Mount Alexander Shire Council is inviting community groups across the shire to apply for a Community Christmas Celebration Grant.
Applications open on Monday, August 10 and can be put towards outdoor decorations, community events, Santa visits, barbecues, music and other celebrations.
The following grants are available: $500 available for small towns including Chewton, Campbells Creek, Guildford, Taradale, Elphinstone, Faraday, Fryerstown, Baringhup, Sutton Grange, Metcalfe and Muckleford.A total of $2,000 each for Maldon, Harcourt and Newstead that may be used to fund a single activity or several smaller initiatives from different groups.
A total of $4,000 available for Castlemaine that may be used to fund a single activity or a number of smaller initiatives from different groups.
Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Mayor Toby Heydon said that Christmas is a time for coming together, and these celebrations are a highlight of the year.
“Whether it’s a visit from Father Christmas, a community barbecue, festive decorations, carols or other live entertainment, these events are a way for people of all ages to connect and celebrate,” he said.
“We’re pleased to continue supporting the volunteers and community groups who put so much time and energy into making these events possible.
“I encourage community groups across the shire – especially towns that haven’t been involved before – to apply for funding and help make this year’s festive season another memorable one across our shire.”
Applications open on Monday, August 10 and close Sunday, August 30.
The application form is quick and simple, and available at www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Christmas-Grants, along with guidelines and more details.
To discuss your application with council staff, call 5471 1700 or email business@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.
Apply for a Christmas grant
A beautiful evolution – Nalderun to build forever home in Chewton
Jade Jungwirth
Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation will receive $1.4 million through the Aboriginal Community Infrastructure Program to build Me-Mandook Galk Indigenous Education Place – creating a home and a lasting legacy for local First Nations Peoples.
For the past 17 years, Nalderun has been providing cultural education, wellbeing and youth leadership programs that empower First Nations young people to learn, grow and thrive.
Carrying on the legacy of Uncle Brien Nelson and Aunty Julie McHale, Nalderun CEO Kath Coff and Dja Dja Wurrung Elder Uncle Rick Nelson are now taking the next steps in creating space for First Nations Peoples to celebrate culture and connect to Country.
A small crowd met at the bush block in Chewton on Monday to celebrate the incredible journey that led to this moment.
Cultural hub and education centre
“The wheels are turning,” Uncle Rick said.
“We’re here because we’ve got the second part of our funding for the cultural hub and education centre. We’ll have a gallery, offices, be able to run tourism, and we’ll have a school, because the future starts with our youth.”
He spoke about Nalderun’s past and how they had used multiple properties across the region, government buildings and old schools.
“Now we have our own home. My dad would be over the moon that we’ve come this far,” he said.
Kath acknowledged Aunty Julie, saying she was an amazing woman who had trained her up and had left big shoes to fill.
“This place is not just about the building; it’s the education in Country, involved with everything we’ve already got happening. The bush tucker farm is already here; we’ve got endangered fish in the dam that we’re looking after,” she said.
“We’re putting back into Country and repairing.”
Youth at the centre of reconnecting
First Nations youth mentor Ben Reid, who has been with Nalderun since the very beginning, recalls attending Aunty Julie’s after-school program in the Ray Bradfield Rooms as a young boy, and time spent at the old school in Yapeen where they would have cook-ups and listen to Aunty Julie’s stories.
“We’ve always inhabited unintentional spaces that already exist in the community, but now to have something that will be purpose-built for our programs and for our young people- it is the most amazing thing. It’s been a beautiful evolution,” he said.
“It’s so important for the kids, because the history of this country for the last 200 years has been displacement and unsettling. It’s a decolonial act to re-settle this land with First Nations youth at the core of the reconnecting. We feel that deeply within ourselves and Country feels that deeply as well.
“So many kids, as a result of colonisation, have lost connection to their cultural heritage, and being able to reconnect is one of the most powerful things you can do.”
Threat to Treaty
Making the funding announcement on Monday, long-time advocate for Nalderun, Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards, teared up as she spoke about the threat posed to Treaty in the upcoming election.
“Treaty is important to our state. It’s important to our First Nations people, particularly the young people who will be using Nalderun here, in this beautiful space, to learn about their culture, their history and what their future looks like,” she said.
“This is the oldest living culture in the world. We are privileged to have First Nations people as our neighbours and our friends, and we are privileged to be welcomed by them into their culture.
“Everyone knows First Nations Peoples are often left behind in economic terms and in health terms and in environmental terms. Treaty is about allowing First Nations Peoples to self-determine their future and have their world and their culture represented at the state level and their voices to be heard loud and clear. That is what Gellung Warl and Treaty is all about.”
