To help prepare homes and properties for the fire danger period, Mount Alexander Shire Council is offering free green waste disposal to local residents and ratepayers between Saturday October 24 and Monday November 9.
Residents and ratepayers can dispose of garden and green waste at the Castlemaine and Maldon transfer stations at no charge over the 17-day period, which includes three weekends. See the Mail for more details.
Dispose of green waste for free
Tennis returns to Castlemaine
With the ease of restrictions, the Castlemaine Lawn Tennis Club (CLTC) were excited to host the Victoria UTR Series last Sunday October 4.
The Victoria UTR Series is a new and exciting Tennis Victoria event, with the inaugural series launched over the Term 3 school holidays across regional locations including Bendigo, Shepparton and Ballarat. Over 30 adult and junior players took to the court playing round robin matches, with many players having their first experience back on the tennis court and almost all players having their first experience with the UTR system. See the Mail for more.
Who is to blame?
Ian Braybrook, Castlemaine
Who is to blame for the spread of the Covid-19 virus from the hotel quarantine? Dan Andrews? Government Ministers? Department Heads? The Chief Health Officer? No! It is none of these. It is a handful of the people placed in quarantine who would not obey the rules. Instead, these selfish people proceeded to inflict the virus on the community; recklessly causing death, misery, and economic disaster.
Place the blame where it belongs. A group of people who were surely aware of the serious threat they posed; serious enough to have them placed in forced isolation. They knew the danger that they presented.
The blame rests squarely with those who treated the rules, and the rest of us, with contempt.
New council to provide boost for cycling?
A new peak body has been formed in the local region Mount Alexander Cycling (MAC) comprising the major cycling organisations in the shire, and other groups with a strong interest in cycling.
MAC’s members include the Castlemaine Rocky Riders Mountain Bike Club, Castlemaine Cycling Club, CycleSafe, Newstead Walks & Wheels, Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail Inc and The Maldon Classic.
MAC wants to see Mount Alexander Shire become an active cycling community, providing excellent opportunities for recreational, commuter, and competition riding, for a wide range of cycling abilities. The group say this would have substantial health, environmental, economic (tourism and cost-effective transport) and social benefits.
MAC recently sent a brief survey to candidates for the Mount Alexander Shire Council elections, asking whether they supported a range of activities to improve conditions for cycling in the shire and thus encourage more people to ride, more often. See the Mail for the full story.
Next generation
Kaye Swanton (former Castlemaine City Councillor), Castlemaine
How wonderful to see such a large interest in the upcoming council elections (Castlemaine Mail Sept 25). It reminds us that in these strange and unique times, community is at the forefront of our desire to connect and build social cohesion.
It’s particularly exciting to see such a large and varied field of candidates in the Castlemaine Ward. It foreshadows well a sense that the next generation of candidates is emerging.
I’ve always believed that each generation has a right to help shape the nature of their community-from social policy, to housing and
economic policy, environment and infrastructure.
When we cast our votes, we have a very real opportunity to shape the future of Mount Alexander Shire, to ensure that the new council reflects the rich diversity that is now synonymous with Castlemaine and surrounding communities.
Busy time for Magpies
Castlemaine Football Netball Club (CFNC) announced last week that former Under 18s coach Brodie Martin will continue on the coaching staff in 2021 as a Senior Assistant Coach.
CFNC president Caleb Kuhle told the Mail this week Martin has stepped into a senior assistant role under coach Don Moran as ‘Development Coach’.
The club president said it had been a big few weeks for the Magpies with the announcement that Senior Coach Don Moran would continue on with the club and the announcement of the ‘Master Plan’ to redevelop the facilities at Camp Reserve.
Kuhle thanked the Committee of Management of the Camp Reserve with their breakthrough in getting the ‘Master Plan’ up.
“We hope that now the plan has been approved we can work with council and the wider community to secure the funding to make the redevelopment of the facilities at the reserve a reality.”
Integration consultation begins
Mount Alexander Shire community members have the opportunity to have a say on the future of local community health and services.
The Boards of CHIRP Community Health and Castlemaine Health are developing a plan for the integration of community services to ensure the continued provision of accessible and responsive community health services for local communities, and are inviting community input.
Community and staff consultation on the integration plan commenced on Monday this week and is being undertaken to November 6.
There is a range of consultation opportunities available to have your say. You can fill in a survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CHIRPandCHCommunitySurvey or take part in one of a series of community consultation sessions. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now.
