The Local May 8, 2023

The Local - The Heart of the Highlands

Front cover: Beth Whiting is heading to Hungary next month for the World Kettlebell Sport Federation championships. Read her inspiring story by Donna Kelly on page 7.

Image: Kyle Barnes

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

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

The next edition is out on Monday, May 22, 2023. or online on Sunday, May 21 at www.tlnews.com.au

Space bookings: Wednesday, May 17

Copy deadline: Thursday, May 18

Editorial deadline: Thursday, May 18

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, Narelle Groenhout & Donna Kelly

Photographers: Kyle Barnes, Eve Lamb & Nadine Jade

Graphic designer: Dianne Caithness

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

Accounts | Julie Hanson Delivery | Tony Sawrey

Daylesford Victory Vapes owner slams new laws

The owner of Daylesford Victory Vapes says the federal government decision to crack down on the sale of vapes will put him and his wife out of the family business they’ve run for a decade.

Steve Douglas says the business he and his wife Stacy Kilpatrick have run for the past 10 years will have to put off staff and shut up shop as a result of the new rules expected to come into force later this year.

The federal decision will see vapes heavily regulated and the importation of all e-cigarettes will be strictly controlled under a federal government crackdown on the smoking alternative. Non-prescription vapes will be banned from importation, and the federal government will work with states and territories to close down the sale of vapes in retail settings.

The tax on tobacco will also increase 5 per cent each year for the next three years, as the government also seeks to curb cigarette smoking through higher costs.

Under new rules, vapes will only be sold in pharmacies and in "pharmaceuticallike" packaging, with certain flavours, colours and other ingredients banned, and the concentration and volume of nicotine reduced.

"These are supposed to be pharmaceutical products," Health Minister Mark Butler told the National Press Club last week.

"They have to present that way - no more bubblegum flavours, pink unicorns or vapes disguised as pens for kids to hide in pencil cases. Instead, we will have plain packaging with plain flavours." All single-use disposable vapes will also be banned.

However, the government will also make it easier for people to get a prescription for "legitimate" therapeutic use, such as using vapes to help quit smoking.

And all doctors will be able to prescribe nicotine vapes to smokers looking to quit, rather than smokers needing approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

While many have welcomed the move as helping to avoid creating a new generation of nicotine addicts who will go on to develop serious and costly health problems, Mr Douglas believes it will drive sales underground.

“The black market will continue to flourish, the same one that’s selling chop-chop here in town, while our market, the regulated market will be gone,” he said.

“We are age-restricted and we’ve never sold to a minor in the 10 years we’ve operated. We are going to be shut down with no recourse whatsoever. We also have stores in Ballarat and Cairns and this will mean 12 employees over our three shops are going to be out of a job.

“It’s going to wipe us out. It’s going to completely shut down our 10-year-family business. I’ve had locals in here in the last two days literally crying. The first one was a 70-year-old retired nurse who we got off cigarettes eight years ago. She doesn’t want to use tobacco.

Long wait but Nicole set to return to Statewide Drive

“People are panicking because they don’t want to go back to smoking cigarettes. This will mean many people will go back to cigarettes.”

Mr Douglas believes the crackdown is motivated by a concern to “balance the budget” and to “make up for a shortfall in excise tax on tobacco”.

“The federal government normally make $16 billion a year on tobacco taxes but this year they’ve only made $12 billion. This will balance the budget but at what cost,” he said.

Cancer Council CEO Tanya Buchanan has praised the government's move describing it as an "historic shift toward ending the vaping epidemic".

"Unlike smoking, we have a window of opportunity to take policy actions that prevent the growing use of e-cigarettes," Professor Buchanan said.

"With support from all levels of government, we can reverse the e-cigarette epidemic and prevent history repeating itself for a new generation of Australians."

Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Kyle Barnes

ABC Statewide Drive presenter Nicole Chvastek is on leave but will return in six weeks, ABC spokesperson John Woodward has told The Local. Mr Woodward said the ABC Ballarat studios were being refurbished so the show was now coming out of ABC’s Shepparton studios, hosted by Warwick Long.

"That arrangement will continue until the refurbishment work is complete, which is expected at the end of June."

On April 13, Mr Woodward told The Local the show had been temporarily replaced with Melbourne Drive "due to operational reasons outside our control" but it would return with Ms Chvastek.

Mr Long, who hosted the ABC's Victorian Country Hour, started in the Drive chair on Monday, May 1.

A change.org petition asking for the popular Malmsbury presenter's return has more than 500 signatures, and a Facebook page, Fight for Nicole, is also up and running.

The petition says: "Nicole has been on our air waves for many years bringing relevant issues and topics to the forefront of public discussion.

"She tackles these issues with a passionate and balanced approach and has become a trusted spokesperson for us all. She is irreplaceable.

"This axing is another example of regional Victoria not being adequately represented in the state arena."

Words: Donna Kelly Your Say...page 4

IDAHOBIT Day

Your say...

I have been listening to Nicole Chvastek's show Statewide Drive on the ABC radio for many years. I tune in most days to keep abreast on issues relevant in my life. I also enjoy the light-hearted, witty banter and music segments.

I've heard on many occasions politicians on both ends of the spectrum being challenged and held accountable when they are making decisions which affect us. She is an A-class journalist and has become a trusted spokesperson for us.

We are being told she will be back in a few weeks, I and many others hope this to be true. To tune in one day and not have her on our airwaves with no reason or explanation is disrespectful to listeners.

Kyneton will show its support for the LGBTIQA+ community next week as it raises the rainbow flag to mark International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on Wednesday, May 17.

Organised by Macedon Ranges Shire Council and Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health, the event is an important date in the calendar as Macedon Ranges residents, businesses and community groups join people all over the world to celebrate diversity and raise awareness of the ongoing discrimination faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex community.

There will be a free sausage sizzle and guest speakers including Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s CEO Bernie O’Sullivan and Mayor Annette Death.

“IDAHOBIT is one of council’s key annual recognition days,” said Cr Death. “I look forward to once again raising the rainbow flag this year, in a simple but clear statement of our support for our LGBTIQA+ community and this year’s theme of ‘Together always: united in diversity’.”

The flag raising event takes place at noon at the Kyneton Mechanics Institute, 81 Mollison Street, Kyneton.

Details: Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health on 5421 1666 or email healthpromotion@scchc.org.au

LGBTIQA+ events

The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex queer and asexual (LGBTIQA+) communities across Central Victoria are being highlighted through a swag of events supported by the state government.

Minister for Equality Harriet Shing says the activities in Castlemaine, including an art exhibition, an evening with a legendary entertainer and a podcast launch, were an opportunity to learn more about Victoria’s LGBTIQA+ communities.

An exhibition at the Castlemaine Art Museum (CAM), David Rosetzky: Air to Atmosphere, explores the diversity, resilience, and pride of LGBTIQA+ communities in Central Victoria.

Commissioned by CAM, artist David Rosetzky has collaborated with members of LGBTIQA+ communities on Dja Dja Wurrung Country to bring together a major body of work, which features photography, filmmaking, performance, publishing, music, song and choreography.

The government has contributed $6750 through its Pride Events and Festivals Fund towards the event, which opened in late March and will run until September.

A grant of $6930 was also provided through the Pride Events and Festivals Fund to Vintage Drag in Mint Condition – An Evening with Stan Munro on April 29.

There was also a launch of the second series of the Pride Across the Ages Podcast created by the team from community radio station MainFM’s Queer and Now program.

