March 14, 2022 Issue 249 Rallying cry!
The Local - The Heart of the Highlands
2 About Us
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Front cover: Trucks rolled into Melbourne last week, March 8, as hundreds of protesters took to the steps of Parliament House to try to stop AusNet's Western Victoria Transmission Network Project. Read about the rally, and one at Kingston, on page 5.
The Local is a fortnightly community publication covering the Central Highlands of Victoria.
March 14, 2022 Issue 249 Rallying cry!
The next edition is out on Monday, March 28, 2022. Or online on Sunday, March 27 at www.tlnews.com.au Space bookings: Wednesday, March 23 Copy deadline: Thursday, March 24 Editorial deadline: Thursday, March 24
Image: Nathan Lidgett
Editorial: 0418 576 513 | Advertising: 0416 104 283 news@tlnews.com.au | sales@tlnews.com.au Managing editor | Donna Kelly General manager | Kyle Barnes
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Writers | Kevin Childs, Tony Sawrey, Jeff Glorfeld, Narelle Groenhout & Donna Kelly
The Local is a member of the Victorian Country Press Association, with editor Donna Kelly, a director.
Photographers | Kyle Barnes, David White & Louise Gay
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Contributors: Glen Heyne (gardening), Darren Lowe (gigs), Matthew Richardson (money) and Jen Clarke (recipes).
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.
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Our people 3
Principal inducted onto shire honour roll
I
NSPIRATIONAL Bullarto Primary School principal Joanne Pegg has been inducted onto Hepburn Shire’s Heather Mutimer Honour Roll.
At last week’s event celebrating International Women’s Day, Jo was surrounded by family and friends, colleagues, past and present students and their families. Her work in the school system, a system that often sees children fall through the cracks of mainstream education, her advocacy, her tenacity and determination was recognised through her inclusion on the honour roll. Jo was featured in The Local last February at the height of Covid. She had moved to the little school on the edge of the forest from the Grampians. While it was assumed she was there to create an exit strategy for the school with four students, Jo had other plans and with the help of a passionate community, the school now has 22 students, and a menagerie of animals. In the Victorian public school system teachers and principals can no longer freely speak to the media without going through the bureaucratic hoops. Jo will always be the advocate, willing to share her thoughts, fight for the wellbeing of her students, her son and children of all ages, if it means voices are heard. On the night, Jo spoke about the influence her parents had on her life. Being born with a hand anomaly her parents raised her believing she could do and be anything. Growing up she witnessed her parents advocate for her every step of the way. When she was stopped from using scissors in kindergarten, and when her Year 9 teacher refusing to teach her typing, Jo’s parents intervened and instilled the power of A moment to shine: Jo Pegg, her son, Jack Pegg, and her mother, Elaine advocacy. They fought for her when she was too young to have her own voice. Now Morrison, at the Heather Mutimer Honour Roll celebration last week she’s the voice for many children and their families. “My parents are the reason I am here. My colleagues, my school community and Words & images my parents. If you are a student of mine, I’ll have your back forever.”
Narelle Groenhout
#BreaktheBias
One of the themes for this year’s International Women’s Day was Break the Bias. Hepburn Shire Mayor, Tim Drylie, broke the bias in his own way – not only delivering a powerful speech – but actually delivering the speech when it was suggested by a few that it wasn’t his place. “I take full responsibility for my own biases and recognise the privileges that come my way as a white, able-bodied, heterosexual, Anglo-Saxon middle-aged man,” he said. “When I asked my daughters what they thought about me giving a speech at an International Women’s Day event they said I shouldn’t do it and I am sure there are some people who would agree with them. “However, after speaking with several other men and women, I realised that I could be an ally by speaking in solidarity with women and to continue to take proactive and preventative measures to help ‘Break the Bias’ associated with this toxic masculinity.” Cr Drylie spoke about recently formed group, Safety, Respect, Equity and the work sexual abuse survivor Grace Tame and parliamentary staffer Brittany Higgins are doing. He called on men to stand up in solidarity. “Call out and break our own biases and refuse to be a part of this toxic masculine identity that pervades the top tiers of government and filters down, and to be better for others,” he said. “In our own relationships as men we need to look in the mirror and acknowledge our biases, to be honest with ourselves and begin breaking repeated patterns of abuse and control, be it of a physical or emotional nature. We need to understand that healthy relationships are based on respect, good communication, trust, honesty and equality.”
Above, Daylesford College students, from left, Lucy Muscat, Lily Austin and Alice Dennis Young leaders shine
Lucy Muscat joined fellow Daylesford College students Lily Austin and Alice Dennis at the International Women’s Day celebration last week. Alice and Lucy proudly, passionately and with conviction, made moving speeches of what it means to be able to live in a world where women are celebrated and heard without bias, while Lily sang and played guitar. It was a proud moment for everyone in the audience knowing these three young women are future female leaders.
FLOOD AND STORM
BULLETIN RECOVERY SUPPORT HOTLINE IS HERE TO HELP
1800 560 760 Call 1800 560 760 today to access a financial counsellor through the Flood and Storm Recovery Hotline The Recovery Hotline is a single state-wide
This regular bulletin provides recovery updates following the June 2021 Flood and Storm. Bushfire Recovery Victoria proudly works in partnership with council and the local community to support recovery.
AN UPDATE FROM HEPBURN SHIRE COUNCIL END OF FREE FIREWOOD The Free Firewood Distribution Program has finished after a successful four month run. Forty groups in all corners of the Shire received wood. Many residents also accessed our two cubic metre loads of free firewood from three transfer stations. Approximately 7000m3 of wood was distributed overall. CLOSURE OF STORM THROWN TIMBER PROCESSING SITE Following the June storm, Council required a large space with good access for crews to process the large amount of logs and mulch. The storm’s huge impact, coupled with the changing and challenging requirements of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, were compounded by three of the wettest months in memory. It was a continual shuffle of contractors and their crews to manage safety. Ninety percent of the work was awarded to local contractors and as five months of works now comes to an end, the stack site is being rehabilitated.
number Victorians impacted by the June
SECOND MAJOR STORM EVENT IN HEPBURN
2021 Flood and Storm can call for assistance,
There have been two recent major storm events which have resulted in significant damage in the Hepburn Shire:
including financial counselling. The hotline can connect you to a financial counsellor to help you: • access relief for utility bills and other payments
The 5th January 2022 event resulted in flooding in the Creswick township and storm damage in Creswick surrounds and damage to agricultural properties in the Dean area. The impacts resulting from this event are: •
180 primary residences damaged
•
•
45 primary residents severely damaged/ uninhabitable
55 residents displaced (as at 24/2/22- seven weeks after the flood)
•
•
114 properties impacted but habitable
$10m+ damage and losses to the business sector.
•
$25m+ direct cost losses to the agricultural sector
• understand your government income and other entitlements • negotiate with your bank on debt issues • identify if your insurance outcome is fair and appropriate • explore your options and advocate on your behalf. Speaking to a financial counsellor early can help stabilise your finances, reduce stress and allow you to focus on other areas.
