All ethics so far evolved rest on a single premise: that the individual is a member of a community of interdependent parts.  

The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants and animals, or, collectively: the land.

We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.

Our tools are better than we are, and grow better faster than we do. They suffice to crack the atom, to command the tides. But they do not suffice for the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it.

Conservation will ultimately boil down to rewarding the private landowner who conserves the public interest.

Recreational development is a job not of building roads into lovely country but of building receptivity into the still unlovely human mind.

Conservation, without a keen realisation of its vital conflicts, fails to rate as authentic human drama. It falls to the level of a mere utopian dream.

Aldo Leopold, from The Essential Aldo Leopold, published by University of Wisconsin Press

Welcome to the December edition of Localising Leanganook ‘s e-newsletter. Enjoy our feature article: ‘Creating Happiness in a World of Polarities’ prepared by Laurel Freeland.   The newsletter also includes regular updates on upcoming local events for the month of December, plus activities that contribute towards localisation.  We hope you enjoy it.

Cheers, Nikki, Keppel, and Laurel

Note to Contributors and Readers

Localising Leanganook’s e-news continues to grow from strength to strength, reaching more than 700 subscribers. The monthly newsletter  includes an ever expanding range of localising events, programs and creative initiatives  in  our central Victorian region.  If you’ve got items for inclusion in future editions, let our editing team know – nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au. To help our editing team, please email through information you’d like included in the following format: program/project/event name plus date, time and location if relevant; summary of event/issue/program, in word format; accompanying photo as a JPEG or PNG only.

December’s edition includes:

1. Feature Article:
2. Arts and Culture
3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security
4. Ecology and Environment
5. First Nations
6. Sustainable Living Resources
7. Building Community
8. The Spirit and the Sacred
9. Local Government News
10. Workshops and Courses
11. Letters
12. Food for Thought

1. Feature Article: Creating Happiness in a World of Polarities

Nine years ago Castlemaine and surrounds hosted an un-conference for people interested in creating real and sustainable change to ensure that local and global communities and ecologies can recover and thrive.  It was a phenomenal program that filled every venue in town with multiple events over three days in October 2015.  It was called Local Lives, Global Matters.  The reality is that we are all connected – globally, locally, and inter-dimensionally.   Whist many people are turning off mainstream media, the attention market and excessive consumerism,  it pays to have some awareness about the impact that world events have on us locally and the impact we make on the world.  This was part of the awareness-raising of the original un-conference. 

I was privileged recently to attend a private online event with Dr. Julia Kim, who is the International Program Leader for the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Centre  in Bhutan, through The Great Turning, Findhorn.  Prior to living in Bhutan, Dr Kim worked as a medical doctor and HIV researcher in Africa and Asia, before serving with the United Nations in New York. She is an associate of the Presencing Institute and an Executive Committee member of the Club of Rome.  It was a fascinating talk.

Dr Kim covered a lot of ground from a systems perspective in her short talk, sharing emerging lessons from Bhutan and Gross National Happiness (GNH), and research of wellbeing and leadership.  She shared with us how GNH came about and how it is going now.  She also took us through the four pillars of GNH: good governance, sustainable development, preservation and promotion of culture, and environmental conservation, as well as the Nine Domains of GNH. GNH is a powerful juxtaposition and perhaps an antidote to measuring our success with Gross Domestic Product.

It was a deep dive into how some countries are addressing the material and spiritual wealth of their nation.  Hence the reference to Local Lives, Global Matters conference. 

Dr Kim’s talk was  about shifting the dial to happiness, wellbeing and connection. Most people want to be happy, especially when the world looks like it is heading deeper into troubled times in a polycrisis of ecological, social and spiritual disconnection.  Shifting the nation to a Gross National Happiness focus, over a Gross Domestic Product focus is an exemplar of how we might shift our dial towards greater individual and collective happiness, wellbeing and connection in Australia.

She shared the importance of inner and outer transformation, some indicators of wellbeing and happiness, and emerging lessons from Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness program.  Her work is firmly embedded in a systems approach, looking at wholes – a framework for seeing inter-relationships, rather than things; patterns of change rather than static snapshots; seeing root-causes rather than symptoms.