Ms Shing said the government was proud to support events that tell the stories of LGBTIQA+ people across Victoria. "Events like this matter to visibility, dignity, pride and safety and they tackle the stigma and vilification so often experienced by LGBTIQA+ people."

LGBTIQA+ Communities commissioner Todd Fernando said regional pride events were "fantastic opportunities for LGBTIQA+ people across the state to express joy in who they are, come together with their partners, families and friends as supportive communities and for allies to continue learning and showing their support".

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Contributed

There are many others who share my view, you just have to read the comments listeners are writing on the change.org petition. We just want her back, in her seat, on her show, doing what she does best.

Nicole is one of the best presenters in the country and doesn't deserve to be the victim of in-house, conservative, political posturing at the ABC.

I miss hearing Nicole on my radio every afternoon. Nicole lives in regional Victoria and she knows the issues which are important to us. She is such a compassionate person who is able to discuss very emotional and emotive issues so respectfully and with a focused and balanced approach.

I miss her sense of humour and banter with guests, people who call in and her colleagues. Please bring her back.

Upon my arrival in Australia, I couldn't wait to explore the country and all it had to offer.

One of the first things I noticed was the stringent biosecurity measures, which were in place to protect the country's unique flora and fauna. Despite the late hour, the city was alive with activity, and I couldn't help but feel excited about all the adventures that lay ahead.

One of my fondest memories of my time in Australia was visiting a local pub a few times with my Uncle Kyle and Aunty Donna.

The ribs at the pub were simply delicious and had a unique smoky flavour that I still remember to this day. I would die just to have those mouth-watering ribs again.

As I explored the nearby quaint town of Daylesford, I was pleasantly surprised to find a vast selection of brands at the supermarket at significantly lower prices than what I was used to back home. It was a shopper's paradise and I couldn't resist buying a few souvenirs to take back with me.

The wildlife in Glenlyon was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The chorus of bird songs in my new home was markedly different and louder than those I was accustomed to.

I was fascinated by the kangaroos and wombats that roamed freely in the area. I was lucky enough to ride on the back of a ute one day and get up close and personal with a mob of kangaroos. It was an experience I will never forget.

Autumn in Glenlyon was a sight to behold. The stunning beauty of the changing leaves captivated me, and I relished the opportunity to capture its essence through my photography. The landscape was simply breathtaking, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for the chance to witness it firsthand.

All in all, Glenlyon proved to be a picturesque place that photography enthusiasts would surely adore. From its unique wildlife to its stunning landscapes, it was a place that left a lasting impression on me.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a one-of-a-kind travel experience. There is so much I could talk about like the delicious automated Japanese restaurant in Ballarat, the different football rules, my first Anzac Dawn Service experience, making meals, the Bullarto/Trentham Tractor Pull and much more, but overall this place is amazing.

- Hunter, 12, Southland, New Zealand

(Ed's note: Hunter is our great-nephew and came to stay from New Zealand for a week during the school holidays. We asked him to write a little piece about his experience. Nicely done.)

Writing the Rainbow

Letters and musings are always welcome. Keep them to the point. Email news@tlnews.com.au Any addressed Dear Sir will be deleted. :)

Daylesford Foundation lends helping hand

BACKED by a scholarship from the Daylesford Foundation, Hepburn resident 19-year-old Lucinda Lowe had the stress removed from her travel equation as she tackled a double diploma course last year.

Lucinda had to travel multiple times during the week to complete her Diploma of Sport/Diploma of Leadership and Management through the Swinburne University of Technology and the Richmond Football Club.

“I won the Daylesford Foundation scholarship last year and it covered all my Myki transportation costs,” Lucinda said.

“They even offered me more but I didn’t need it. It was amazing. It just took such a load off my mind. It saved me about $40 to $50 each week which, for a uni student, is huge.

“Doing the course was a full-on transition from year 12,” said Lucinda who had completed her year 12 schooling at Daylesford Secondary College in 2021.

The keen local netballer and cricketer who plays for Hepburn not only completed her double diploma, she was one of only four students who took out the program’s excellence award as well.

“Doing the course has honestly been the best thing I ever could have done.”

Lucinda is also a keen swimmer, gym-goer and devoted Richmond Football Club supporter.

Now, having completed her studies in style, she’s tackling some casual employment opportunities while waiting to pounce when just the right position comes up.

“I definitely want to do something in sport and now I’m just taking my time to think about what direction to take next and earn a bit of money and explore my calling. Leadership is also something I’m passionate about.”

Lucinda was very grateful for the assistance she received from the Daylesford Foundation.

“The Daylesford Foundation scholarship was so helpful, to not have to stress about travel,” she said. “I would encourage others to take up the Daylesford Foundation’s offer of help.”

Foundation Youth Scholarships coordinator Jo van Son says the focus is very much on helping young people fulfil their potential and helping young locals succeed in pursuing further education.

“The idea of the scholarships is to support people to transition well from school to further study,” Jo said.

“Last year we provided five scholarships and this year we’re providing seven.”

Jo says the Foundation’s scholarships are individually tailored to assist local young people who have the desire to pursue studies.

“It might be with the cost of laptops or other study materials or with travel costs or mentoring and accessing other supports that are out there and available to them but which they otherwise may not know how to access,” she says.

“There is an application process and we meet with the young person. They need to have an offer (of further study) or the desire for further study.”

The Foundation’s scope of support is varied and may also include essential foods, household goods, household maintenance, emergency vehicle repairs, medical appliances and computer hardware and software.

Assistance to cover the cost of school fees, school camps, excursions, apprenticeships, and other education-related activities is also available.

Above right, Lucinda Lowe, above left, with proud parents Susan Verbyla and Darren Lowe at the awards ceremony

Words: Eve Lamb | Main image: Kyle Barnes

Book

Loving aged care role

Mahilpreet Singh moved to Australia from India in 2020 - just in time for Covid lockdowns.

The now 22-year-old lived in Craigieburn with his uncle and found work at Australia Post as a parcel sorter while studying to enter the health sector. He made the move to Ballarat to be closer to his university at Mt Helen - and hopefully some face-to-face classes.

By this time he was qualified to be a personal care worker and "accidentally" applied to Hepburn House, not realising it was a bit of a drive from Ballarat.

He got the job and now loves both his work and the drive from home and back. "That first day, when I applied, I was driving through Dean and Newlyn and when I passed those towns they actually reminded me of my farming village, Nanakpura, in India. So it's just a lovely scenic drive. And I love my work. I have now graduated as a nurse and am loving being in aged care."

Mahilpreet said Hepburn House took great care of its clients and staff and while he had another choice of working in the field of mental health, the decision had been made for him.

"I am absolutely loving it. It is a very nice facility and everyone is lovely. I used to help older people when I was living in India which is why I wanted to become a nurse. My first placement was in aged care and I just loved it from the start."

Mahilpreet said he moved at 19 from India for more opportunities, living with his uncle for some time which made the move a little easier, especially with Covid in the background.

And while he loves nursing he has plans to eventually continue his studies.

"But at the moment I am very happy where I am, loving Hepburn House and my drive, so I will just see how things go."

Hepburn House is a progressive aged care centre offering a highly advanced, fully personalised range of aged care services for its residents. Dedicated staff, like Mahilpreet, work to create a comfortable, friendly and diverse community. Residents are cared for while meeting individual lifestyle needs and managing practical issues for everyone.

For more information head to hepburnhouse.com.au or call 5348 8100.