19th June 2021 storm event which resulted in storm damage primarily across the east and central areas of the shire. The impacts resulting from this event are: •
53 residences damaged
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39 dwellings impacted but habitable
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5 houses and 9 cabins destroyeduninhabitable (all primary residences)
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9 vehicles impacted
Combined, the impacts of these two storms cover approximately 45% of the Shire’s footprint. Council’s Storm Recovery team is coordinating recovery for both events.
Call the Flood and Storm Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760 between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays)
RESIDENTIAL FLOOD AND STORM CLEAN-UP The Residential Flood and Storm Clean-up program was established to help property owners restore their land after the June 2021 Flood and Storm. The program focuses on residential properties with structures that were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. As of Monday 7 March 2022, the program has completed 97% of the entire program – that is 983 properties completed and 19 in progress. Clean-up after the storms is a big job and there’s lot of work left to do. Check out the BRV Facebook or LinkedIn page for updates.
Rallies to Stop AusNet
T
RACTORS rumbled through Melbourne last Tuesday, March 8, as hundreds gathered to protest at Parliament House against 85-metre high towers planned to cross valuable farmland and destroy pristine vistas in Hepburn Shire and beyond.
AusNet's proposed Western Victoria Transmission Network Project (WVTNP). will run 190 kilometres from Bulgana, north of Ararat, to Melbourne. Actor Stephen Curry, who was the face of the protest, which included farmers, residents and landowners cheered along by a 1km-long convoy of tractors, fire trucks, farm vehicles and a team of horses, said his home in Gordon was in the corridor of the project. Mr Curry told reporters that AusNet and the state government would knock down his property, including the house and 3000 native trees. "And that's all in the name of sustainability, which is rubbish — it's all in the name of saving money." Meanwhile, earlier on March 6, about 200 concerned members from Kingston and surrounding districts gathered at the local showgrounds, pictured above, in support of the Stop AusNet’s Towers campaign. Numerous speakers addressed the many aspects of both the proposal and its ongoing effects including federal Labor MP Catherine King, State Liberal MP Louise Staley, Daylesford Macedon Tourism CEO Steve Wroe and Hepburn Shire Council Mayor Cr Tim Drylie. Kain Richardson, a fifth generation farmer and chair of the Kingston and District Power Alliance, organisers of the session, was heartened by the turnout. “We are really grateful for the community support and not just the farming community but the lifestylers, hobby farmers and retirees that have shifted to the area for the visual amenity and relaxation.
“We were also quite impressed with the tourism industry interest and Steve Wroe coming out to speak. We need every bit of that support, as they are an essential industry for the district.” The meeting offered the chance to inform and assist all those attendees who wanted to contribute to the ongoing struggle through activities such as publicity, campaign contributions, letter writing and preparing all important responses to AusNet’s environmental effects statement. “The paper was going to be released in June,” says Mr Richardson, “but AusNet have asked for an extension to January 2023 after the Victorian state election. The KDPA will continue working with Hepburn Shire Council to get more sessions up and running where people can get the information required to make effective responses to the EES and get the whole thing sent back to the drawing board.” By pushing the release of the EES back to January it certainly gives the KDPA and other activist groups under the umbrella of the Moorabool and Central Highlands Power Alliance (MCHPA) more time to gain additional support. “We need to make sure we get the settings right for the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project because every other region in the state is going to be impacted by the further nine transmission projects that are coming," Mr Richardson said. “We believe some serious thought ought to be put into the social and economic impacts and all alternatives should be explored (specifically, underground options). Premier Daniel Andrews is trying not to let this become an election problem but this community will fight tooth and nail to make sure he knows about it.”
Words & main image: Tony Sawrey Inset image: Nathan Lidgett
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Our festivals 7
Creating a musical festival - CresFest
H
OW many people have thought to themselves: “I’ve got a great idea”, “I can do that”, “how hard can it be?”
Ask CresFest convenor Judy Turner for her thoughts on pulling together the inaugural CresFest, which runs from April 1-3, and you might be surprised at some of her responses. It takes guts, ambition, hours of hard work, an ability to cajole and to beg, to be visionary and creative, to be open to other people’s ideas, to nag and to charm, to be organised and however difficult it may be, maintain a sense of humour. With a lifetime’s experience of coordinating festivals, fundraisers and cultural events for a broad range of audiences Judy Turner is no stranger to being involved in and putting on musical and theatrical events. Her love of shared participatory music making and performance for people of all ages began in the 1970s when she performed at folk festivals. Playing a variety of instruments Judy has enjoyed performing and encouraging others to perform ever since. The exciting line up for CresFest has grown to include 360 performers, including Emma Donovan and The Putbacks, Eric Bogle Trio, The Maes, Lucy Wise, Fiona Ross, Kee’ahn, other musicians of local and international renown, actor Marg Dobson with her investigative show about a Ballarat artist and myriad other performances at the iconic Court House, Town Hall and public spaces. It takes a lot of organisation, from applying for grants, raising funds, booking artists to engaging teams of volunteers. “I’ve had to have nerves of steel as this really has been a journey through uncharted waters. What’s kept me going is my belief in this amazing Creswick community. People drive through on their way to more well-known towns and villages. Yet stop a while and there is so much to discover here in this exciting, diverse community. Music, visual and performing arts, historic buildings, good food, wonderful walks. “CresFest will bring it all together over the first three days in April. I certainly haven’t gone on this journey alone. I am lucky to have an excellent committee and volunteers who have supported the concept, the desire and execution of CresFest.”
Fabulous pet friendly accommodation Come to Glenlyon, the Toorak of the Central Highlands, two minutes walk to the famous Glenlyon General Store. Book direct and save. hello@2cool4school.com.au
From left, Neil Adam, Judy Turner and hotelier Brendan Smith - Judy is playing a soprano ukulele which will be raffled at the festival And yet Judy knows you can stretch friendships when you take on something as big as this. Perhaps referring to her music and life partner, CresFest volunteer coordinator Neil Adam. “From experience I know that sometimes people say yes because it seems like a good idea at the time. Then they realise that although it's only three days, in the end something like this can ride over you like a Mack truck.” CresFest is a true celebration of the freedom to express the joy of living through music, the spoken and written word. There will be opportunities for visitors to sing with the Creswick Chorus led by notable musician Stella Savy, move to the rhythm of a Bollywood Dance ensemble with lessons by Indian Australian singer Parvyn Singh or sing at the open mic program. The power of music is global and perhaps this has never been so relevant than at this present time.
Link: www.cresfest.com.au
Words & image: Supplied
SUPPORTING OUR EVERYDAY PARTNERS
BONNIE Director & proud Wadawurrung woman Mirriyu Cultural Consulting
Every day at Central Highlands Water, we proudly work with our community partners, like Mirriyu Cultural Consulting. Mirriyu makes a difference in our region, sharing knowledge and training from a professional and traditional Wadawurrung perspective.