How GNH Began

Dr Kim shared the story of how Gross National Happiness began: ‘It begins with a visionary king, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, the fourth king of Bhutan, who came to the throne as a young man in the 1970s. And he was asked by a reporter, what is the GNP, the gross national product, of Bhutan? Instead of giving a number, he said that gross national happiness is more important than gross national product, thereby coining that phrase. And it’s really interesting that around the same time, a young senator, Robert Kennedy, was on the campaign trail and gave a very famous speech where he noted that GNP actually ‘measures everything except that which makes life worthwhile.’

Defining Happiness

Dr Kim quotes the first Prime Minister of Bhutan when he was defining happiness. He said: “True abiding happiness cannot exist while others suffer and comes only from serving others, living in harmony with nature, and realising our innate wisdom.”

This profound definition of happiness brings together the three disconnects that Otto Scharmer refers to in his work on U-theory – the disconnect from self, from others, and from nature.   This is what we see and experience, but it is only the visible part of the iceberg.  A lot is going on underneath; structures, paradigms of thought and sources of inspiration that aren’t immediately apparent.

These two pieces of information from the King and the Prime Minister gave me such pause for thought: that a person of power, the King, announced a new measure – happiness –  for the good of the whole nation.  Such a courageous and visionary act to initiate structures of policy and governance that supported social and ecological awareness and equity.  Then backed up by the words of the Prime Minister about what brings about true abiding happiness, it made such a deep impression on me.

In making happiness – the foundation of human needs – a goal of societal change,  I couldn’t help but speculate how we could do this in our nation.  Individual happiness, collective happiness, national happiness.  What structures and practices set the conditions in Australia or even just in our local communities?   What spiritual awareness, values and mindsets contribute to happiness?  We see snatches of this in evolving our community sovereignty, our deepening connections, degrowth education and practices, permaculture, regenerativity, indigenous wisdom, community sovereignty, local projects.

GNH is fundamentally about balancing both material and spiritual development

• Outer systems change, new measurements and new policies, and
• Inner transformation, the shift in consciousness, the values and the mindsets for what should be really propelling an economy and society.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and what it counts

GNH can be juxtaposed with GDP, which emerged in the 1940 after the great depression and world war.  ‘It was never meant to be taken as a reflection of a country’s success or progress and has always been problematic for three reasons:

1. What it counts is basically only marketed economic activity. And all of this is counted as positive, even if it leads to more pollution or illness.
2. It fails to count many of the activities that actually enhance our sense of wellbeing and happiness, but are not part of the formal market economy. And a lot of these came forward during the COVID pandemic. The unpaid care that happens in households, the strength of communities.
3. Even though the GDP number can continue to go up, it is often covering up uneven growth and rising inequalities in countries. And yet it’s still taken as a measure of how countries are doing, and politicians feel under a great pressure to show how GDP is increasing.

The GNH Survey values the importance of outer transformation that is intended to create an enabling environment for wellbeing.

The survey aligns with the vision for Bhutan – happiness and wellbeing of all life, and the purpose of the economy.

It measures across 9 domains and 33 indicators.  The 9 domains are seen as interdependent and balance both material & intangible factors for wellbeing (e.g. Time use, community vitality, cultural diversity, resilience).

It enables as many people as possible to meet sufficiency thresholds and pick up those who fall behind.  It counters the belief that more and more GDP is either desirable or possible.  The vision is happiness and wellbeing of all life, and this is the purpose of the economy.

The infographic shown depicts nine domains and the 33 indicators from the Centre for Bhutan & GNH Studies (CBS) which conducts the national GNH survey.   Dr Kim shared a simplified adaption (mini GNH survey) so we could rate our own experience on each of the domains. It was an enlightening process to measure individual ratings on a spider chart.

The Earth Charter and the Wellbeing Economy

Dr Kim also refers to The Earth Charter: ‘Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions and ways of living.  We must realise that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about BEING more, not HAVING MORE.’

It was boldly stating the obvious yet it made an impact.  This is the missing piece in our first world culture: how we are being, not what we’ve got. 