Overseeing the project will be co-delivered by community consultant Camilo Demarco and experienced local architect Lisa Merkesteyn, who will help create a vibrant cultural education hub at the base of Me Mandook Galk (the grandmother tree) under the watchful gaze of Bunjil as he circles above.
Bushfire Inquiry tabled at parliament
The Victorian Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee tabled its final report for the inquiry into the 2026 summer fires Victoria in parliament on Tuesday.
The report makes 93 findings and 80 recommendations to the state government. The government has six months to respond to the report.
In preparing the report the committee visited numerous communities to hear firsthand from those impacted, including Harcourt, visited fire grounds, and received evidence from agencies including Emergency Management Victoria, the Country Fire Authority and other organisations, alongside experts and sector representatives. The inquiry received a total of 337 submissions.
Committee chair Michael Galea told parliament that the 2026 summer fires had a devastating impact on communities across Victoria.
“More than 440,000 hectares of land were burnt – an area larger than that affected bythe Black Saturday fires of 2009. 451 homes were destroyed, a further 1,110 outbuildings lost, and businesses were severely affected. It is estimated that more than 45,000 livestock deaths were recorded, as well as an incalculable loss of wildlife.
“Tragically, one individual, Maxwell Hobson, lost his life. I extend my condolences to his family.”
Mr Galea said Victoria entered the 2026 fire season with a clear understanding of the heightened risks in conditions.
“Catastrophic conditions on January 9, 2026 saw the creation or major expansion of numerous fires. Fire agencies and communities were overall well–prepared, and through a combination of the tireless work of agencies, firefighters and communities, the response was strong and saved many lives. “Considering the conditions, it is remarkable that we did not see mass fatalities as was seen in 2009,” he said.
“This is an achievement on which credit can rightly be given to Victoria’s dedicated firefighters, including career full–time firefighters, volunteers and private landholders, and the incident control teams which responded to protect Victorians.
“Importantly, it is also a reflection on the lessons learnt from the Black Saturday fires and major fire events after.
“This includes technological improvements including the VicEmergency app and other measures. In particular, it shows the importance of ‘leave early’ messaging,” he said.
Nevertheless, the committee observed many patterns of concern from communities, agencies and other stakeholders.
The resilience of critical infrastructure, most particularly telecommunications, was a recurring theme of evidence, as was a greater need for the utilisation of local knowledge in incident response centres.
Mr Galea said the transcripts of evidence from the regional hearings powerfully articulate the energy, dedication and resilience of Victorians who have been through circumstances which are at once both unimaginable and all too common.
“This report’s strength lies in the vast and detailed evidence from communities about the preparation and response to the fires, as well as time–in–place evidence about relief and recovery efforts, which remain ongoing.
“The relative success of the response to the 2026 summer fires in terms of loss of life, should not permit anyone to underestimate the severe and widespread impacts that these fires both had and continue to have on many communities,” he said.
“We know that it is a question of when, not if, we will experience our next bushfire disaster. We hope this report will shape the improvement of systems so that we as a state are better prepared for when the next critical bushfire event arrives,” he said.
Fire agencies have also been conducting their own agency after reviews, as is customary after such a large fire event.
In addition, the Minister for Emergency Services has instructed the Inspector–General for Emergency Management to conduct a full review into the fires. That review is scheduled to take place after the tabling of this latest report, in order for the IGEM to be able to draw from the evidence given to this committee, most particularly from the large base of evidence outlining the perspectives of regional communities in the immediate months after the fires.
You can read the full report at https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/inquiries/2026firesinquiry/reports
Mac Off
Nothing says Castlemaine like coming together on a deep winter night to share a cup of soup and voice opposition to fast food development in our town.
That’s exactly what was on the menu yesterday, when locals gathered opposite the proposed McDonald’s site to enjoy free soup and show support for a different vision for the proposed site.
The Healthy Food, Not Fast Food pop-up soup stall, organised by Serena Everill and the Salvos Wednesday Night Soup volunteers, was an invitation to be part of the growing community movement to stop McDonald’s development at the gateway of Castlemaine.
“There is so much amazing, nutritious food in this town to feed everyone. We don’t need multinational fast-food companies,” says Serena.
“Let’s look after each other instead.”
The soup gathering brought people from across the community together, including young people involved in the recent Kids Against Maccas rally, local businesses and residents who have been building momentum to protect Castlemaine’s unique character, local economy and thriving food culture.