I love that Central Highlands Water are willing to listen and learn more about our Aboriginal history and really engage in Reconciliation.
everydaypartners
8 Briefs
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The Proms The Daylesford Community Brass Band and U3A Hepburn Shire will present an evening of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh music based on the BBC's popular annual Proms celebrations, on Saturday, April 30 in Daylesford Town Hall. Entertainment will include traditional songs, pipers and dancers. There will be raffle prizes galore plus prizes for the best decorated table, best cake or dessert and for best male and female costume. Revellers are asked to celebrate the country of their choice with a themed table setting, food and costumes. It is a self catering dinner. BYO food, drinks, cutlery and crockery. Make up a table of 10 or join a table and make new friends. Cost is $20 per person. The evening starts at 6.30pm for a 7pm start and ends at 10.30pm. Bookings are essential. Contact Monica Cole on 0425 851 679 or email onicaske@hotmail.com The proceeds will go towards purchasing new instruments for the band.
150 years
Full of energy Hepburn Energy’s Impact Fund has provided $10,287 to help six Hepburn Shire schools save energy and emissions with demand management and education.
The six schools, Daylesford Dharma School, Daylesford Secondary, St Michael’s, Daylesford, Hepburn, Trentham and Bullarto primary schools, received free packages from Solar Schools that offer educational resources on renewables and emissions, and This year, 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the smart energy devices to help schools monitor and control their energy use. Victoria’s world-class public education system. These devices come from the Australian technological Victoria was the first state in Australia – and one of platform Watt Watchers, that’s looking to help businesses the first in the world – to make education free, secular and compulsory to all children aged 6-15. Around 600 and households be more energy-efficient and maximise schools opened across the state in the five years following their renewable energy use. As the Hepburn Shire seeks to transition to zero-net the passing of the Education Act. emissions by 2030, Hepburn Energy’s general manager The milestone will be marked with a range of activities across the year designed to commemorate the Taryn Lane said there was a big opportunity to reduce energy costs and emissions through these smart energy past, celebrate the present and imagine the future of technologies. education. “These tools offer insight into when and how schools A dedicated Victorian Government website will feature the 483 original government schools from 1872 use energy, helping staff and students reduce their use when energy is most costly, helping to lower energy alongside every other government school established bills.” since, displaying a selection of digitally preserved Hepburn Energy is not only supporting schools to historical records from the past 150 years including reduce their energy use but finding new ways to engage school history summaries, enrolment registers and local students in the changing energy and climate future. photos. Hepburn Wind partnered with CERES School of Anyone with photos, documents or other vintage Nature and Climate to create a free, bespoke curriculum school treasures is encouraged to email them to 150years@education.vic.gov.au to help build this digital looking at climate change, renewables, town planning and systems change. time capsule. Link: www.vic.gov.au/150years.
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Our people 9
Pete Risstrom: ambo, groundskeeper
P
ETE Risstrom is one of those Daylesford locals who make up the essential character of the town. His story, like many of those who have moved to the region over the years, is a circuitous route.
He grew up on a dairy farm in West Gippsland, took on a horticultural turf management apprenticeship at the local bowls club, and later began a career in the community sector working with people with disabilities. Eventually he moved to Daylesford back in 1990 with his then partner and now wife, Beverly, where he bought a house and raised two children. “I didn’t have a job when I came but I soon moved back into community agency work in Castlemaine and Kyneton and also got the opportunity to work in an unpaid position as a casual ambulance officer, helping the one station here with the driving, carrying equipment and so on,” Pete said. This role, still in place today, is known as an ambulance community officer. Officers generally act as volunteer first responders to emergencies in more remote places around the state where there is no permanently staffed station close by. They attend, do the basics, and get backed up by the closest permanent branch for transport. Daylesford, while not as isolated as some towns in the state, did not yet have a 24-hour station with the minimum two officers on call. So Pete in his ACO role would pair up with a full-time officer to make the numbers required for a callout. “That was my community work,” Pete said. “But I started to move away from disability work in the early 2000s and decided to link my ACO experience to a degree in health sciences-paramedicine (a prerequisite for anyone wanting a career as a paid paramedic) and I’ve been a full-time ambo ever since. After graduation he worked at the Ballarat station and in 2010, when there was a branch upgrade and three extra paramedic officer positions created, Pete transferred to Daylesford. Just last year the station became a 24-hour operation, a status indicative of demand, reflecting just how much the town has grown in the years since Pete first worked as an ACO nearly 30 years ago. And talking of growth, another place in Daylesford ready to grow and evolve into the future is the iconic Daylesford Lawn Tennis Club. Outside of work, Pete is head groundskeeper maintaining its 10 grass courts. A role that harks back to his first proper job, maintaining the greens of the Warragul Bowls Club, but like everything associated with the tennis club it is a volunteer position. He has also been a keen tennis player since childhood and by 2005, as his own children grew up, Pete found he had more time for tennis which soon led to working on the upkeep of the grounds. “The grass courts are in operation from October to late April. The rest of the time it can get too wet so we just leave them to rest, do some restoration work if need be and just mow them occasionally. Over the warmer months we keep them looking good with plenty of water and reseeding. Though it can be difficult if it is a hot summer or drought year. We try to keep as much leaf on as we can but it’s really up to the elements. We are not Royal South Yarra or Kooyong. We all have finite time as volunteers and there is only so much we can do.” Sitting on just under two hectares, the club, while owning the land, is effectively a civic institution with generations of players passing through its gates. But like the ambulance station before it, the club is drawing closer to a form of modernisation reflecting the changing character of the game. “The committee is basically looking at bringing it into this century and the way the game has changed in respect to participation. It is still set up for association tennis but we are not an association now.
Above, Pete Risstrom at the Daylesford Lawn Tennis Club Words & image: Tony Sawrey “It’s more private and social tennis. The plan is to sell off some of the property we have in order to build some long overdue new club rooms and upgrade half the courts to all-weather surfaces. People love the feel of grass, the challenges it offers and it is supposed to be better on the knees and joints, but the upgrades being planned will allow a longer playing season." With all these changes on the cards you can be sure that one institution will remain for the time being. That will be Pete Risstrom, line-marking paint at the ready, but always free for a chat and ready to welcome the next generation of Ash Bartys and Alex de Minaurs onto the hallowed turf of the Daylesford Lawn Tennis Club.
“I didn’t have a job but I soon moved back into community agency work in Castlemaine and Kyneton and also got the opportunity to work in an unpaid position as a casual ambulance officer, helping the one station here with the driving, carrying equipment and so on.”
10 Opinion
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Your Say - Letters When you're smiling
Although I agree somewhat with your article Just Sayin'... in Issue 248, I am also somewhat opposed. I believe that Grace (Tame) certainly has a right on whether to smile or not and if it is just for tokenism of being a woman (smile and look pretty and don’t say anything, just be a good little girl) would be an affront.