However, in order to shift towards a wellbeing economy, there are challenges, both structural and in relation to mindsets and culture. Dr Kim sees this as requiring a willingness to reclaim our attention and detox from a constant barrage of advertising, distraction and manipulation, and to shift towards 7^th generation thinking and living into our highest human potential, whether that’s the culture and the aspiration of bodhisattva in the East, Ubuntu – ‘I am because you are’ – which comes from southern Africa, seventh generation thinking, or ego to eco consciousness, expanding our sense of self, and seeing ourselves as part of the whole.’  As she notes, we are living at a time when neuroscience research and the practices of ancient wisdom traditions are converging, and can point to possibilities to meet these challenges, and support individual and collective wellbeing.

Reclaiming our attention: 4 Pillars of Wellbeing (from the Healthy Minds Framework, Centre for Health Minds, University of Madison-Wisconsin)

• Awareness – being present
• Connection – appreciation, kindness, compassion
• Insight – how our minds work (e.g. the narratives we tell ourselves)
• Purpose – values, principles, motivation amidst challenges

Perception and Reality

Dr Kim mentioned the tendency of outsiders to see Bhutan as a Shangri-La, even though the country is facing its own challenges, including rural-urban migration, globalization and exposure to consumerism and social media, growing youth unemployment and out-migration.  In many senses, GNH is better viewed as a journey rather than a destination.  As the first PM of Bhutan noted, the country is still struggling to meet the basic needs of its people.  But as he pointed out,  ‘what separates us is that we have made happiness – the foundation of human needs – a goal of societal change.’

She recounted what some of Bhutan’s policies have prioritized:

• The lack of billboard advertising, the sacredness and abundance of nature, 60% forests, a ban on mountaineering in the country
• The first and only carbon negative country in the world
• High value, low impact tourism
• Prioritised free basic health care and education
• Teachers and health care workers the highest paid civil servants in the country
• Meditation and GNH values are incorporated into education
• All while advancing key social indicators – reducing poverty and infant mortality, rising life expectancy and primary school enrolment

It’s an impressive list for a small country with a small GDP. 

Dr Kim also drew on the work of Otto Scharmer and U-Theory, Donella Meadows’ systems thinking, Joanna Macy, The Wellbeing Economy Alliance, Kate Raworth, the Centre for Healthy Minds, and a quote from Buddha:

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.”

I see Bhutan as world leaders is this regard and want to encourage our government and citizens to start creating the conditions and measuring what really counts. 

I have reflected a good deal on the condition of happiness. Individually it’s a feeling. It might be a fleeting smile as I pass a stranger, a bigger smile if they have a dog. It may be a feeling of satisfaction if I’ve done something that is right for me or someone I care about, even when I may have initially felt reluctant. It can be generated internally with a deliberate decision, but it is certainly easier to be happy if the conditions of my life support that state of being:  if enough of the 33 indicators in the GNH survey align with my life; if I have sufficient time, resources, housing, income, friends, support networks and I am sharing those reciprocally; fresh clean air, trees, clean water and fresh food. Some things I don’t recognize that contribute to my happiness until they are in short supply. I am sure it is different for different folks but autonomy, integrity, agency, being true to self, authenticity, and personal and community sovereignty are up there for me. I have family and friends.  It is safe to speak up. When I did the mini GNH survey activity during our session, I found two domains were wanting: Time management and financial wellbeing. I had to look where my time was being hijacked, what boundaries I had not made clear, and where and how my finances have been eroded.  It made me sit up and pay attention.  Personal responsibility yes, but I can see structural disconnects in my world.  I can see how creating structural and policy supports for material needs and allowance for spiritual practices support the conditions for happiness.  They certainly can make a difference to the social and ecological equity for all beings.  As a first world country, I believe that in Australia, we can collectively improve conditions for all life on this continent.

Acknowledgements

With thanks to Matte Porte and team at Findhorn Foundation,  The Great Turning- https://greatturning.net/  for hosting such an enlightening series of speakers and discussions.  It is a brilliant program.

Author’s Note The notes in italics are my thoughts and reflections.  Any mistakes are my own in transcribing my course notes and quotes from the presenter.

