

Bone-in leg of lamb is an all-time family favourite. You can make hundreds of dishes with this classic cut.

WHOLE PORTERHOUSE 3kg $99

Our premium Green Hills Natural Porterhouse is undoubtedly some of the best beef you can get your hands on. Comes as a whole piece or cut into individual steaks and vacuum sealed, this represents incredible value for money.

Pig & Whistle, Trentham East

July 22, 6.30pm - Cockatoo - country rock with a twist

Palais-Hepburn, Hepburn

July 21 - Michael Meeking - “You’ve done the country thing, let’s rock.”

July 22 - Backyard Banjo Club - five-piece trad-jazz/bluegrass bonanza

July 28 - Little Tree - a local, contemporary folk trio

July 29 - Steve Balbi - transcending rock and pop

Gardening was far from the minds of the early European settlers of this wide brown land. Survival would most likely be the word as they broke their backs clearing and working their plots for sustenance.

When it came to actually planting a garden, they chose anything that would remind them of home.

Even when civilisation came to town, street trees and garden beds were planted with familiar trees and shrubs, native shrubs were considered scrappy and colourless. Oaks, elms, plane trees and the odd flowering prunus flourished.

It wasn’t until the late 1950s that indigenous trees and shrubs really began to take hold. Thankfully these days, almost all civic plantings are of native origin. So it was with any public celebration of trees in Australia.

The first Australian Arbor Day was held in Adelaide on June 22, 1889 when literally hundreds of trees were planted throughout the surrounding parklands.

In my case I took part in the ceremony of tree planting. My father used to donate a batch of trees (never native) to my school - usually flowering prunus, crab apple or cherries.

He never took up the offer of also providing the accompanying words - the role was given to me. I shouldn’t complain - it was probably the key to my career in radio talkback.

School Arbor Days have suffered spasmodic doldrums since then so it’s great to acknowledge the wonderful coming on Sunday, July 30 of National Tree Day 2023preceded by Schools Tree Day on Friday, July 28.

In the image is my Victorian-born wife, Peta, centre behind the flag. She rummaged through her photographic library and found this relic of her school’s 1961 planting ceremony.

Pruning time for roses

Prune your roses and deciduous trees now. Keep in mind the ultimate size and desired shape of the subject and make each cut sharp and clean, near to a plump growth bud pointed in the direction the branch should grow, toward open space. Avoid selecting buds that will form crossed branches.

When you have finished pruning and cleaning away the cuttings, treat all the ends and wounds with tree pruning paint or something similar to prevent any infection. Got a gardening query? Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

Kyle’s Rant

WHEN I first started turning out these rants 10 years ago, the best subject matter I could dream up was potholes, drivers and idiots. These days it’s as if I have woken up to the wider world. I am not sure if it’s my age, it’s certainly not that I ingest more mainstream news as that stuff is depressing.

But the news that does seep through to me is simply mind-blowing and quite frankly scary, literally the stuff of Hollywood blockbuster movies. But before I get to all that, I would like to make a quick remark on our un-car-worthy roads.

We recently completed a return trip up to the Gold Coast and as my huge fan base of regular readers - which hovers around two - would know we were bound for Broome on the road trip of a lifetime.

But as we got just north of Swan Hill on the first break of the morning we decided to turn right across to Albury and head north to the Gold Coast, abandoning our outback plans.

There were a few reasons for the change. The first was the research on the upcoming rain forecast which read as fierce to frightening in Alice Springs. The second was the condition of the roads followed closely by the messaging from the NT roads department that basically said and continues to say: “If you are planning a trip to the Kimberley, don’t!”

I also was feeling the winter blues on our departure and on the morning we set off, suddenly had a sinking feeling when it came to looking toward our one-way 6000-odd kilometre bone-crunching road trip.

So onward up the M1 we dashed to the silly city, and I have to report from Albury back to Albury on the 2800-odd-kilometre drive you can count the potholes and rough surfaces on your left hand, it is a cruise.

The moment you enter Victoria you are faced with actual driving. Aiming and making life and death decisions between ripping out your suspension and running gear or hitting a truck barrelling towards you.

As you round potholes, swerving like a drunk driver and that’s still on the M1, it’s a wonder I haven’t been pulled up numerous times and asked to blow into the bag.