World of Words

Beth heading to Hungary for world champs

DAYLESFORD'S Beth Whiting is heading to Hungary next month to take part in the World Kettlebell Sport Federation championships. Looking at the woman many people call “a pocket rocket”, there are plenty of toned muscles and a very healthy glow from a strict workout regime. But it wasn’t always that way. Eleven years ago, Beth was working with the Melbourne Festival and on tour for six months of every year. With no fridge or pantry stocked with healthy food, and always on the go, she found herself losing control of any food or fitness regime.

Beth used that moment to change her life around and rather than just find a diet, she did a personal training course and started to eat well and work out. Still with the Melbourne Festival, she took part in a boot camp at The Tan in Melbourne, worked out on the stage of the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and toned up. It was fun however Beth certainly never thought it would be the start of a career. But it was.

She moved to the Central Highlands to live with her now husband, Brett, and found work at a gym where she was also approached by a few people to see if she was interested in starting an early morning local boot camp. Victoria Park in Daylesford was the first location, starting on the oval, eventually moving into the table tennis pavilion and finally now running full-time fitness classes for all abilities and ages at Integrate Fitness, out of a purpose-designed space off East Street with “an incredible community all keen to be the best versions of themselves”.

It was during the building of her fitness business that kettlebells came along and life changed again. Beth had always loved them and had been looking for something for “just me”.

“As every mum knows you lose yourself a bit and working in the business meant I didn’t have time for my own workouts and my mental health needed that. I did a kettlebell coaching course in 2014 with my now coach Shannon Pigdon and then basically stalked him until he agreed to train me. He lives in Albury and I go up there every three months or so to do a session with him.

“In the first competition I ever saw, the competitors were lifting continuously for 30 minutes so I went home and wondered if I could do that, and I picked up a kettlebell and did it. It turns out I can do that – and more.

“Shannon sent me a program that involved three sessions a week, and I am all about being accountable, so since 2019 I have done those three sessions every week. And it was about finding me – I was a mum running a business – kettlebell is my meditation, my flow, my time. And I had found not only something I was good at, and enjoyed, I also found the strength it brought into my life.”

Beth says being good at kettlebells is all about a combination of mental and physical resilience and the ability to keep going, no matter how tough that going gets. In competition, once you start, you never, ever put a kettlebell down. The kettlebell itself is a hollow ball of iron with a handle made of iron, weighing from eight kilograms to 50kg. They are all the same size with the same handle, just the weight and colour vary.

Competitions include single and double lifts and range from 10 minutes to half marathons of 30 minutes and full marathons of 60 minutes. The competitor’s weight, the weight of the kettlebell and repetitions completed all come into the winning equation. Beth sometimes competes against people who weigh five kilos less than her, or 40kg more. And after competing at the Australian Nationals in September last year she was offered a place on the Australian team to compete in Hungary.

“I am excited and I can’t wait to experience being a part of the Australian Kettlebell team with 10 other incredible athletes. We have a wonderful community and this is a really good opportunity to be involved in that.”

Beth is the Girevoy Sport Australia treasurer and also among those working to have the organisation recognised nationally, to gain some much-needed funding, with a dream to one day have the sport in the Olympics.

Back home, she now trains five people in kettlebell at Integrate Fitness. “We have an incredible lifting community in Daylesford. I love watching our athletes achieve things they never dreamt possible. They inspire me every day. They are amazing people who all do incredible things.

“We had wanted to call ourselves The Daylesford Swingers, but the name was already taken - with a very different meaning,” she laughs.

“But I would love to get more of the community involved. We have two competitions being held at Integrate Fitness on May 20 and July 15. Athletes will be competing from Daylesford, Melbourne, Geelong and Albury. We'd love for people to come along to see what the sport is all about.

“It’s not for everyone, throwing a kettlebell around, some people find it a bit scary, but I love it and I love my kettlebells – they are affectionately known as my babies. And if you don’t want to watch a competition, we train most Saturday mornings from 8am – contact us to join a session.” Details: Beth at info@integratefitness.com.au

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Kyle Barnes

“We have an incredible lifting community in Daylesford. I love watching our athletes achieve things they never dreamt possible.”

Not so briefly...

Daylesford-based theatre company Lab Kelpie has received the 2023 Joan and Betty Rayner ACTF Commission, a $20,000 national award to support the creative development of a new play for primary school children.

Lab Kelpie will work with playwright and children’s author Katy Warner to develop Reasons To Be Invisible, an uplifting new play about friendship, courage and finding your voice – and having fun while doing it.

“Reasons is a beautiful play for kids – and kids at heart – and we are thrilled to be developing Lab Kelpie’s first children’s show with the support of the ACTF and Regional Arts Victoria,” artistic director Lyall Brooks said.

The award will see Lab Kelpie, who relocated to Daylesford in 2020 after a decade of operation in Melbourne, develop their first work regionally. The work will undergo a development week in May at Lyonville Hall before a free development showing for the community at Daylesford Town Hall on Saturday, May 13 from 2pm-4pm.

The project will feature regional performers and creatives including Mr Brooks from Hepburn Springs and designer Martelle Hunt from Trentham. RSVP: bit.ly/reasonsdevelopment

In the last edition of The Local (April 24, 2023), an article stated The 5000 Club was founded by Loretta Little. This is incorrect. The club was started by Monica Eaton, wife of The Reverend Andrew Eaton who was the vicar of the Anglican Parish of Daylesford at the time.

Monica named the club, referring to the feeding of the 5000 by Jesus, and it was started with members of the Parish congregation. Ms Little came on board at a later date. The club continued as a mission of, and subsidised by the parish, under reverends Eaton, Jeff O'Hare and Neil Fitzgerald. The logo was designed by Sandy Breen. Father Fitzgerald said the club decided, at a meeting in 2019, to go its own way and moved to its current location at Victoria Park soon afterwards. "As a gesture of goodwill, the Parish gifted the name 'The 5000 Club' to them in recognition of their work and released the funds in the bank account."

Father Fitzgerald also praised the club, along with Ms Little, volunteers and new president Sandy Breen, for its ongoing work in the community.

Family Dental

Just briefly...

To mask or not to mask - in healthcare settings.

Ochre Medical in Clunes and Creswick continues with its mask wearing policy which will be reassessed after winter. Meanwhile at John Curtin Aged Care in Creswick, mandatory mask wearing ended on April 26 but rapid antigen tests are continuing for visitors, workers and medical staff. At Springs Medical in Trentham, Daylesford and Kyneton, patients and staff have the choice to wear a mask. And for Central Highlands Rural Health, N95 masks are no longer required unless staff are working in high-risk areas. A surgical mask is the minimal PPE required to be worn by staff working in all clinical areas in acute, residential aged care services and community nursing. RAT requirements prior to entry continue in aged care.

Daylesford author Catherine de Saint Phalle moved to the region in 2019, just before lockdown, using the time to write another book.

Call Me Marlowe is published through Transit Lounge Press. It was released on May 1 with an official launch to take place at Brunswick Bound bookshop in Melbourne on May 18. Journalist Tony Sawrey spoke with Catherine and his story will run in the May 22 edition of The Local

Hepburn Shire Council wants to know how residents use their bins to identify options to make improvements to resource recovery and waste management in the shire.

Changes introduced by the state government means councils will need to reshape waste collection in coming years. The Circular Economy Act outlines the requirements for Victorian households to have access to separate streams for glass, food organics and garden organics (FOGO), mixed recyclables and household rubbish by 2030. Residents and ratepayers can fill out a survey at www.participate. hepburn.vic.gov.au/waste-survey until Friday, June 9.