References

This  article  is a compilation of a talk by Dr Julia Kim about Bhutan’s GNH approach from  a recent online talk for Findhorn Community: Islands of Coherence in A Chaotic World

Links: The Great Turning- https://greatturning.net/   GNH Centre Bhutan – https://www.gnhcentrebhutan.org/   https://www.gnhcentrebhutan.org/our-facilitators-and-speakers/

For Dr. Kim’s current bio go to  https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-kim-36873644/?originalSubdomain=ca

https://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/

https://weall.org/what-is-wellbeing-economy

https://earthcharter.org/education-sustainable-development/

https://www.u-school.org/theory-u

https://workthatreconnects.org/dimensions-of-the-great-turning/

https://www.kateraworth.com/

2. Arts and Culture

Corker Concert

Castlemaine’s own community orchestra with Mainesong Choir.

When: Sunday December 1 2024 at 2pm

Where: Newstead Community Centre

Cost: $12 cash at the door.

More info: www.corkerorchestra.com

Radius Art Gallery

Funk’n House Dance Night

Get your boogie shoes on for a night of retro tunes!

When: Saturday 7th December 8pm ’til late

Where: Radius Art Gallery, 76 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs

Cost: $10 tix at the door

Mellow Out Market

What better way to end 2024 than a community celebration.  Mellow Out Market will be a fun filled day of connection and good vibes.

> Locally created gifts / arts / crafts

> Little Theatre (Kids & Adults shows), face painting, live portraits

> Live music & DJ’s

When: Saturday 14th December 11am ’til late

Where: Radius Art Gallery, 76 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs

Cost: free

For more information visit https://www.radiusart.com.au/market

ENCORE EVENT Monday December 2 2024, 6pm-7.30pm, Northern Arts Hotel

What: Join with Degrowth Central Victoria and Friends Troupe: An Encore Words in Winter Performance – a journey of song, story-telling and poetry feeding the soul.  Come and compost your mind.  Be transported to other realms!  Join in communal singing.

Who: Kirstie – Curator, Kirsten – Acapella, Peter – Storyteller, Anitra – Poet, Maddie – Musician, Noa – Poet, Taylor – storyteller, Derry – Poet and Muso, Ryan – Musician

Free, purchase drinks at the bar.

Newstead Live Music Festival January 2025

Australian folk-roots music festival in the historic country town of Newstead.

Newstead Live Music Festival takes place over the last weekend in January, when a range of diverse and highly regarded international and national artists perform in live music venues, concert spaces, workshops, impromptu sessions, spoken word performances and open-mic sessions. Music for all ages and a variety of genres.

Newstead Live is managed by a voluntary body of members working together to develop their community.

When: January 24-27, 2025

Where: venues around Newstead – see program on website for details

More info and bookings: https://www.newsteadlive.com/

Daylesford Museum

The Daylesford Museum holds a wonderful collection of artefacts, photographs and rich historical records related to the local community.  In 1914 Daylesford and district communities sought to raise funds for the Belgium people so badly impacted by the war. A doll named Sylvia was displayed in Tyler’s drapery store, raffled at 6d a ticket and won by Mrs Hoath of Sailors Hill.  The doll was damaged during a robbery at the museum but now repaired and on fine display. More information about the exhibits here: https://daylesfordmuseum.net/

The Museum is operated by the Historical Society, a not-for-profit and entirely volunteer based organisation.

Open Saturday 11am-3pm 100 Vincent St, Daylesford. Adults: $5  Children: free

Newstead Arts Hub

Newstead Artist Market

Young Writers Holiday Writing Program 

Want to learn more about the art of writing, and work on your own writing project? Newstead Writers invites senior secondary students to a summer holiday writing program.  Award winning local writer Cate Kennedy will host two workshops at the Newstead Arts Hub during the school holidays. Working with you, Cate will explore the principles of great writing, how to release your inner creativity and support your holiday writing goal.

When: First session Dec 14, 2-4, January check in online, Session 2 – Feb 15. (dates and times TBC)

Contact Leni Shilton leni.shilton@me.com or 0466612972 for all queries.