Meet the Candidates goes online
Business Mount Alexander (BMA), in partnership with Shedshaker Brewing, held a virtual ‘Meet the Candidates Forum’ on Thursday October 8.
BMA invited the 11 candidates for Castlemaine Ward to participate in the forum was live-streamed from the Taproom at The Mill Complex and hosted on the Castlemania Facebook page and BMA website.
All 11 candidates committed to being part of the event.
Keep It Local winners
Congratulations to the five winners in our Keep It Local promotion for 2020 – Ann Brereton, R. Taylor, Rod Hadfield, Deborah Coulthard and Bev Straw. Each wins a $100 voucher to spend at their chosen business thanks to the Castlemaine Mail.
Thanks to all those that entered the competition. We had a wonderful response and it was terrific to hear all the fantastic feedback about what you love about your local businesses. See this week’s Mail for more.
Shot in the arm for arts bodies
Three of Castlemaine ‘s key arts institutions have received a funding injection from the state government as part of efforts to help the creative sector get back on its feet in the wake of COVID.
The Castlemaine Art Museum, Castlemaine State Festival and Castlemaine live arts group, Punctum have each received a welcome shot in the arm.
Castlemaine Art Museum has got $94,970, Castlemaine State Festival $91,100, and Punctum’s ‘medicinal dose’ is $54,811.
“The creative sector has been hit hard by the pandemic and needs our support to survive,” Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards said, while in Castlemaine to announce the dollars being delivered via stage two of Creative Victoria’s Strategic Investment Fund. Read more in today’s Mail. 02.10.20.
Miller tells Max’s tale
Castlemaine writer Alex Miller says the central character of his newly released non-fiction book has been with him right from his earliest beginnings as a writer.
But only now, in writing Max, has he finally succeeded in sharing Max Blatt’s story with the world.
“There were times when I thought I couldn’t do it,” the celebrated writer says.
Readers of many of Miller’s fictional works will have encountered elements of Max Blatt – true friend, mentor and Jewish Nazi-resistance figure – in the earlier Miller milieu.
“He’s always been there somewhere,” the writer says.
Just released in recent days Max is significant in that it is Miller’s first full length work of non fiction, following numerous acclaimed works of fiction. Read more in today’s Mail… 02.10.20
Reopening of maternity service a step closer
Maternity services at Castlemaine Health are one step closer to re-opening with the framework for the new model of care on track to be in place by the beginning of October.
The Castlemaine Health Maternity Services Operational Model of Care Working Group, who have been meeting since August 2020, now have a clear, overarching view of the service and are building in the details.
The model of care defines how each element of the service will operate and maps out how consumers will access and experience the service as they move through antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care.
Castlemaine Health CEO Ian Fisher said they are well on their way to re-opening the maternity service.
“One of the things we’re especially pleased about is that consumers have had a real seat at the table where the decisions are being made,” Mr Fisher said.
“Their voices are being heard and they are having a direct impact on the new service. We want to thank them for being part of this process.”
The Working Group has gathered feedback from the Maternity Services Consumer Committee, elected to represent the community, about what women value in maternity care.
One of the elements deemed most highly valued was continuity of care, including during a transfer, so women are able to develop trusting relationships with the same caregivers throughout pregnancy, labour and birth, and into the early weeks of mothering. Communication, collaboration between members of the care team and feeling listened to also ranked high on the list.
May Pratt and Claire Nightingale are members of the Maternity Services Consumer Committee. They are also consumer representatives on the Maternity Services Operational Model of Care Working Group.
A mother of four children, all born at Castlemaine Health, May describes herself as a local mum who wanted to make sure the wonderful service she experienced continued.
“I feel so lucky to have had my babies at Castlemaine Health,” May said.
“Having a local maternity service is so important. When you have a baby you want to be as close to your community as possible,” she said.
“I’m delighted to see that everybody involved in the Working Group is on the same track and working to achieve the best possible outcomes for birthing women.”
Mum of two Claire works in public health research. Her working life has taken her to Papua New Guinea and then to Myanmar, where she received her antenatal care for both children.
“There’s a real diversity of experience on the Working Group and support for both the clinical and consumer point of view,” Claire said.
“Local people are invested in the maternity service at Castlemaine Health and it can be hard to move away from something that has existed for so long,” she said.
“But I have confidence the service will re-open in a way that is absolutely fantastic for women. Where they receive real continuity of care. Where they build relationships with their caregivers, birth close to their community and never feel like a number.”