The electorate of Macedon has the lowest number of applications, 8047, for the state government's Power Saving Bonus.

The program gives $250 to people who look for a better energy deal through the Victorian Energy Compare website. In addition, more than 17,000 households statewide have received the bonus through a community outreach partner including the Brotherhood of St Laurence, Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria, Good Shepherd, State Trustees and neighbourhood houses.

The Rex building in Daylesford is looking more colourful with paintings, including images of T-Rex dinosaurs, now on its facade in Vincent Street.

The building was bought earlier this year, from Hepburn Shire Council, by Eddy and Malinka Comelli and Yuge and David Bromley. The Local recently asked Mr Comelli if there was any progress happening inside but there was no official comment at this stage. A Local Government Inspectorate report into the 2016 purchase of the building by the council for a Hepburn Hub project is still be be released.

A pilot project to trial weekly kerbside collection of food organics and garden organics in Clunes has been operated by Hepburn Shire Council since 2021.

Mayor Cr Brian Hood said the trial had been a great success. "We’ve diverted 200 tonnes of organic material from landfill and residents have seen up to a 40 per cent reduction in waste in their general rubbish bin. We are extending the trial collection of FOGO in Clunes while the council considers the plan to roll out FOGO collection to townships as part of the kerbside collection shire-wide, which we are expecting to be within the next 12 months."

Central Highlands Rural Health is after new members for its Community Advisory Committee.

The role of CAC is to advise the board on effective consumer partnering and participation; advocate on behalf of the community and consumers on new initiatives to deal with current or emerging health issues; and to provide direction and leadership in relation to the integration of consumer, carer and community member views into all levels of CHRH service operations, planning, and policy development.

Community representatives who are passionate about local healthcare and live in the Macedon Ranges or Hepburn shires are welcome to apply. CAC meets four times a year. To apply to be a member of the CHRH Community Advisory Committee write a short application and send to Elise Hart via email at elise.hart@chrh.org.au

Artists of the Central Highlands

HEPBURN Springs artist

Lisa Gervasoni is renowned for her imposing abstract landscape works. As a child she was fascinated with geographical and street maps. Her passion for cartography persisted into adulthood informing her preoccupation with land and the many layers of value it holds. Today this abiding interest informs both her professional work as a strategic and town planner and the creation of her imposing art works, some of which are about to feature in her new exhibition, Reimagining our Cultural Landscapes, held from May 11 to June 25, at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.

Eve: What is your artistic style?

Lisa: Abstract landscape, predominantly aerial or aerial oblique viewpoint work with a Fauvist colour palette and using paint or thread. I’ve always enjoyed art and I have a sister who’s an art teacher and a mother who’s a master decouper. Traditionally I’ve worked more in thread and photography, but I went back to painting during lockdowns. I was inspired by Jackie Case and her book Flying Penguins to start painting again.

Eve: Who has influenced your work?

Lisa: Von Guerard. He painted so many places that are important to me. The Impressionists and the fauvists. Grace Cossington Smith, Sybil Craig, the Hermannsburg School, Fred Williams and Peter Tyndall.

Eve: What is your medium and subject matter of choice?

Lisa: A mix of acrylics on canvas or board, thread on linen. And landscapes. I’ve always had a close connection to Australian landscapes through family connections, as a student of geography and then as a heritage planner. People have strong connections to place. While places will change and evolve this change can cause discord within the community and break intergenerational connections to place. I saw this through my work and in our local community after the changes to Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve. People would be looking for the places they, or their parents, came to on their honeymoon or as children, and although these places still existed the place no longer held that connection through time. My exhibition is inspired by that idea. Some views remain. Others have completely changed but you can still see connections on close examination.

Eve: Do you work outside your arts practice?

Lisa: I work full-time outside the arts. I have qualifications in applied science (planning) and environmental studies and I’m into my fourth decade as a planner. As a child I loved the Melway. I knew all the maps so my family were not surprised when I became a planner. The cartographic symbolism in my work also stems from that way of seeing different elements or layers in a landscape. Over the last few years I’ve also seen the failure of many professions, including my own, to understand farming and farmland. Productive land is valued in the UN Sustainable Development Goals but too many people see it as vacant land where they can do anything without impact. That tension inspired one work in particular.

Eve: What are you working on at the moment in your current arts practice?

Lisa: I’m currently focused on getting everything ready for the exhibition in Backspace at the Art Gallery of Ballarat. I have several other works planned, both on canvas and in thread. One work that I didn’t complete for this exhibition I really want to start next. I invited a colleague to the exhibition and found out she has links to the subject. She was a stalwart through the months after Black Saturday and a champion for better understanding of social license and agricultural impacts.

Eve: When you work in the studio do you like to play music and if so what is your music of choice?

Lisa: I used to play and study music (piano, saxophone, voice, theory) so I have an eclectic taste in music - from Gregorian chant through to punk rock. Safer to say what I don’t listen to – Rod Stewart and Fleetwood Mac. I often have news radio or TV on as well.

Eve: What are your career highlights as an artist?

Lisa: I won the lovely Madi McCrystal’s Daylesford Small Art Prize many years ago (with an embroidery of the Savoia Hotel) and was a finalist in the Harden Art Prize last year. My photographs have been in several galleries as part of 40 works nationally selected by the ABC and one year one of my photographs was chosen as the managing director's corporate Christmas card. One highlight is curating an exhibition at Warrnambool Art Gallery that looked at local people who shaped the city, or wider, from builders to Nobel Laureates and a lot in between.

Eve: What are the challenges for artists today?

Lisa: Well, I have a full-time job that helps pay for the equipment, and I think that is common to most. Most art needs time. A work that might challenge you initially can end up becoming a favourite when you spend the time to engage with it. I’m lucky to have a trained art teacher as a sister. She has no fear in challenging me to evolve or resolve.

Eve: And the main rewards?

Lisa: Art is an expression. It is a great way to start to switch off the analytical brain, but at the same time you often resolve issues while the other side of your brain is switched on. I think that is quite important for me. It helps deal with work that can be quite stressful but also keeps open those neural pathways that are looking at the big picture, at the connections in the detail and how it all fits together.

Indoor plants in winter

Many gardeners who have started a collection of indoor plants - like the philodendron scandens, birds nest fern asplenium nidus and fiddle leaf ficus lyrata - pictured here - and done well with them through summer, could be disappointed when they suffer quite badly once the chills of winter are upon us.

Here’s why, and a few hints on how to avoid the worst of it.

Most of the plants we grow indoors originate from tropical and sub-tropical regions where winter temperatures are moderate and humidity relatively low.

Unfortunately this doesn’t apply to the greater part of Australia where temperatures are generally rather low and the atmosphere is damp to dripping wet.

Added to this, the plants have invariably come straight from the warmth of an often heated glasshouse, or in the case of the large chain stores, direct from NSW or Queensland in a van, and will need some help to acclimatise. But more on that another time.

It is under these conditions that indoor plants suffer most, usually from overwatering and lack of light.

During the summer months the moisture content of pot soil will drop within a few hours of watering, even in poorly drained soil, so the plant is unlikely to suffer from wet feet.

In winter however, water stays in the soil much longer, leaving the plant open to infection by root rot and other diseases brought about by micro-organisms. Symptoms of over-watering are a general yellowing of the plant and drooping, and the eventual dropping, of old leaves.