More information for all events and programs: https://newsteadartshub.org/whats-on/

Northern Arts Hotel

The Northern Arts Hotel is a wonderful place to gather for workshops, events, and film screenings. It is developing a growing reputation for The Coolroom program of regular music, spoken word, and film events. See the ongoing program of community events.  359 Barker St Castlemaine.

This month’s acts include:

Friday 6th December at 7.30pm: The Anticlinal Fold: The Carol of the Bells (Asylum Seeker Resource Centre fundraiser)

Saturday 7th December at 7.30pm: Peter and the Wolves: Summer Soiree

Saturday 14th December at 7.30pm: Maggie Jackson NY Jazz Trio: Maggie Sings Christmas!

For more information and bookings, visit https://northernartshotel.com.au/the-coolroom/

3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security

YIMBY Composting

YIMBY is a community-run backyard composting project based in Castlemaine, Victoria.

Yimby aims to reduce methane emissions by diverting organics from landfill and using localised transport; to close the loop on (re)cycling food organics in our local community and to grow the availability of good soil, with compost; and to build community resilience by connecting people in neighbourhoods and building skills.

To our knowledge there is no other program like this in Australia.

For more information: https://www.yimbycompost.com/

Next workshop: Continuous Hot Composting: Saturday 1st February 2025. More information and bookings here.

Food Pantry- Castlemaine – The CCH Food Pantry is open for anyone and everyone!

This initiative aims to complement the existing services provided by The Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul in the Shire of Mount Alexander, addressing the increasing demand for food relief in our community.

No appointments are necessary, simply drop into Community House, see our friendly reception staff for directions to the pantry, and then help yourself.

When: 9.00am – 3.00pm, Monday to Friday
Where: Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton St.

Donate: Want to make a contribution?  Cash donations go a big way to supporting this free community service.  If you are in the position to help, we greatly accept good-quality non-perishable food and toiletry item such as: Pasta, noodles and rice, Canned fruit, vegetables and soups, Tea, coffee and spreads, Flour, sugar and sauces, Long-life milk and breakfast cereal, Shampoo, tooth paste and sanity products etc, Dog or cat food

Harcourt Food Crew

Remember the launch of Fruit Crew, our volunteer exchange program, for the 2024/25 season!

Joining Fruit Crew will give you a chance to learn fruit-growing skills, connect with your local organic farm, and have fun outdoors with a team of like-minded people. We ran the program in the 2023/24 fruit season, and it was hugely successful!

Mt Franklin Organics

I will be at Daylesford Sunday market this week with lots of seedlings,  seeds and the first lot of berries as well as garlic . Got a huge range of tomato plants especially well suited to our region. For those of you who can’t  make it to the market, I will be around on Saturday between 1.00 and 3.00pm, please text or ring first:  0412 517 013

Address is 180 church Rd, Mt Franklin, come down the driveway and park at the shed.

Two Fold Bakehouse

See them every Sunday atat the Daylesford Market from 8am – 3pm, or check here for other pick up points: https://twofoldbakehouse.com/

4. Ecology and Environment

Natural Newstead Blog – Recent Raptor Highlights

Photographer Geoff Park shares some more of his exquisite bird photos in this latest post, this time of hunting raptors including the Spotted Harrier and the Black-Shouldered Kite.

The post and photos can be viewed here, or visit his homepage here to view older posts and Geoff’s reflections on local bird life and ecology.

Plant Selector- choosing indigenous plants for your garden

Calling all gardeners in the Mount Alexander Shire! Plant Selector is your essential tool for choosing indigenous plants that will not only thrive in your garden but also support local wildlife. With expert local plant knowledge at your fingertips, you’ll be able to confidently select from 100 native species adapted to the unique conditions of our region. Start growing a garden that meets your needs and benefits nature.

This tool was created by Dr Cassia Read at the Castlemaine Institute. Local plant experts Frances Cincotta (Newstead Natives) and Ian Higgins (Friends of Campbells Creek) rigorously reviewed the tool and provided local insights about growing these plants.

All plants included on this website are found growing naturally across Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country). We acknowledge the work of Dja Dja Wurrung in caring for Djandak over millennia and we hope that Plant Selector will support the essential work of healing this upside-down Country.