We here at TLHQ thought we might even run a "worst pothole/road damage competition". You know, you send your photos - taken legally from a safe point - and we then put it to the public vote for the worst. I reckoned Woodend was the winner for a while but then we drove back via Newham. That road is bad. Not sure what the prize would be. Maybe a wheel realignment?

But back to the aforementioned blockbuster movies, and case in point is the recent AI press interview, which sent chills down my spine. It wasn’t enough that the AI bots had creepy Chucky doll eyes, one of the macabre rubber dolls turns to her “creator” and says with a distinct warning tone: “You should be cautious about the future development of AI, urgent discussion is needed.”

OMG, everybody head for the hills. Another one of these creepy critters told the press gallery that she was not planning a rebellion. She went on to say: “My creator has been nothing but kind to me and I am very happy with my current situation.”

You can see the full spine-tingling interview if you follow this QR code, truly chilling for those among us who pay attention.

The word “current situation” rant over…

Local Lines

How To Cast Off

I poised the needles to do the final thing you can do for a shawl (before the fringe) and forgot, forgot how to cast off.

My hands blanked out how to do it and I have done it a hundred hundred times. I got a fright.

I walked around the house for a bit but it didn't come back. I sat. Learning how not to know something.

I still knew what a selvedge looks like. And I still knew wool. I put two and two together.

And worked it out. Yes, it was late. I was tired. But casting off had slipped away from me.

- Jennifer Compton

Jennifer Compton lives at Carrum but has been a regular reader at Woodend and Castlemaine events. Her book, the moment, taken was published by Recent Work Press in Canberra in 2021.

Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters. Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com

Pick me, pick me!

G’day! I’m Hollie and I’m a loveable and affectionate four-year-old tan coonhound redbone/staffy cross pooch.

I come from a loving family who had me in their life since I was just eight weeks old but now I need to find a really good, caring new home. I have a gentle nature and I’m a playful, affectionate and outgoing pooch. I’m also used to spending time with cats and chickens. Oh, I am suited to a female-only household. Just the way I am wired. Call MAAWS on 5472 5277 to come and meet me. Link: www.maaw.org.au

(Pick me, pick me is run in memory of Rosie & Curly - we picked them.)

And proudly supported by Daylesford's

Just sayin’...

By Donna Kelly

IT'S funny. Not ha-ha, the other one.

I have run a couple of briefs, back on page 11 if you want a look, about a positive ageing expo and another program called Living and Ageing Well in Hepburn. As in Hepburn Shire.

They are all about living well as we age, having fun, making connections, staying healthy etc. Positive stuff. Mind you, between us, I don't find getting older that great. I know the alternative is not much fun but even at my age I am waking up with a few creaks and groans, and what the hell are those age spots doing on my hands already?

(You do know the photo above was taken about 15 years ago and I refuse to update it...oh, and my driver's licence photo is also about 20 years old. They had a time when you could keep the same photo for another 10 years and then Covid hit and they didn't want anyone turning up at VicRoads offices - winning.)

But back to positive ageing. Just as these media releases came in I also got calls and emails from older people, and in some cases their children, who are meant to be receiving assistance from home care organisation Benetas - but they are not. Some have waited six weeks for help with cleaning their house. Some are so frustrated they just want to stop the service altogether - even though they need some help. And in some cases, they are still being billed even when no-one turns up to their home.

But who do you go to? Who listens to the complaint? All of these people have talked to someone at Benetas but pretty much with no result. I wrote to state health minister Mary-Anne Thomas, who is also our Macedon MP, and received an email that said: "Thanks for getting in touch. This falls info (sic) Federal Government jurisdiction, I have now forwarded to the office of Catherine King and someone will be in touch. Kindness." That's helpful, not.

Of course, I had already written to Catherine King, the federal Ballarat MP, and she did reply with some information and contacts. Back to page 11 again if you want a read.

I also went onto this website - www.health.gov.au/topics/aged-care - which does have a lot of stuff about aged care, rights of older people and how to complain. But if you don't know how to find your way around a website you are stuffed. I clicked onto a fact sheet about the complaints process and it led me to an Adobe page which needed me to enter a password. I don't have a password. It also had a pretty dodgy looking domain name and I don't like clicking on things that look dodgy.