However, she was there representing the award she was honoured with, and I believe it showed bad manners, in the way in which she reacted. Scott Morrison was not the person who abused her and is in fact the person that was “putting her up there” for standing up and being counted. She should be very proud of herself for speaking out but she should also be ashamed of herself for her bad manners and basically implying that all males were tarred with the same brush and just thought of women as objects to be used. I am very offended by the number of people that are basically labelling us all as misogynists. Furthermore, I try to encourage my grandchildren and all people to smile (not just women), as a smile brightens your day. You can be down in the dumps, and it is easy to stay there if the people around you look and/or are miserable, but it is hard not to let a smile brighten up your mood. I do look forward to your writings and generally get a bit of a laugh and often find them very thought provoking. I certainly applaud the good work you do and that you aren’t afraid to speak up for people. In closing I would also like to note that your front page of this edition along with most of the photos throughout this and other editions are full of people smiling. I am sure this is deliberate and that you wouldn’t want all the faces looking sad or grumpy, it wouldn’t give that encouraging sign for people to want to delve further into the publication. Keep doing what you are doing, I enjoy the publication and look forward to each new edition. I am happy for you to put forward my views, unlike the person who wrote to Kyle.
- Gary Wilkinson, Blampied
Environmental sustainability During February and March I have been taking part as a member of the community reference group contributing to Hepburn Shire's new environmental sustainability strategy.
It is apparent from these conversations that a huge expectation is being placed on technology to come to our rescue. For example, I continue to have conversations with folk who reject electric vehicles because they can't yet exactly replicate the convenience of a petrol car. At the same time, there appears to be an expectation that the shift to a more sustainable world won't cost us any more than our present way of life does. It's a massive ask and as far as I can see unlikely to be possible, but I can't help but celebrate the optimism it expresses.
- Pat Hockey, Clunes
Pop-up art What a fabulous initiative the Daylesford Arts Collective pop-up is.
Sitting next to the Daylesford Regional Visitor & Information Centre it is a joy to visit and beautifully showcases some of the amazing talent we are so lucky to have in our community. What a positive for our wonderful community, fingers crossed we see more of these fabulous pop-ups appear. Congratulations to the organisers and artists involved and a big shout out to the council for supporting this fabulous community initiative.
- Marianne Lavelle, Daylesford
Letters to the editor are always welcome. Keep them shortish and to the point. Email donna@tlnews.com.au Any addressed Dear Sir will be deleted.
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Advertorial 11
Simple, easy, power
G
ENERATORS have been lifesavers in the Central Highlands over the past few years as the electricity grid reliability has deteriorated, culminating in the period after the 2021 storms where many people were without power for days.
But petrol and diesel generators require work including refuelling. Most have to be started manually, often in the dark, cold and wet. It was those issues that led t2zero founders Jürgen and Debra Rhyon to install a gas fired, home standby generator that starts automatically in the event of a grid outage. They are now offering this solution to others. Jürgen said t2zero was created in response to a community move to achieve zero net energy and zero net emissions in Hepburn Shire. “Our company started in mid 2019 by supplying and installing Reclaim Energy hot water heat pumps. In early 2020 we partnered with Panda Solar and added the supply and installation of solar panels. After the massive storm last year, we realised how vulnerable we are to grid outages and began researching home standby generators.” “Like many others, we had no power for days. Fortunately, we had an open fire for heat and a gas barbeque for basic cooking. We also realised that battery storage would not have coped with our energy needs in the middle of winter as our solar panels did not generate sufficient excess electricity to charge a battery.” Debra’s research into generators concluded that US-made Generac gas-fired generators were the perfect product but struggled to find a vendor that offered a fully installed solution. They contacted Generac and committed to take this on as a business under the t2zero banner. “Just hours after installing our generator we had our first outage. We were lying in bed, watching TV, and everything went dark. Just 10 seconds later, the lights were back on and the TV rebooted. We lay there feeling more than a little smug that our investment decision was immediately vindicated. In the two weeks since we installed our generator, we have had seven grid outages. The generator starts and shuts down automatically reverting back to sentinel mode when the grid comes back online. It’s a thing of beauty.”
It takes a full day for an electrician to install a home standby generator plus some preparatory electrical work on the generator’s fuel line before the onsite installation. Compliance certificates are issued for the electrical and plumbing work. An independent inspector is required to sign off on the certificate of electrical safety. The starting price for an 8 kVA generator, fully installed is $10,950. Installation lead time is typically within three weeks from the time a customer agrees to proceed with an installation. Jürgen said most households would be able to run off that size but t2zero will analyse the household electricity consumption history to ensure the correct size generator is installed. Larger generators come in 10 kVA and 13 kVA for single phase power and 20 kVA for three-phase power. “It’s one of the best investments we have made. We finally had enough of grid outages to the point where we decided to install our own standby generator and can now offer this solution to others.” t2zero is looking to expand their network of electricians and local plumbers who are interested in coming on this journey.
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COVID-19 Vaccination Update
Customised Mouth Guards
COVID-19 third dose Over 70% of residents aged 18 years and over across the Hepburn Shire have had their third dose. Thank you for rolling up your sleeves and getting the jab done! Remember, a third dose will keep up your immunity against COVID-19. People aged over 16, who received their second dose three or more months ago, are now due for their third dose. You need your third dose to keep up your immunity against COVID-19. If you are aged 16 to 17 years, you are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine as your third dose. If you are aged 18 years and over, you are eligible to receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine as your third dose. You can get a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine as your third dose, regardless of which COVID-19 vaccine you received for your initial doses. If you are aged 18 years and over, you are also eligible to receive the Novavax vaccine as your third dose, if no other vaccine is suitable. The AstraZeneca vaccine is only recommended for use as a third dose if you have had a significant adverse reaction to a previous mRNA vaccine dose (for example, Pfizer or Moderna), meaning you are unable to have another dose of an mRNA vaccine. 5-11 year old vaccinations Over 50% of Hepburn Shire's population of 5-11 year olds have been vaccinated with their first dose. For those children still waiting for their first dose, or coming up to their second dose, the Kyneton Vaccination Clinic offer a child-friendly experience. Check out our Facebook pages for current clinic hours @CHRHorgAU or @KynetonHealth For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, please visit: www.chrh.org.au/covid-19-vaccines/
Central Highlands Rural Health, in partnership with Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV), are providing young people who participate in a contact sport the opportunity to invest in a customised mouthguard as a preventative health strategy for 2022. The customised mouthguards, manufactured by a qualified Dental Prosthetist, are available in club colours and will be ready for collection approximately two weeks after the impressions have been taken. Eligibility and costs are as follows: 12 and under - must have a minimum of four adult teeth - FREE 13-17 years - a holder or dependent of a current Concession Card (Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card) - FREE 18 and over - a holder of a current Concession Card (Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card) - $30 13 and over - IF NOT a dependent of a current Concession Card $150 *May be eligible for a rebate if privately insured. NOTE: All impressions will be taken in Ballarat. In the first instance, you are required to register with the Oral Health Department at CHRH on 5321 6580. Your voucher will then be sent to the Ballarat Denture Clinic. Secondly, you are required to phone the Ballarat Denture Clinic on 5331 6486 to arrange an appointment time for your impression in Ballarat. The BDC is located at 18 Raglan Street North, Ballarat. Thirdly, you will be able to pick up your mouthguard from CHRH Community Health and Wellbeing Centre within 7-14 days after your impression.