The community has started to organise under the name Mac Off to protect Castlemaine’s strengths after learning in late May that McDonald’s had purchased the vacant block on the corner of Forest and Hargraves Streets, the town’s key arrival point.
Many residents believe a McDonald’s on the site would have significant negative environmental, social and economic impacts, and say any future planning application should be carefully assessed against those considerations.
For more read next Tuesday’s Midland Express.
Local teachers strike
Dozens of teachers and support staff from public schools across Central Victoria joined the 24-hour statewide strike action last Thursday July 23, calling for more funding for our schools and better conditions for teachers.
The local representatives joined tens of thousands of Victorian public school teachers and support staff at a rally in Melbourne.
This action followed the narrow rejection of a state government pay offer by members of the Australian Education Union, who voted down a proposed 28.3 per cent pay rise over four years, calling for better conditions instead.
The AEU wants smaller class sizes, higher pay for support staff, and less time spent in meetings to reduce heavy workloads.
The 24-hour strike action disrupted approximately 1,300 public schools across Victoria, forcing many parents to make alternative childcare arrangements.
However, some parents and children chose to join teachers in marching on parliament in support of their educators.
AEU branch president Justin Mullaly said they know that stop work action is disruptive for parents and students, and they don’t do this lightly.
“Families need to know why we’re taking this action,” he said.
“For too long, the state government has relied on the goodwill and unpaid work of public school staff to ensure students get access to a high-quality education.
“Right now, Victoria’s public schools are the lowest funded in the country,” Mullaly said.
“This under-funding is making the work of public school staff untenable. Public school teachers, principals and education support staff are overworked and undervalued, working an average of 12 hours unpaid overtime every week to make up for the state government’s funding shortfall.”
More stop-work action has been flagged if an agreement can not be reached. Will the new premier be able to break the deadlock?
40 years of Graceland
To celebrate it’s 40th anniversary, Andy McGarvie brings Paul Simon’s Graceland to life at the Theatre Royal Castlemaine next Friday August 7 as part of a special tribute event ’40 years of Graceland’.
Andy will be joined by a 10-piece band featuring some of Melbourne’s best musicians and a collection of some of popular music’s most timeless songs!
Paul Simon’s Graceland album is one of the most well-loved and critically acclaimed albums of all time, as well as being among the artist’s most enduring bodies of work. Featuring hits such as ‘Graceland’, ‘Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes’ and ‘Call Me Al’, the album’s melding of Paul Simon’s songwriting with the African musicians who brought the songs to life have ensured it continues to find new audiences across generations who are enraptured by its unique sound and timeless songs.
Andy McGarvie has long been one of these fans – one of his earliest musical memories is hearing this album being played on the family stereo.
To celebrate Graceland’s 40th anniversary, Andy and band will pay tribute to it by playing the album in its entirety, as well as a full set of other Paul Simon hits from the Simon and Garfunkel era through to solo Paul Simon classics! The band will be both faithfully recreating and deftly reinterpreting music from the catalogue of one of popular music’s greatest songwriters.
The musician said this will be a show not to be missed for any Paul Simon fan – old or new!
“Celebrating the 40th anniversary of this album, which has been extremely formative in my life, in the same year as I myself turn 40, it seemed remiss of me not to make something of bringing my favourite musos together to play some of my favourite songs,” McGarvie said.
“This is a great show with wall-to-wall hit songs – that much I can guarantee! Paul Simon can turn seemingly the most mundane into the most profound with his turn of phrase, and has created some of the most beautiful melodies in popular music.”
The show will kick off at 7pm. Get your ticket at https://theatreroyalcastlemaine.com.au/music/
HADCRA takes shape
Harcourt and district community members turned out at the Harcourt Leisure Centre on Sunday to have their say on the establishment of the new Harcourt and District Community Recovery Association (HADCRA).
The new association will act as an ‘umbrella organisation’ overseeing bushfire recovery efforts across the Harcourt, Harcourt North, Ravenswood South, Sutton Grange, Faraday communities and surrounds impacted by the January 9 event and its aftermath.
Right now, much of the recovery is being run by government and other agencies. They are doing important work. But the Harcourt and district community wants a bigger say in what happens, and in how it happens.
The Harcourt Recovery Thinking Group, made up of various representatives from across these communities, has met 13 times since May to brainstorm, plan and shape the purpose and model/association rules of the new association.
Sunday’s meeting aimed to vote on incorporating the new association; workshop, seek input and adopt the new rules; and open the election of candidates for the inaugural executive committee.
HADCRA had already garnered 221 committee members prior to the meeting, and several more joined on the day.
Eight nominees put their hands up for the proposed seven positions on the new association.