There is only one correct way to water plants during winter - or indeed throughout the year - and that is to give them a good soaking drink when, and only when, they are dry. Allow the water to soak right down through the soil and when the soil is completely dry, soak it again.

When potted plants are watered lightly and frequently it is almost impossible to assess their needs. Although the top soil is kept damp, the lower part where roots are, could be either always dry or always wet. Both conditions are equally deadly for plant life.

Other possible causes of leaf drop, especially at this time of year, are a sudden fall in room temperature or fumes from gas fires.

Wherever possible, always place your plants in the best lit position away from draughts.

Don’t feed them now, until the arrival of warmer weather because their need for sustenance decreases until the arrival of spring. Unused fertiliser will only build up in the soil and can cause root damage.

One of the few exceptions to this rule is the cyclamen, most of which would be commencing growth and will need feeding as their flower buds form. Avoid repotting until spring. They will take hold of the new soil much better when the new root growths are developing.

A good spot to place indoor plants which appear to be suffering in some way is in your bathroom. Here the steam from showers etc, raises the temperature and humidity to a degree closer to that encountered in their natural habitat.

Keep their foliage clean and dust free by washing them with rain water or placing them under the shower using the cold tap and a light pressure.

Keep a close watch for mealy bug or scale and treat them at the very first sign because a very severe infestation can build up rapidly when plants are growing in a warm, dry environment.

Got a gardening query? Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

DAYLESFORD WATER MAINS CLEANING

Water mains cleaning in the Daylesford water supply system is scheduled to commence on Thursday 18 May 2023 and will continue for approximately 3 weeks.

The program is carried out periodically and is an important routine maintenance program to ensure the drinking water we supply to customers continues to be of highest quality and safe to drink.

Our 2023 water mains cleaning program requires a temporary interruption to the water supply in your area.

To find out more, visit our website: chw.net.au/daylesford-water-mains-cleaning

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR Capital projects

It is pleasing to report that several capital projects have recently been completed and new community facilities have been officially opened. In Trentham the new sportsground pavilion was officially opened by Mary-Anne Thomas MP, providing great facilities for footballers, netballers and cricketers of all ages and genders, not to mention function rooms for the broader community. And the renovated pavilion at the Quarry Street Reserve has been completed.

In Creswick Martha Haylett MP opened the Hammon Park Trailhead in Creswick on 5 May. Hammon Park is the trailhead for the Creswick Trails, a 60-kilometre network of mountain bike trails destined to be the site of the 2026 Commonwealth Games mountain bike events. Hammon Park is a community-focused reserve with a cycling theme and includes cycling jumps, pump track, cyclocross elements, children’s play area, learn to ride bike track, BBQ area and space for a variety of events. The reserve was funded through a grant from Regional Development Victoria’s Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund, a generous contribution from the Creswick Community Bank and Council’s capital works funds.

In Glenlyon a magnificent new piece of public art, The Drop, was launched at Glenlyon Dam on 4 May. The Drop was created by Yu Fang Chi, a Taiwanese/Australian artist. The Drop observes and captures the impression of water as well as the surrounding natural elements reflected on its polished surfaces. It is made of polished stainless steel on a base of concrete with brass inlays, which incorporate language specific to the region. These inlay details include the local Dja Dja Wurrung word Wanyarram meaning water. The gold colour of the inlays is intended as a nod to the historical importance of gold in the region. The Drop has been positioned to enhance the wonderful natural environment at the dam.

In Clunes the Clunes Creek Walk outdoor fitness equipment space located on Scenic Drive has been completed and opened. This project was delivered in partnership with the Clunes Landcare and Waterways Group. Surveys

Council is currently running two very important surveys and we need your input.

The survey on waste will help shape potential changes to services and can be found here https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/waste-survey. The survey on agricultural land and rural settlement can be found here https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/future-hepburn

Council Budget 2023/24

Preparations for next financial year’s budget continue, as well as revision of the ten-year financial projections. The draft budget will be released for public consultation following Council’s May meeting and will be considered for adoption at the June meeting.

Planning

A reminder, a new process introduced last year provides objectors and applicants to planning applications an opportunity to address councillors at a briefing session, which is a more interactive format and less formal than Council meetings. The new process is working well and has led to some beneficial negotiated outcomes. Contact Council for details.

COUNCIL PLAN FOCUS AREAS

HAMMON PARK OPEN

The Hammon Park Trailhead in Creswick is officially open. To celebrate we are joining the fun at the Dirty Pig and Whistle ride event at Hammon Park on Saturday 20 May. Come along, watch some of the races, try out the jumps and the pump track, learn about the Creswick Trails and enjoy a free coffee and face painting (10am to 12pm) at this fun community event. Everyone welcome.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Our engagement website, Participate Hepburn, is updated regularly with opportunities for you to have your say. Keep an eye on Participate Hepburn to find out how you can get involved and be heard.

Help us develop the Agricultural Land & Rural Settlement Strategy by completing a survey, it will help shape our Future Hepburn (closes Friday 12 May). This strategy will consider future agricultural needs and requirements and seek to ensure agricultural land is adequately protected. It will include a review of relevant provisions relating to farming in the Hepburn Planning Scheme, such as permissible uses, developments and subdivisions.

Tell us how you deal with waste and how you use your bins - do you recycle carefully? How full are your bins? What do you do with food scraps? The answers to these questions and more will help Council to determine how we can support residents towards a low-waste lifestyle (closes Friday 9 June).

Coming up - We will release our 2023-24 draft budget in May. The draft budget will be available for feedback on Participate Hepburn. Visit https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au to have your say on any of these topics.

IDAHOBIT DAY

Wednesday 17 May is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia – or IDAHOBIT for short. It is about ending LGBTIQA+ discrimination.

Why 17 May? IDAHOBIT marks the anniversary of 17 May 1990 when the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Now, it is a day to celebrate LGBTIQA+ people globally and raise awareness for the work still needed to combat discrimination.

At Hepburn Shire Council we truly value our LGBTIQA+ community and stand proudly with them to condemn all forms of discrimination.

IDAHOBIT is a day when you can show support for our diverse and inclusive communities. Join with your LGBTIQA+ community and allies to stand up and speak out against all forms of hate, violence and discrimination.

COUNCIL MEETING CHANGE OF VENUE

Due to works being carried out at the Daylesford Town Hall, there will be a change of venue for our upcoming Council meeting. Instead of our usual location, we will now hold the meeting in the Esmond Gallery at The Warehouse - Clunes.

Join us in person on Tuesday 16 May at 5.30pm, or watch the live stream via Facebook.

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

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.

Wine notes with Clive Hartley

Bendigo’s Carnivale

The Strategem Bendigo Winemakers Festival, a couple of weekends ago, saw sunny weather bring the crowds out en masse to celebrate harvest time. The annual event was a success with wine, food, and music flowing seamlessly all afternoon.

Nineteen producers were represented and provided a snapshot of our nextdoor neighbours. The large Bendigo wine region has a warm, dry climate with a mean January temperature of 22°C and growing degree days of 1764, compared to the Macedon Ranges, which stands at 19.3°C and 1289 respectively. That is a big difference in climate, and in part explains why the wine styles are focused on fullbodied red wines in Bendigo, and light pinot noir and chardonnay in Macedon.

Bendigo is one of the last bastions of the powerful tannic-driven high alcohol reds. It defies the current trend for lower alcohol wines. They have their followers, and if the crowds at the festival were anything to go by, they remain ever popular.