Source: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccine on 10 March 2022
COVID-19 vaccination data: 5-11 year olds 10/03/22
Clunes I Creswick I Daylesford I Kyneton I Trentham 5321 6500 www.chrh.org.au www.facebook.com/CHRHorgAU
Community News MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR
What a terrible couple of weeks it has been for the world with the threat of a nuclear disaster in Europe and the unfolding humanitarian crisis and innocent civilian lives lost in Ukraine as a result of Putin’s war. And in Australia we have seen incredible floods devastate the lives of thousands of people in Queensland and New South Wales. This is on top of our own local storm event in January that saw over 150 homes in Creswick and surrounding areas severely impacted and many local businesses including the farming sector experiencing heavy losses as a result. It is a reminder to us of just how vulnerable we are to the external shocks to our systems and ways of life, but also, how dependent we are as a society on governments and associated agencies making good and just decisions in our best interests to help protect us from these shocks and to promote more sustainable and harmonious ways to develop our communities. On Sunday 6th of March, I was invited to speak at the Kingston & District Power Alliance meeting to give support to the growing community opposition to Western Victoria Transmission Network Project and terminal station. This project does not promote the values of sustainable development for our community, nor has the consultation process appeared genuine or inclusive of divergent views. While Council is highly supportive of renewable energy and the need for us to rapidly transition away from coal and other emissions-intensive fossil fuels, our clean energy future must be based on trust with community, and we are strongly opposed to the transmission lines being above ground along the route proposed and for the inclusion of a large terminal station. I also attended and spoke at the Heather Mutimer International Women’s Day Honour Roll event where there were two main themes for 2022. The first was #BreaktheBias which encourages people to imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. The second theme was ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’ which recognises a vital link between gender, social equity and climate change. I spoke about the need for men to be allies and stand in solidarity with women to break our own biases when it comes to abusive and discriminatory behaviours and to call out toxic masculinity when we see and hear it. Congratulations to local Bullarto School Principal, Joanne Pegg, for being named the inductee to the Honour Roll this year. She is a most worthy addition. By the time this edition is out, the fabulous ChillOut Festival will have come and gone, but we have many more festivals and events to look forward to in the near future. In April make sure you get along to CresFest – Folk and Roots Music Festival and Clunes Booktown Festival. Cr Tim Drylie MAYOR
COUNCIL PLAN FOCUS AREAS
CONGRATULATIONS TO JOANNE PEGG
On International Women's Day - Tuesday 8 March - Council announced Joanne Pegg as the 2022 inductee of the Heather Mutimer Honour Roll. This recognition was for Jo's tireless work toward social inclusion and inclusive learning in the Shire. She has changed the lives of many people, particularly in her role as Principal of Bullarto Primary School with her support for students who are on the fringes of mainstream learning. Jo has empowered parents of children with additional needs to have a voice, to be proud, and to advocate for their child. The Heather Mutimer Honour Roll was established in 2005 to pay tribute to the women in the Shire whose contribution, courage and example have led to significant social change for women.
PLANNING PORTAL
Did you know that you can get up to date information on planning applications/status and applications currently advertising on our webpage through the following link http://ow.ly/TvYr50Ievzl. This is a new system developed to help make planning easier for the community. We are currently experiencing an all-time high of planning, building and septic applications, general enquiries and information requests. As a result we acknowledge that our responsiveness to enquiries isn’t as efficient as it has previously been, but please know we are working hard to turn this around. There is a state-wide shortage of planners, which is also impacting regional councils. It is likely that over the next few months there will continue to be some delays as we work to boost resources in the team and get through the bulk of applications which continue to come in. If you are seeking up to date information on applications please refer to our webpage.
AQUATICS STRATEGY
Don’t forget to have your say on our draft Aquatics Strategy by Friday 18 March. The draft strategy is informed by ideas from more than 1,000 residents who shared their feedback last year. It has recommendations and actions, including facility upgrades and ways to get more people using our pools and splash park. The draft strategy also supports the identified need for access to a year-round facility. Take a look and let us know what you think at https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/aquatics-strategy
CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Council is proud of the diversity in our Shire and we are thrilled to be a partner of the ChillOut Festival. Our LGBTIQA+ community and friends have been joining together over the weekend to celebrate Queer Country Pride for ChillOut’s 25th anniversary. The iconic festival brings colour and fun to our Shire and is a tremendous boost for tourism. It is a reflection of Hepburn Shire’s leading role as one of the most inclusive communities in Australia.
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. 5348 2306 shire@hepburn.vic.gov.au www.hepburn.vic.gov.au www.facebook.com/hepburncouncil
Let’s support our community and shop local! “Locals supporting Locals”
Restaurants, Bakers, Butchers, Cafe’s, Local vineyards, Distillers, Brewers and of course each other.
Remember we offer free delivery, T&Cs apply. Delivery times are Monday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm. We accept credit cards over the phone or we have an on-board eftpos machine. You will need to be at home for the delivery with proof of age if asked by the driver. Give the Foxxy team a call on 5348 3577. Keep safe, everyone.
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DAYLESFORD AND DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY FIRST MEETING OF THE SHOW COMMITTEE FOR 2022 DAYLESFORD SENIOR CITIZENS ROOMS AT 7.30PM WEDNESDAY MARCH 16TH NEW IDEAS, NEW HELPERS, NEW PEOPLE, ALL WELCOME NO MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS MEETING BE IN THE NEW SHOW FROM THE START.
Gig Guide
with Darren Lowe
The Palais-Hepburn, Hepburn The Smith Street Band - Friday, March 18 Miss Friby Presents Absolute Riot - Saturday, March 19, 6.30pm A Night in Colombia with Amaru Tribe & special guest - Saturday, March 26, 6.30pm SupperClub Friday presents Jeff Duff's Spinning Wheel - Friday, April 1, 6pm Beautiful Dark - The Music of Twin Peaks - Saturday, April 2, 6.30pm Renee Geyer - Friday, April 8, 6.30pm Mike Elrington - Saturday, April 9, 6.30pm Ousmane Sonko & Kairo Family Band - Friday, April 15, 6.30 pm
Got a gig? Email news@tlnews.com.au
18 News
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Recipes
with Jen Clarke
Blackberry Jam The blackberries have been prolific this year, but quite small, which means it takes longer to pick enough for jam. It’s a pretty awful job…put on some music or a podcast and try not to get too scratched by the thorns. With berry jams I usually use a sugar thermometer to test for the setting point, works every time. For every kilogram of blackberries use the juice of one lemon and 1kg of sugar. I know it’s a lot of sugar, it’s jam: don’t overthink it. Wash the berries and drain through a colander or sieve. Pick out any stalks. Put the berries and lemon juice into a large pan and cook gently until the berries are soft but there are some that still hold their shape. Give them a squash with a potato masher but don’t make it too runny. Add sugar and give it a good stir to dissolve it, at least five minutes or it might crystallise. Increase the heat and boil until it reaches 100C, skimming as you go. This can take anything from 10–30 minutes, depending on the pectin in the fruit. Start testing after 10 or 15 minutes. To test if you haven’t got a thermometer: Put a saucer in the freezer. When you think the jam is ready, put a spoonful on the plate and return to the freezer for a few minutes to cool. Run your finger through the jam and if it wrinkles it’s done. Remove jam from the heat, skim again and let it cool slightly. Stir well and pour into sterilised jars and seal. Keep in a cool dark place and admire your culinary brilliance before eating it on a piece of toast.