Those in attendance spent some time painstakingly workshopping the new association rules before they were adopted with a clear majority in favour.
There was then an opportunity to meet the candidates. Nominees included: John Baldock, Jessica Chaplin, Rob Fowler, Vera Hemkes, Colleen Marchant, Jon McKenzie, Daniel McWilliam and Bonnie Snowman. Only HADCRA members were eligible to vote in the election, with physical voting cards available on the day and an online poll accessible to all members.
Voting was scheduled to close at 2pm today, Thursday July 30, with the new HADCRA committee to be announced shortly afterwards.
The Harcourt Recovery Thinking Group will then officially handover to the new team.
Not yet a member and keen to be part of the region’s recovery? You can sign up online for free at https://forms.gle/tCPN6dXc7tvczTV48
Every tree is needed
Name supplied, Castlemaine
The letter from MJ, A frustrated member of the Castlemaine Community (Opinions, July 17) states that the fencing around the eucalypts at Camp Reserve is for safety. I have never heard that but it’s definitely about caring for the trees. No parking or walking under them to protect roots and stop compacting of the soil directly under them.
They may not be really old but we need every tree we can get right now. It’s all very well saying you’ll plant more trees (not sure where if the council planned development goes ahead) but they take a while to grow.
I’m a frustrated member of the community too. There seems to be so many football and netball clubs here and various places for these sports to be played other than Camp Reserve. I’ve heard a footballer complain about the oval at Camp Reserve being too small and that the lights to the west are positioned so the oval can be extended in that direction but it hasn’t happened. Wasn’t it first built as a velodrome?
I want heritage to be considered including that the goldfields are up for UNESCO recognition.
Warm Hearts, Strong Community
Jennifer Howe, President of Castlemaine VIEW Club/The Smith Family
On behalf of Castlemaine VIEW Club and The Smith Family, I want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who joined us at Forensic Sculptor Jennifer Mann’s presentation recently.
Having Jennifer share her extraordinary talent – demonstrating how art, science, and meticulous detail all come together to reconstruct faces and restore identities – made for a truly unforgettable session.
Thanks to all of you who attended, the funds raised from the event will go directly toward sponsoring students facing disadvantage through their schooling, providing them with the resources, stability, and education they deserve.
This ongoing support ensures that financial barriers don’t stand in the way of a young person’s bright future.
You are helping shape the story of the next generation, much like Jennifer crafts the features that tell lost stories.
Thank you once again to all who attended, for your community spirit and commitment to making a tangible difference.
If you would like to know more about the Castlemaine VIEW Club email castlemaineviewclub@gmail.com or ring Betty on 0408 510 627.
My Castlemaine with Darren Fuzzard – Part Two
The first instalment of Darren’s two-part interview was published in last week’s Mail on Friday, July 17.
Jade Jungwirth
The former CEO said the most challenging part of the role is the number of times he has had to say no compared to the number of times he gets to say yes.
“It’s a nine-to-one ratio. The gap between the amount of desire, need, and expectation that you have compared to what you our community has and the available funds that we have to respond with available funds to deal with is so large.”
While reluctant to name particular projects that he was proud of, preferring to look at the positive impact he has tried to have on the organisation’s culture over the last few years, Darren did say, “I’m wrapped that we were able to find a way to create the Housing Trust.
“I think the current housing system that we’re working in is not going to fix the problem for people, and we need more options,” he said.
“I think that for a council like us to be able to create something like that is pretty special. We’ve proven nothing so far other than that we could create it. There’s a lot of work to be done to make it real, but I think that we have given new hope for possibility here.
“I really like that we have that mindset of, okay, if that doesn’t work, then what will?”
What’s next for Darren? Well, he and his wife love living in Castlemaine and hope to live here for the remainder of their lives.
“Our little miners cottage needs a bit of work done to it, so I’m doing some painting, plastering and tiling and other great fun things. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m the son of a builder, so I’m hoping there’s some latent talent there from watching my dad work,” he said.
“We’ve got a few trips planned. We’ve got a very close wider family including my sisters and their husbands and some of their sisters and brothers; a few years back we started going on walking trips each year. There’ll be about 20 of us this year. We’re doing El Camino in Portugal.
“I’ve learnt a new term lately, while I’ve been thinking about the next steps: preferment. Not retirement, but where you only do the things you prefer. I like that concept. I haven’t worked out what those things are yet, so that’s what I’m going to spend the next six to 12 months working out.”