White wines were a tad under-represented on the day, but I was impressed with a few viogniers. This fleshy and firm white grape is one of my favourites. Waterwheel 2021 and Turners Crossing 2019 were good but I was most impressed with GilGraves 2022 that displayed nice stone fruit and a creamy texture.

Grenache and blends such as GSM (grenache, shiraz, mourvèdre) were well represented. I liked the wines from Chaperon by Grangehill. Their property, northwest of Maldon, is on the site of a late 19th century vineyard. Owner, Russell Clarke, makes wines out of the old cellar from his dry-grown bush vines planted over 20 years ago. The Chaperon GM (60/40 grenache mourvèdre) 2019 was smooth, light and elegant. His 2019 GSM was more structured and textured and only 14% alcohol, which is on the low side, compared to the average Bendigo red. Another recommended grenache came from Wes Vine at Mandurang Valley.

Without exception the shiraz I tasted were all well made. These wines are fullbodied with strong tannins and high alcohol. Big on ripe blackberry fruits with touches of black pepper, mint and eucalyptus character. Black Estate 2019 stood out as a lovely textured, well-balanced smooth wine. Balgownie Estate 2019 was spice driven with liquorice and black cherries. Turners Crossing's The Crossing Shiraz 2018 was powerful with plush tannins. Did I mention the prices? Across the board the region produces incredibly affordable wines.

* Clive Hartley has just published the 7th edition of his book The Australian Wine Guide and is running a two-hour master class on June 3. www.australianwineguide.com.au

SPARROWS OF KABUL

A LIVE PERFORMANCE

An extraordinary song cycle on Australia’s 20-year involvement in Afghanistan.

Music

news with Darren Lowe

Newstead Arts Hub and Newstead Live will present two events in June featuring Australian singer-songwriter, Fred Smith.

On Friday, June 2, Fred Smith and band will present his new show, Sparrows of Kabul at the Newstead Community Centre from 7pm.

newstead community centre

Friday 2 June 7PM + songwriting workshop saturday 3 june

Church tunes

Hymn and Her Ensemble will perform at Yandoit Cultural, the old church in the bush at Uniting Church Road, on Saturday, May 20 from 4pm.

Consisting of new Yandoit residents Harmony Byrne and David Elias, pictured above, in collaboration with Serene Byrne and Gabriel Kenner, Hymn and Her Ensemble will present an acoustic performance consisting of vocals, acoustic guitar, flute and cello. Together they offer honest folk, bluesy songs of contemplation and country campfire vibes.

Entry by donation. Bookings: Alison King on 0415 555 081 or email ycfcpg@gmail.com

Then on Saturday, June 3, from 10am to noon, Fred will hold a songwriting workshop for young aspiring songwriters and musicians in year 9 upwards with a maximum of 20 participants.

Newstead Live is also calling for youth volunteers who are interested in gaining experience in live performance management. Volunteers must be 15 years or older. Details: Kelly Skinner at nedkelski@yahoo.com.au or 0448 234 758. Links: https://events.humanitix.com/sparrows-of-kabul or https://events.humanitix.com/songwriting-workshop-with-fred-smith

Gig Guide

Daylesford Hotel, Daylesford

Thursday, May 11, 6pm – Bud Wilkins

Friday, May 12, 6pm – Mijo Biscan

Sunday, May 14, 6pm – Adrian Deakin (residency)

Thursday, May 18, 6pm – Oceanique

Saturday, May 20, 6pm – Beth Winter Trio

Sunday, May 21, 6pm – Adrian Deakin (residency)

Odessa at Leavers, Creswick

Auld Alliance - Saturday, May 27

Dave Graney and Clare Moore – Saturday, June 3

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

WELCOME TO

VICTORIA'S BEST COUNTRY PUB.

Since 1887, the Pig & Whistle Hotel has nestled on a quiet corner in Trentham East, a living remain of the town’s early history. Truly a hidden gem, you’ll be transported back in time, with our newly-opened beer garden boasting uninterrupted views of Mount Macedon.

The Pig serves up a modern-Australian menu with honest hearty pub classics (we do a bloody good parma), along with seasonal global dishes. We take great care in delivering food of the highest quality, sourced from sustainable local produce, coupled with our praised friendly service.

The hotel is truly a local pub but a destination for all.

@pigandwhistlehotel

pigandwhistlehotel.com.au

705 James Lane, Trentham East, Victoria

Bold as brass

Daylesford, Creswick and Western brass bands will present Soundtrack of the Globe in Daylesford on Saturday, May 20.

The three brass bands will take people on a cultural and geographical trip around the world, all from the comfort of Daylesford Town Hall in Vincent Street.

The town hall doors open at 2.30pm and the concert starts at 3pm.

Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for concession. Tickets are available at the door. BYO drinks and nibbles.

See our recipe for Picanha on our website!

WE OUR LOCALS

Maple Baked Beans with Smoky Ham Hock

Our ham hocks are big, beautiful, meaty golden chunks of smoky-flavoured ham that bring a beautiful tang to every dish they are used in. They also have a lot of ham, making them perfect for this meaty breakfast dish cooked in a rich, tomato sauce and loaded with healthy cannellini beans. We love using tinned cannellini beans – they are convenient and always properly cooked. Plus, dried cannellini beans are getting harder to find in the shops.

This dish is perfect for lazy, long weekends when you have time to create a real feast for your family and friends. We love to serve with free-range eggs from our mates at The Honest Egg Co, our famous house-smoked bacon and the very special Dr Marty’s crumpets, made in Castlemaine and sold at Glenlyon General Store.

For this recipe and many others, click on the QR code or visit daylesfordmeatco.com.au

We are proud to offer you Green Hills Natural Beef and Lamb from our very own farm in Malmsbury. It’s as local as you are. In store today.

WHOLE GREEN HILLS RUMP ONLY $99

One of the most versatile cuts, the rump is full of flavour. As the name suggests, it is from the backside of the cow so it is a hard-working muscle. Whilst not as tender as Scotch or Sirloin, it makes up for it with bangs of flavour. Min 3kg.

SMOKED PORK HOCKS

Normally $16. Now $12 - just in time to make Richard Cornish’s fantastic Smoky Maple Baked Beans.

&

Buried Child

The Mount Players' second production for 2023 is Buried Child written by Sam Shepard. It was first presented in 1978 and won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for drama, launching Shepard to national fame as a playwright.

The play is an intense drama set in an old farm house, in mid-century Illinois. A macabre look at an American Midwestern family with a dark, terrible secret. Heavily atmospheric and challenging, the play will entrance its audience with questions of morality and its take on the disintegration of the American dream.

Although dark in many respects, it is delivered with humour and pathos. There is hope however, as the final moments of the play suggest salvation with a surprise ending.

With a superb cast, brilliant set and one hell of a script, the audience will be taken on an emotional journey under the experienced eye of director, Robert Wallace. This is The Mount Players' 2023 Victorian Drama League entry.

The season runs from Friday, May 12 to Sunday, May 28 with just nine performances. Bookings: www.themountplayers.com or 5426 1892.

GUILDFORD FAMILY HOTEL

THE REGION’S BEST KEPT SECRET

Friday Night Raffle

Raffles drawn at 7.30pm

OPENING HOURS

Wed/Thurs/Fri - 3pm till late - Dinner from 5.30pm

Sat - 12pm till late - Lunch from 12pm - Dinner from 5.30pm

Sun - Lunch only from 12pm

35 Fryers Street, Guildford Victoria

Bookings Essential - 03 5473 4021

Bee-sotted! How a backyard hobby became a business

The Local is running a producers' series over the next few editions. Here Eve Lamb talks with Graeme Grigson from G’s Bees Honey - Down to Earth.