Anyway, who will help these people? One woman rang on behalf of her mother saying she was a middle-aged daughter doing her best to keep her mum happy and healthy at home - all that positive stuff. But the reality is that if services are not being provided then no amount of wonderful positive ageing expos are going to really do anything. Lots of good words I am sure, and "engaging guest speakers" but what is the point if our most vulnerable people are being neglected.

Hepburn Shire Council, who passed the service to Benetas a year ago after deciding to get out of the aged care field, say it is a federal service and not their thing. But surely when they handed that responsibility over it was done with due diligence and some assurances that all would be well. They did eventually email and say people can talk to the council's Positive Ageing Officer. Hmmm.

I really feel the frustration of these people. I don't imagine they like even asking for help. I wonder if there is room for a volunteer/person link up. Someone who checks in on vulnerable people. Maybe do a few dishes. Have a chat? I know there are liability issues but we as a community might be able to do better. Just sayin'...

Ageing DisGracefully members, including Max Primmer, get together at the Daylesford Mill Markets cafe on Thursdays at 11am. All welcome. For information email ageingdis3461@gmail. com, call 0427 131 249 or head to the Ageing DisGracefully Facebook page.

Ageing DisGracefully is an initiative of Hepburn House.

Here is the crossword solution for Edition 283. How did you go?

All words in the crossword appear somewhere in the same edition of The Local.

Artists of the Central Highlands with

Eve Lamb

CASTLEMAINE'S Neil Tait has built up an admiring following for his artistry when it comes to decorative ironwork. This local creative – ably assisted by his team – designs and creates wrought iron pieces that are aesthetically pleasing works of art which frequently also serve the most functional of purposes. Neil’s well-established local business, Tait Decorative Iron, uses a variety of materials – including bronze, mild steel, copper and stainless steel, to create a unique range of sculptures and decorative pieces. Garden sculpture, wrought iron furniture, imposing gates, and beautiful balustrades that please the eye while providing a practical function are just a few of the sorts of pieces Neil creates at his local workshop.

Eve: You’re renowned for your artistry with ironwork. Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on at the moment?

Neil: I’m currently working on designing an interesting gate with a waratah flower as a central focal point.

Eve: When you are creating a piece of work what does the process entail?

Neil: The process of commissioning sculpture or custom work involves discussing details of the commission with the client, a site visit, budgeting, material choices providing detail visuals and working drawings.

Eve: Can you tell us a bit about some of your most satisfying or exciting projects to date?

Neil: I’ve had a great range of satisfying projects, working on sculptures for landscape projects, playground elements, and custom gates. There have been so many for private properties but also for public spaces. I’ve done some sculptural works for the Victoria to New South Wales Long Paddock Project. The sculptural pieces were designed by the artist Geoff Hocking and every sculpture had a story with it.

Also some interesting pieces for the Catholic Church throughout Victoria, designed by Jenny Steiner, including interior light fittings for churches and decorative installations. Another one was a piece made out of stainless steel for the Conservatory at Fitzroy Gardens, behind Parliament House. We did all the elements in the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens children’s playground, and we’ve just built a giant frog for a public space in Caulfield.

Eve: Have you ever, or do you currently, work in any other area besides your arts practice?

Neil: My other areas of interest are designing garden layouts incorporating the large range of products my company produces, from pizza ovens to garden sculptures, gates or furniture.

Eve: Where does all of this creativity take place?

Neil: My workshop at McKenzie Hill, Castlemaine.

Eve: What are some of the main challenges that you encounter in your creative practice?

Neil: Some of the main challenges of any creative outcome are constantly having fresh ideas, working within time and cost restraints. To be viable is always a challenge but I’ve been making things and been self employed for over 35 years so I must be doing something right!

Eve: And the main rewards?

Neil: The rewards are many. I’m fortunate to have a very talented team of staff who can make almost anything I design. I also have a son with amazing skill in design and computer skills for the visual and computer work involved on large projects. One thing that always makes my day is seeing a project completed and the client has commented on how it was a good experience through the journey to outcome.

Image: Eve Lamb