And the all-important questions:
What are you reading at the moment? It’s a book about the origins of Australian slang called 1819 Dictionary of Criminal Slang that Mayor Toby Heydon showed me. It is interesting to read how a lot of the terms we use now date back to a lot of the convict language that was being used to try and avoid the magistrates and constabulary understanding what they were saying.
What hobbies do you enjoy? I have been a runner for a long time, but I got into marathon running four years ago, and it very much dominates my time when I’m not working or doing family things. There’s a fair chance that I will be out running the streets of Castlemaine. It’s a big part of my life; it keeps me feeling good and it’s a great outlet. My brother-in-law and I run together when we do events, and we did the Berlin marathon in October last year. It was the most astounding experience of my life. 60,000 marathon runners. 1.3 million watching on the sidelines. It’s a 42-kilometre run, and there’s no point where there aren’t people on the sidelines yelling out. There was 20 something bands playing throughout the course. It was the best experience. We’re hoping to get into the Tokyo marathon next year and are trying to get around all of the world’s major marathons. I’m doing the Sunshine Coast marathon shortly after I finish at council, and then we will do the Melbourne Marathon together when we get back from Portugal.
Who are your three dream dinner guests? Jed Bartlet, Josh Lyman and Sam Seaborn (all characters from The West Wing; my favourite show of all time).
What are your philosophies in life? I’ve read a lot of books with contributions from people like the Dalai Lama in them, and I get a lot out of the way Buddhist people see life and the concept of selflessness. My philosophies are very much about what we can do for others and treating people with respect, which very strongly comes through from my parents and their parents. Our kids are like that too – more than I was at their age.
Finally, what do you love most about the place you call home? I spend a lot of time in the Botanical Gardens, late at night and early in the morning. I love running to Maldon and back, when it’s not too hot. The country is just beautiful. I love being out there and feeling like you’re in the middle of nowhere. There are so many great communities where people will pitch in and do what needs to be done, but I’ve never seen the combination of the preparedness to pitch in and the capability to pitch in that exists in Mount Alexander Shire. It’s extraordinary. The number of people here who say, ‘That’s a problem, and I can help’, and then they do actually help you is wonderful. We also love that, for now at least, all of our kids are either just a short drive or a quick flight from us, so we get to see them often.
Safe Space turns 4!
Castlemaine Safe Space (CaSS) recently reached the landmark of being open for four years! To celebrate, peer volunteers and the working group gathered to acknowledge this achievement. Entering its fifth year, Safe Space is celebrating having opened for 375 shifts, receiving over 1600 guest visits in that time. Due to a gradual increase in the number of peer
volunteers, Safe Space was able to add a third weekly shift a year ago, alongside its very popular food pantries- one is located inside the building and one is available 24/7 on the verandah.
Guest visits have increased from an average of 45 per month (July-Dec 2025) to 80 per month this year. Word is out in our local community about what is on offer at CaSS!
One goal of CaSS is to contribute to lowering the rate of suicide in the local community, and it is hoped these guest numbers correlate with guests feeling more connected in their lives.
Safe Space is a calm, inclusive, non-clinical environment for everyone.
Peer volunteers are on duty during shifts for guests who may be feeling distressed, wanting some quiet space to be, or someone warm, caring and non-judgmental to talk with, and for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts who seek assistance that feels safe and allows people to make their own choices. Safe Space will not contact emergency services unless guests request or agree.At the core of CaSS is its dedicated and passionate volunteers. All its peer volunteers have lived experience of suicide, greatly enhancing their capacity to be present for the broad range of conversations that unfold at Safe Space. Training for peer volunteers is comprehensive, evidence-based and purposeful. Peer Volunteers are also involved in promoting Safe Space at public events including market stalls, assisting with organising fundraising events and attending peer volunteer social gatherings four times a year. If you would like to join this community of volunteers, please get in touch via Castlemaine Safe Space’s Facebook page or by emailing volunteers@castlemainesafespace.org
CaSS received seed funding from Roses in the Ocean for its first three years, thus covering some of its costs. During the past year, CaSS has managed to maintain its viability through some additional financial support from the council, other philanthropic organisations such as Rotary and also generous support from individuals. Without this support, Safe
Space would not be able to operate from the warm and welcoming house it rents at 74 Mostyn Street. Donations enable CaSS to survive
and thrive, and if you are interested in donating funds or services, please contact us, or donate directly via the link on our website www.castlemainesafespace.org, where you can also find out about volunteering opportunities.
Safe Space is open to receive guests every week, at 74 Mostyn Street on Tuesdays 4- 6.30 pm, Thursdays 9.30 am- 12 pm and Saturdays 1.30 pm- 4 pm.
Everyone is welcome to drop in.