HOW does someone go from having just two bee hives to having 80?

Don’t ask Clunes’ Graeme Grigson because he doesn’t know how it happened. Suffice to say it did and now he’s a full-time beekeeper. His buddy in all things apiary, Ian Macfarlane, is a former Clunes resident who now lives in Ballarat. (That's Ian left, and Graeme, right, in both images.)

Ian keeps his four hives alongside Graeme’s, and confides that it’s all part of a cunning plan to find out more about the pastime for which the two share a never-ending fascination.

“Graeme’s a great mentor. He likes to pass on all his knowledge,” Ian says.

Graeme says he started out as a hobbyist beekeeper with just a couple of boxes about two decades ago.

“I’ve been in beekeeping now for about 20 years,” he says. “It started out as a hobby with two hives. Then I started helping others and my two hives became 10 and now it’s about 80 all up. I don’t know how that happened. It’s become full-time over the past two to three years.”

While his beekeeping enterprise, G’s Bees Honey - Down to Earth, is a boutique business compared to the bigger commercial operations, it nevertheless sees him producing some 3000 kilograms of honey annually, “in a good year”.

As a result Graeme now supplies multiple local retail outlets from Melton and Bacchus Marsh to Creswick and Clunes, and he also regularly attends local farmers markets, selling his bees’ delicious produce.

But honey is far from the only product that flows from this pursuit of choice.

G’s Bees - Down to Earth has now also helped to create part-time employment for a neighbour of Graeme’s, in Clunes, who uses some of the honey to produce a range of tempting confectionery including chocolate-dipped honeycomb, lolly-pops and ginger honey. “The ginger honey has really taken off,” Graeme says.

As well as this, G’s Bees - Down to Earth provides wax to other enterprising locals who convert the raw product into beautiful candles including natural tealights, and moisturising lip balms, which also sell at markets and select retail outlets. “There’s nothing in a bee hive that can’t be used,” Graeme says. “The wax, the honey, the pollen, the propolis…”

Then there’s the almond pollination. Graeme’s 80 or so hives - plus Ian’s four - get to travel quite a bit including up north to pollinate commercial almond crops.

“We migrate our bees throughout the year to different sites from Clunes to the Little Desert. We go north to Paingil on the border in August for almond pollination then down to Kerang and Shepparton and the canola which helps build the bees up after the almonds.”

Depending on where the hives are stopped, they collect from tree species including long-leaf box, yellow box, brown stringybark, yellow gum, red gum, grey box, orange blossom and messmate. When possible, this list may also include the type of tea tree from which the precious medicinal manuka honey is produced.

When The Local caught up with Graeme and Ian, it was at a magnificent Buninyong site where about 60 of the hives had been sited but were soon to be collected and shifted to another site near Mount Beckworth just out of Clunes.

“My first honey extraction is normally around October and if it’s a good season we can extract every four to five weeks after that through to May,” Graeme said.

And what drew him to beekeeping in the first place?

“I just love honey really. And what better way to enjoy honey? I never use sugar any more as a sweetener. Just honey. It’s medicinal as well and, I believe, the darker the better.”

Both Ian and Graeme take the occasional sting as par for the course, but are also careful about donning the correct protective beekeeping kit before getting up close and personal with their buzzy charges.

The challenges of beekeeping include from “keeping on top of pests” to the sometimes prohibitive costs associated with travel and transport.

“And if we get a bad season that’s a big challenge,” Graeme adds.

The wetter weather of last year was challenging and impacted yields for many of the state’s beekeepers, for example. But Graeme and Ian agree it’s one of the most addictive enterprises you can get into.

“Really I got into it when I started learning how wonderful those little insects are,” Ian said.

Graeme names the lifestyle and the practice of getting out and about into some glorious parts of the state among the sweet aspects of becoming a beekeeper. “It’s a fantastic interest to enjoy.”

But he has some parting advice for those who think beekeeping may be for them. “If you’re going to start out as a beekeeper, do your research and go out with a mentor. Also there’s beekeeping clubs like Ballarat Regional Beekeepers and the Melbourne Beekeepers Club. Join a club.”

Words & images: Eve Lamb

More images at www.tlnews.com.au (Next edition, Red Hare Estate Vineyard)

Kyle’s Rant

DONNA and I have decided to hit the road for a bit of time away over winter. We did the same journey a while back but this time it has to be planned within an inch of its life.

The problem is that we will be away for one production of The Local and we will be outback in the north-west, which has been devastated by floods that no one much over here has heard about - but they covered the same land mass as the UK.

The hardest thing about the journey is that places like Fitzroy Crossing are trying to get on their feet, swamped by tradies fixing the buildings and roads up and there is not much in the way of accommodation or communication.

We were going by way of a caravan, however most of those for sale claim to have done the big trip once and I don’t want to make that mistake, so it is a frumpy motel trip for us. I have secured accommodation in all the places that are hard to get and have invested in Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet. Meaning that particular edition of The Local will be beamed up to the cosmos and back down to our printers (what a ride).

Around 20 years ago, which seems like only a couple of years to me, we embarked on the same journey which ended up getting cut short by a family emergency. I was working selling luxury motorboats under the Westgate Bridge at Pier 35 Marina.

I mention where I was working because I can draw a parallel to the type of car I was driving which was a gold Hyundai Sonata. Most of my clients were mega rich and had gloriously lavish cars, boats, houses and toys. When I saw this thing twirling around on a display in the car showroom, I had to have it for its ostentatious colour and the fact the body design was extremely close to the Jaguar of the day. And then there was the price, a modest 25K, more of a me price.

Although I have some idea of an engine room in a boat and a little less but passable knowledge of what is under the bonnet, I never looked at my Hyundai’s power plant. It blasted along the freeway, had Bluetooth and a good CD player. It was only when I took off on a slippery road up a hill, I realised it had front wheel drive.

Anyway, one winter’s day Donna and I decided to hit the road and took six weeks off work to drive up the guts through Alice Springs, turn left at Katherine, pull into Darwin and then follow the road until we got back. We had no plans and no particular timetable. Our accommodation was a tent and we booked into powered sites so we could run the heaters, fans, TV, phone chargers and electric blankets. I kid you not. Gotta have some home comforts.

Now around sunset at most of these caravan parks a stir begins to happen as the women attend to the meals and the older blokes start to roam. At first it's just a couple and the group grows as they walk around, stubby in hand. These guys are harmless enough, they just enjoy talking about what septic system you have onboard your RV and how many miles to the gallon you do, that sort of thing.

One evening while partaking in a hashish farewell gift for the trip, this throng of blokes came over the hill into my powered tent site, looked around at our abundance of appliances and then drew their gaze to my shiny new Hyundai.

They started asking what I had under the hood...questions like the economy of the vehicle and even what sort of tyres I had chosen for the journey. Drawing a complete blank from me they tutted and almost as one mumbled about safety and young drug addicts.

There won’t be any intentional ingesting of illegal substances on this trip, even vaping, and it should be just a very relaxing, pleasant and long, long drive.

Long drive rant over… 03 5338 8123 Catherine.King.MP@aph.gov.au

Local Lines

Holes

A hole is not nothing. It is not mere space. Space is out there. A hole is bounded. It is defined by its borders.