Community Information Session Grampians disAbility Advocacy invites you to a community information session about the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. The Disability Royal Commission is taking submissions up until December 31, 2022. Speakers from advocacy, legal services, counselling and the Royal Commission will be there. Sessions will be held at: Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre on Tuesday, May 24, 2pm-4pm and; Bacchus Marsh Public Hall on Thursday, May 26, 2pm-4pm. This is a free session with afternoon tea provided and door prizes. Please register by phoning 1800 552 272 or via email admin@grampiansadvocacy.org.au Please advise of any dietary or access requirements.
Just briefly
Sporting clubs and physical activity-based community groups across the Macedon Ranges are being given the opportunity to be active allies for diversity and inclusion, and create clubs that are welcoming and safe for everyone.
Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health’s Country LGBTI Inclusion Program (CLIP) is teaming up with sport inclusion campaigners Proud2Play to help clubs encourage LGBTIQA+ people to get more active. The training will provide organisations with the knowledge and skills to host ‘come and try’ sessions aimed at the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community with the goal of removing barriers and creating a more welcoming inclusive environment that meets the needs of everyone. A come and try session will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2.30pm to 4pm at 1 Caroline Chisholm Drive, Kyneton. Bookings: belinda.brain@scchc.org.au
Victorian women who had their children taken from them under heartbreaking historic forced adoption practices will receive redress, counselling and formal apologies from the Victorian Government.
The state government is investing more than $4 million in response to last year’s Parliamentary Inquiry into Historical Forced Adoption in Victoria, including a plan to design and establish Australia’s first redress scheme for people affected by forced adoption. The funding will immediately provide crisis counselling, as well as the option of integrated birth certificates which include the names of both the adopted person's natural parents and their adoptive parents. A $500,000 hardship fund will be established to provide discretionary payments to mothers affected by forced adoption with exceptional circumstances, including those who are terminally ill. A further $200,000 in funding will assist community groups to support applicants. In 1984, Victoria was the first Australian jurisdiction to legislate for openness and properly informed consent in adoption – and continues to lead the way in making amends for these unacceptable historical policies and practices. In 2012, the Victorian Government issued a formal apology to those harmed by past adoption practices and pledged to provide practical assistance to them.
Make Time For Your Health
SUE’S PLACE
Now is the time to see your GP
Dr. Susanne M. Heringslake Chiropractor Moments To Ponder a little gift from me to you
The event is over, the experiences completed. Was it what we wanted? Was it less? Was it more? When we pause and reflect, can we truly celebrate what we gained, what we learned? Did we create - and live
‘Our time to shine’
?
For all enquiries and to book appointments, please contact: Dr Susanne M Heringslake Chiropractor Mobile: 0407 301 352
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FAREWELL & THANK YOU
Dr Fortunato Mazzei
Management and Staff at Springs Medical would like to thank and farewell Dr Fortunato Mazzei. Fortunato’s last day will be March 24. We wish Fortunato the very best and hope to see him return to Springs Medical in the near future. BOOK ONLINE WITH
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20 Homes
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Bells Water Gardens @ Bald Hills
Bells Water Gardens has been in the water garden business for over 25 years, building and maintaining ponds and growing a diverse range of aquatic plants for the nursery trade and public. We are passionate about building natural eco-system ponds, adding beauty and encouraging wildlife, allowing interaction with nature. Water gardens built by us are quiet, contemplative places to rest and energise the senses. Contact us for all your water garden requirements or come and see our nursery at 846 Gillies Rd, Bald Hills.
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Homes 21 Do you keep gardens neat? Advertise here.
Plant movement in your garden Even if you look at your plants every day you more than likely feel that there is almost no movement in them - save the rustling of leaves in the wind. You realise, of course, that there is a slow upward and outward growth in place, but except in a few Jack and the beanstalk plants, especially vines, and because our climate is hardly tropical, without the aid of a stop motion camera to speed things up, it is all too slow to even be considered as movement at all. Some plants have a regular cycle for opening and closing their blooms, unlike most flowers which stay open from the time they leave the bud stage until they fade and begin their seed ripening process. The beautiful, highly-scented flowers of the night-blooming cereus peruvianus, also known as Peruvian apple cactus, last for only one night and never re-open. Another one day wonder is the vesper iris (iris dichotoma) which opens midafternoon and lasts only for that day, never to re-open its pretty little lavender flowers until next season. All of which ensures they are never likely to run rampant and rule the earth. The four o’clocks are the mirabilis jalapa, which take their name from the fact that they open around four o'clock in the afternoon until sometime in the morning, when they close again to re-open again the next day. Many other flowering plants actually open by day and close by night. It’s really among the insect-trapping plants that we actually see definite and fairly fast movement. The best known example of this is the Venus fly trap (dionacea muscipula), a perennial herb found only in the Carolina swamps. At the base of each 30cm long flower stem is a rosette of hairy leaves consisting of two parts with a hinge between them. The leaf closes within a second to enfold and trap any insect that lands on them, until it dies and its body juices are absorbed. There are many other physically trapping carnivorous plants growing world wide and others that rely on sticky solutions, or as in the case of the pitcher plantnepenthes (pictured) and sarracenia, entrap their prey in pitfall traps featuring a deep, inescapable cavity filled with an attractive digestive liquid nectar. These plants attract and drown their prey with that nectar. Twining vines present an amazing, albeit rather slow movement in as much as certain genera twine from right to left, whilst other such as the polygonum species and the pseudo-fern asparagus plumosus, proceed from left to right. Among the many right to lefters are the morning glory and scarlet runner beans. This spiral twisting of the plant stem is called nutation. No matter what you may do to attempt to reverse this natural direction of twining, the plant will continue to twist its support only in its predetermined direction. Helianthus, the sunflower, when in bud and with its supple stems, will turn to follow the sun across the heavens The king of all plants for rapid movement is mimosa pudica - the sensitive plant - which to the amazement of children, responds to the lightest tap on their leaves by folding together. A heavier tap causes the stem to droop down. They resume their normal positions after a few minutes. The leaves, along with other sensitive plants, including peas, beans and several other groups, react to less intense light before closing their leaves in early evening to reopen in the bright morning sunlight. This is called sleep movement, but really has nothing to do with actual sleeping.
Got a gardening question: Email glenzgarden@gmail.com
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22 Opinion
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Kyle’s Rant
W
heel of Fortune, Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide, foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz, hypodermics on the shore, China's under martial law, rock and roller, cola wars, I can't take it anymore.
These are the lyrics from Billy Joel's 1989 song We didn’t start the fire, and the sentiment seems to be paralleled these days with so much frightening news oozing out of mainstream media into the relative safety of our loungerooms. The news directors must have a smile ear to ear as they currently don’t have to manufacture news from citizen journalists' iPhones. They simply have to focus on the news and magnify it, shoving it down our throats until we choke with fear. I watched over the last few weeks as the focus changed in quick pace from Ukraine to the Queensland floods then northern New South Wales, and over to Thailand for a half hour special at the front of the news on Shane Warne’s life and passing. As I write this the focus is on the surf in Sydney and not the saltwater stuff. And the mosquito Japanese encephalitis virus has just raised its head. And next week who knows, maybe Chernobyl because the operators of the stricken nuclear power plant have been abducted and who is keeping the plant cool and stopping it from exploding? My giddy aunt. What happened to the pandemic? I almost miss those spiky red blobs bouncing around the TV screen. I recall the anchor man throwing to his eight field correspondents giving us the bad oil on how buggered we all were, but at least we were all safe and locked down. Can’t we call time-out on bad news and just read hyper-local good news yarns such as the ones in this magazine? The hyper-focused news that is coming in from our main-stream media is bad and we need to help people in the flood zones as well as overseas, I grant you. But my problem is the way it gets delivered to the viewers for maximum impact. I saw a small hardworking family getting interviewed on TV about their driveway, which had been washed away. The crew trotted the family of six out in front of the camera and every drone angle and family member was asked questions by the different stations on how they felt. I guess the story was easy to get to - it was just a hole in the driveway (bloody huge I grant you) but meanwhile those poor buggers in Lismore have had to swim off their roofs and are now facing huge mental trauma, insurance company stoushes and clean-up and they rate two minutes of airtime down the back of the news program. The same goes for the poor bushfire survivors of January 2020. No-one much has given them a thought as we have had two years of pandemic news whipped up every day and served to us at the diner table with a side serving of directionless government management. News cycle rant over.
Hey there, Got something to share? Sports results, gigs, events... Upload to www.tlnews.com.au Let's celebrate community being back together!
Local Lines The Tractors Rolled On
The tractors rolled on into old Melbourne town. An air of discontent with a real country frown. They gathered out west in the cool early morn. They’ll speak their piece and show their scorn. Valuable farmland is the point in debate. Proposed new powerlines has got this mob irate. Livelihood and lifestyle, has come under threat. This weakest of plans if built we’ll regret. The government and AusNet trying to bully their way through. These farmers will fight until they get a review. There is an alternative would have minimal affect. Which a true cost analysis would also reflect. The initial build cost not the only justification. There’s a flow-on effect that bears consideration. Long term maintenance potential fires as well. If put into the picture the numbers will swell. Not looking to the long term for fear he’ll look dour. Dan will do anything to keep hold of his power. So rally around get the numbers to swell. Let this government know there’s a story to tell.
Local Lines comes mainly from a group of local poets but other submissions are always welcome. To have a poem considered for publication contact Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com
Don’t let this day to just have come and gone. Make it really count for when the tractors rolled on. - Gary Wilkinson Gary is enjoying retirement, being a “Pop”, keeps busy with their small Angus stud, spending time pondering the wonders of nature, reading and writing more often and wonders how he ever had time for work.
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Just sayin’... By Donna Kelly
I
WASN'T going to write this, because it's all a bit too close, but Mum loved being in this column, even when she jokingly told me she was going to sue for some mostly imagined slander, so here goes.
Last Sunday, March 6, 22 months on, we finally managed to hold a memorial day for Mum. And it was perfect. She had always told us, for years, she wanted her funeral to be "big and sad". "None of those jokey ones, Donna, I want everyone crying." Of course, Covid had not made the same promise as Kyle and I, and the funeral was sad but not big. Just 20 people and no gathering afterwards. (Mind you, we did stream it across Australia and the world and I know it was watched in America, Japan and England. Mum would have been impressed by that...) So we planned on that day to hold a memorial, almost a year later on June 21, Mum's birthday. Again Covid raised its ugly head and changed that with a lockdown. And so we decided by October last year all would be fine. I mean, how long could Covid last against a country with a vaccine. But it's a feisty little bugger. So the last ditch attempt was March 6 this year. If that didn't work, I was giving up. I can be determined but also realistic. And you know when you telephone an older person, perhaps late 80s or early 90s, and they ask "Betty who, dear?" and you have to say "You know, Betty Kelly, one of your best friends", that time is running out. Anyway, the invites went out, with the request that everyone who attended was triple vaxxed and did a rapid antigen test on the day. And as the day drew closer Kyle and I stopped going anywhere or seeing anyone, pretty much our norm now, in case we caught the dreaded Omicron. We also watched the weather with dismay. Mum had tasked Kyle with scattering her ashes many years ago, off Olivers Hill in Frankston. "Not from the shore, Kyle, from a boat, don't be lazy." So we booked a hire boat but a couple of days out from the event they texted to say the weather was too rough and it was a no go. FFS.
Opinion 23
But to the rescue came the Frankston Yacht Club. We were holding the event there and got in touch to see if they could find a volunteer to drive a boat out for us. Yes, they said, we can do that. Sunday finally arrived and Kyle and I, my brother Rick and his wife Dawn, and our nephew Ryan, met at the boat ramp off Olivers Hill. As promised the boat was waiting and off we went to a spot just off the viewing area on the hill. If you know Frankston, you know where I mean. Mum was a potter, of some renown which I can say now she is not here listening, ready to protest, and we had her ashes in a pot she had made with a very good lid. Making good lids that fit, that's the hard part of pottery. And Alicia from Verey's Funerals had very kindly transferred the ashes and put a light run of silicone around the lid to make sure there were no accidents. "Just make sure you take a knife with you to give it a bit of a slice through on the day," she said. So there was Kyle, on his knees on the floor of the boat, sawing away at the lid, to no avail. "How much bloody silicone did she put on?" he asked. Even the young volunteer driver commented "She's a stubborn woman" in reply to Kyle's "She's not coming out!". Of course, it worked eventually and we did everything Mum asked, along with dropping her pot and lid to the bottom of the sea where I hope one day some snorkler will find it and give it a new life. Oh, for 10 minutes while we were out there, just reminiscing, the wind dropped, the rain stopped and it was perfect. Then it was off to the yacht club where about 50 people gathered to remember Mum. And it was lovely. We had a couple of speeches, looked at a great video and just chatted. For many of the older people it was the first time they had been out and about in two years and it made my heart swell to see them all, not just honouring Mum but enjoying an afternoon together looking out over the bay. We stayed the night at a mate's house and drove back on Monday, both feeling very light and happy. I guess it has been weighing heavily on our minds, my role to make it big, and Kyle's to "sprinkle" as he says, Mum from the water "not the land". I was talking later to someone who had done something similar, after Covid dealt its hand, and we decided sometimes it is nicer to have some space to grieve and recover and then hold a happy memorial day - yes, with tears, but also with laughter. I miss Mum every day but she is now where she wanted to be. Just sayin'... (If anyone feels they would like to see the video it's at https://youtu.be/fHNAWlJ6wyk she would kill me if she knew I was doing this!)