To have a hole in your heart you must have a heart. To dig a hole is to create a dirt-rimmed space.

A hole may be a necessary part of the whole. Intactness only lasts so long. The hole must out.

A hole in your jeans or your jumper exposes what lies beneath. So you don’t ever actually see the hole itself.

Neither can a hole be touched any more than can a feeling. Reach for it – or in it – and all you’ll find is your fingers – or an edge.

The whole world may in fact be a hole and substantiality just what forms up around it.

Bill had a hole in his poetry schedule for The Local so he wrote this. Donna filled a hole on the page with it.

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 Arnie. I’m a very handsome silver tabby, about 13 weeks old.

I am pretty partial to pats and general adoration. I relish playtime and adventuring and will make a great household companion. I am very keen to find a good home to call my own with some top notch humans. If you think that might be you then please get in touch with the Mt Alexander Animal Welfare shelter in Castlemaine on 5472 5277.

Microchip no. 956000016306825. Link: www.maaw.org.au

Just sayin’...

AFRIEND once told me, as the editor/journalist, I should attend council meetings. I told her she could go along in my stead. Her reply? "No thanks, what a waste of time." Exactly.

I do get asked now and again why we don't cover things like the aforementioned council meetings, court rounds, police rounds or why we don't chase ambulances or perhaps do death knocks. If that has kept you up at night, it's time I came clean.

Council meetings. Firstly, covering them is pretty much note taking. All the decisions have already been made and these days the public pretty much gets about two minutes to speak before they are pounced on for wasting time. Much better to do the story before or after the meeting - and some of them last for hours. They are live-streamed on Facebook if you are bored and have finished rearranging your sock drawer.

Courts. When I was a young journo working on the Southern Peninsula Gazette out of Rosebud, you would spend every Friday covering the courts in Dromana. Now, sometimes you would find something good but mostly it was something pretty ordinary. But we were there because that's what old-fashioned newspapers did/do.

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

And proudly supported by Daylesford's

So some poor school principal who had spent 30 years giving his all to educate thousands of kids, gets his name in the paper, and probably loses his job, for being .051, or some woman with three shitty kids and a nasty, abusive husband is named because her only chance to cry for help was stealing something at the local supermarket. But we named and shamed. Not my kind of journalism and because I am the editor, I get the last say.

Police rounds. Now, in the old days, police reporting was fun because cops and journos would talk to each other. In fact there was more than one young female journo, not me, who got all the best yarns in return for the odd bit of sex. And I also remember one police station burning off a huge stash of marijuana - we all stood around breathing deeply. And I am sure some of it went missing. But these days everything has to pretty much go through the media liaison unit - so that was the end of that.

Ambulance chasing. Who does this? Someone is having the most crap night/day of their life and you want to know who and where and why. Maybe put a photo of the crashed car on social media before the family has been informed? Maybe if you are a TV station you can get a journo to stand in front of the Alfred Hospital and talk about their condition? Maybe you could get a helicopter to fly above and get some footage of the person being wheeled into said hospital? What a great way to spend a day and what fantastic news. Really changing people's lives. No thanks.

Oh, death knocks. Ever done one? There's where they send mostly young journos to someone's house to try and find a relative to talk about the dead and dying. Perhaps say things like "people would like to know what sort of person they were" or "how is everyone holding up?". If all really goes to plan you could take a moment to grab a quick snap of a photo on the mantelpiece. Done the knock, nothing else, and never again.

When we started The Local 10 years ago this September we wanted something inspiring, educational, fun and informative. And I think we have done that.

And if you really want all that news above, just head to your phone. It is there 24/7 and we could never compete with that, even if we wanted to. Which we don't.

We'll just keep to connecting the community. 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 278. How did you go?

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

Foraging free: where the wild food is found

FANCY a wild pine mushroom risotto? A crisp dandelion and wild brassica salad? Or an elderberry cocktail perhaps?

These are some of the sorts of wild food delicacies that may result as teacher and experienced food forager Irina de Loche prepares to share her passion for enjoying the bounty of nature that’s out there just waiting to be gathered and relished.

Over the past three years, Irina has already become well known at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre where she teaches yoga, dance and Pilates. But later this month Irina is also facilitating the new Foraging for Free Fresh Food workshop.

Humans are historically foragers and where the land and forests have not suffered the ravages of the modern world many cultures still forage on a daily basis, she says.

Much of the plant life in Australia is introduced and exotic species now outnumber indigenous ones. But if there’s one positive to take away from this it’s that many of them are edible and medicinally beneficial, and if you fancy the idea of gathering free fresh food, this workshop is probably for you.

“Before I moved to Ballarat seven years ago, I lived in Melbourne near the Merri Creek and I would often see the Greeks, Croatians and Lebanese ladies there gathering wild food along the creek - a lot of foods that many people just don’t know about but that are highly nutritious,” Irina says

A qualified teacher with plenty of French, German and Russian heritage, she has previously taught at Melbourne’s CERES School of Nature and Climate and has completed a wild weeds course, complementing her long-held passion for the natural world and living sustainably with nature.

Those who get along to this month’s foraging workshop can expect not just to learn a whole lot about the wild foods that are under our noses and that often go unappreciated as “weeds” but to also to learn a fair bit about the pleasures of “forest bathing” into the bargain.

“There are so many health benefits in just being in nature and letting your body be healed by the forest,” Irina says.

“I am going to be supplying notes on how to identify edible plants and I’m also hoping to give people some recipes.”

Actually learning how to identify the edible underappreciated wild plants that exist around us – “things like wild brassicas, nettles, sow thistle, dandelions, acorns, hawthorn berries and pine mushrooms” will be the main aim of the workshop.

Learning how to savour “weeds” and wild foods that go under the radar despite their considerable nutritional values is often largely about knowing how to prepare them properly, and Irina plans to enlighten workshop participants with quite a bit of know-how on this front.

She says the workshop will involve a walk through the landscape to teach participants how to identify the edible plants as they naturally appear growing in the environment.

“The Europeans have been using acorns for years and years...stinging nettles are another amazing one, used for detoxing in Europe, and amazing in soup. You just need to know how to prepare them to remove the sting,” she says.

“Many of these plants are delicious and nutritious and so many have valuable medicinal qualities as well. I want people to be able to identify food that’s free.

“I’m also keen to wean people away from the idea of killing everything with weed killer, and to perhaps set aside a part of their own garden for these sorts of plants.”

The three-hour-long afternoon Foraging for Free Fresh Food workshop is part of the new term two program of courses, workshops and activities currently on offer through the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre.

The workshop is set for Sunday, May 21 from noon to 3pm, but Irina says that if the weather is no good for foraging the date may change as she’s particularly keen to get people out in the environment, actively identifying the free fresh food that’s out there.

More information about the workshop and how to register to attend is available from the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre.

Words: Eve Lamb

The 47th Leonards Hill Baby Show

The 47th Leonards Hill Baby Show was held on Saturday, May 6. Awards went to: Champion baby and birth-9 months - Lucinda; 18 months-3 years - Taya, 2nd placeNatalie; 3-5 years - Renni; Rosiest cheeks & 3-5 years 2nd place - Jeremy; Happiest baby - Edric; Youngest baby & birth-9 months 2nd place - Elarnie; Curliest hairSavannah; Princess - Tilly; MasterBlake; and Miss Tiny Tot - Natalie.

Images: Nadine Jade & Melanie Thurstun (Natalie). For more photos head to www.tlnews.com.au

Autumn in the Central Highlands

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