Your Say - Phoenix Humphrey
Y
The amenity liability and well-being of tens of ESTERDAY I put down my gardening tools and picked up my talking drum. Catching thousands of people will be destroyed. Bushfires will skyrocket. Overhead power lines were responsible for the the bus with close neighbours and fellow worst of the Black Saturday bushfires. community to the steps of Parliament House. Standing there with these good people, I was overwhelmed by the need to acknowledge the traditional elders and their traditional ancestors. “If I could speak for the spirit of the land and country what message could I relay from my heart to the hearts of all people?” With the images of people crying out to be rescued from rooftops everywhere as the waters rise up to claim their homes, their lives hanging on by a thread, there is an overwhelming feeling of loss being shared by so many at this time. We have shared in this loss during fires that have also taken lives, homes, animals and our cherished wildlife. Again and again, natural disasters are occurring, the loss is so overwhelming and being shared by so many. All these natural disasters are telling us that we must come into balance with nature, we must make sustainable and green decisions for our future. We must all participate to stop global warming or else there will be no future for any of us. All these natural disasters are happening while AusNet, a million dollar corporation is threatening to carve a path through the region that boasts Victoria’s treasured national parks - Brisbane Ranges National Park, Creswick Regional Park and the Lerderderg State Park. These 80m high voltage electrical towers will impact on our environment, destroying native habitat. Some of our vital agricultural land - Australia's food bowl – will be lost forever.
These towers are unsafe, inefficient and will destroy our precious landscape. We, the people, want sustainable green energy that does not play Russian roulette with our lives anymore. Our future lies in the hands of us all. To speak up and demand green sustainable choices, not to be dictated to, that is communism at its worst. So please join us to fight. Visit www.stopausnetstowers.com.au or send a written letter to Lucy Alesia Horodny, our Greens politician and environmentalist. As I look out my window now, one of my lovely trees has been broken on this extremely windy day reminding me how real and true this all is. Lastly I would like to thank the Stop Ausnet community, that is rapidly growing, for showing me through their hard work how to bring this message to us all. The flowers, food, trees, art, written placards and the cheering displays of horses and tractors on the day showed me that at this time our hearts and minds are opening and we have come together to make real change. A powerful realisation to be had on International Women's Day. Do you have a first person piece you would like to
- Phoenix Humphrey, Allendale
see in print? Perhaps, like Phoenix, you want to raise an issue? Email donna@tlnews.com.au All submissions are open to editing - and a high resolution image is a great addition.
24 Crossword
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The Last Word - Fire on the mountain
H
ere’s a world-class whinge: many Central Highlands residents know what it’s like to evacuate their houses because of an oncoming bushfire, but, you know, it sure is a hassle having to unpack all your stuff when the authorities sound the all-clear and you’re allowed to return home.
On a recent Friday morning we looked out our living-room window and saw a plume of smoke billowing into the azure north-west sky, where no smoke had any business being. It’s supposed to be our rainy season here, except we haven’t had enough rain this year to moisten the flap on an envelope, so everything is crispy dry, and our area is densely covered in pines, oaks and hard, woody brush. It’s one thing to receive a warning on an app or public service announcement but quite another when in five minutes you can walk up your road and see a bushfire just starting to flex its muscles no more than a few kilometres from your house. So there I was, just another 21st-century idiot with my phone out, trying to find the best position from which to photograph this nascent disaster in the making, when the first bulldozer crew arrived, followed not long after by air support. Hmm, I thought, standing here might not be the best idea I’ve had today. In Wheatsheaf Carol and I were firm adherents of CFA bushfire advice. We recognised the many hard questions posed by the fight or flee discussion. Three times in our years in the Wombat Forest, when fire threatened, we grabbed our bags and left our home. The worst, as it would have been for so many people in our region, was the February 2009 fire. We’d done our homework, had prepared a good defensible space around the house, and had the necessary tools - including a dam full of water and plenty of fuel for the pump - at the ready. But fight or flee? Tough choice. We loaded our cars and decided that Carol would take the pets into Kyneton and secure a room in the motel in Piper Street, while I stayed behind and watched for ember attack. As night came, I decided I’d done all I could and so joined the gang in Kyneton. The next day we were relieved to return to Wheatsheaf and find our house untouched by fire. That homecoming is my favourite memory of that day. Next best is from the morning when I emerged from my room in Kyneton. The motel was chockers, of course, and despite the urgency of the situation, the innkeepers had stuck to their policy of no pets in the rooms, which meant Gizmo, Scout and Jackson spent the night in Carol’s car. When daybreak came I was up and preparing to head for home. As I stepped on to the motel verandah, a Telstra contractor was outside having a smoke. Looking across the crowded carpark, in which it appeared that almost every car had at least one furry friend waiting in varying degrees of patience, he asked: “Is there a dog show in town?” Back in California, our Wheatsheaf experiences served us well as we calmly packed up our vehicles. The smoke became thicker, darker, and firefighters and heavy equipment rumbled up our road to the fire ground. Spotter planes and helicopters buzzed overhead. A line of sheriffs in their cars raced up the road; one pulled into our driveway and an officer came to the front door, advising us that it was time to leave. We took a last look around, hopped into our cars, and left. Our dog Scout is 18 now and these evacuations don’t impress her. Along with her Aussie adventures, in 2018 we fled the Carr Fire and were away from home for more than a week. She didn’t bother to wake up for this one. We headed to my parents’ house, nearby but well out of the danger zone. We spent the day monitoring fire news, later on I went out for Chinese takeaway, and around 7.30 that night we received word that the blaze had been knocked down - not contained but definitely controlled - and residents were being allowed to return home. All up, the fire burned about 36 hectares, and no homes were lost. Despite the long dry spell and a forecast of strong winds, CalFire, the state agency that puts out bushfires in California, and which most certainly had prevented a disaster here, had set a “controlled burn” which, oops, wasn’t quite so controlled. Investigations are forthcoming. Slightly odd postscript: the nearest landmark to the blaze was Flanagan Road, named for a pioneering family from the area, so it was given the name Flanagan Fire. Margaret Flanagan was my grandfather’s second wife. My grandfather built the house in which we live, and Margaret lived here with him for many years.
After many happy years living in Victoria and working at The Age, former Wheatsheaf resident Jeff Glorfeld went back to California, the land of his birth, where in the past four years he has survived bushfires, snowstorms and drought. And Trump. And Covid. The cicadas and locusts didn’t arrive. Well, not yet.
"So there I was, just another 21stcentury idiot with my phone out, trying to find the best position from which to photograph this nascent disaster in the making, when the first bulldozer crew arrived, followed not long after by air support. Hmm, I thought, standing here might not be the best idea I’ve had today."