To use the tool visit: https://ci.org.au/plantselector

5. First Nations

International Mountain Day by DJAARA December 11, 2024 9.30am-1.00pm

When: Wednesday, 11 December, 2024, 9:30am – 1:00pm
Where: Lalgambuk (Mt Franklin),
between Castlemaine and Daylesford, Hepburn Shire, Victoria

The day will include a smoking and welcome ceremony,
storytelling and truth telling around the campfire,
cultural activities to connect with Country
including a nature walk, cultural demonstrations,
sensing Country and mindfulness.

For more details: https://djadjawurrung.com.au/projects/imd/

International Mountain Day walks

There are several walking tours being led by Barry Golding for International Mountain Day exploring the cultural heritage of sacred mountains around central Victoria. These include:

6 Dec: Mount Koroocheang

7 Dec: Lyanganuk balluk (Mount Alexander)

8 Dec: Dharrung Gauwa (Mount Tarrengower)

9 Dec: Mount Greenock

10 Dec: Nyaninuk (Mount Beckwith)

All walks are free, registration required. For more info and bookings, visit: https://www.gdt.org.au/events

6. Sustainable Living Resources

7. Building Community

8. The Spirit and the Sacred

Yandoit Sacred

When: Saturday December 14th, 2pm

Where: Yandoit Uniting Church, Uniting Church Rd, (off High St), Yandoit

Join with others from around our district to explore the sacred and the spirit in our lives.

Yandoit Sacred is a sanctuary, a place for stillness and silence, a place for ceremony, prayer, song and ritual. It is an ecumenical place of connection beyond religious or philosophical divisions, where we foster curiosity about how to live in the world with love and joy and wisdom as we face the challenges and big questions for humanity and other species at this time. Yandoit Sacred is a gathering place where our hunger to share the deepest movements of our hearts can be fed. It is a community beyond denominations, open to the mystery; a community where our gifts are nurtured and appreciated; a community open to wisdom teachers, past present and emerging.

Yandoit Sacred meets every 6 weeks.

Enquiries: nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au or 0432 232 073

Christmas Carols at Yandoit with Castlemaine Choir

Join us at Yandoit’s old Uniting Church in the bush and sing your heart out with an evening of Christmas carols led by Jane Thompson and James ….and the Castlemaine choir. Castlemaine Parish Minister, Sarah Tomilson, will share a little of the Christmas story as well . Families and children especially welcome.

When: Friday December 20th, 7.00pm

Where: Yandoit Uniting Church, Uniting Church Rd, (off High St ) Yandoit

The Castlemaine Johannine Community at the Grail Chapel

It’s one week until the beginning of Advent and you might like to start preparing.

Among the foundational purposes of incarnation is transformation and personal and spiritual development, yet these are increasingly uncommon pursuits. My regular message is about our need to consciously reconnect to the realms of the numinous, and the timeless methods are still meditation and prayer.

We need to take time out from the busy-ness of material existence and the freneticism of the ‘silly season’ and devote some time to reverent contemplation and the cultivation of an inner life. Advent is a time that is especially potent for attuning to the heavens. To help focus your devotions this season, you might consider the creation of an advent altar, with an advent candle to burn daily, and/or an advent wreath with its four (plus one) candles, some flowers and perhaps a nativity scene.

Sunday 1st December Advent Eucharist 11 am followed by shared lunch

Midnight Mass Christmas Eve beginning at 11 pm

New Years Eve Meditation 7pm

All enquiries to Ken Killeen – Johannine@hotmail.com    https://www.grailcommunity.com/

9. Local Government News

Hepburn Shire – Hepburn Life November 2024

Congratulations to new New Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors

Cr Don Henderson, Cr Brian Hood, Cr Lesley Hewitt, Cr Tony Clark, Cr Tim Drylie, Cr Pat Hockey and Cr Shirley Cornish were sworn in as Councillors on 14 November in front of the CEO, Bradley Thomas, friends and family, and Council staff.  Congratulations to Cr Don Henderson for being elected Mayor and Cr Lesley Hewitt Deputy Mayor for the first year of the new Council term. The election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor took place at a Statutory Meeting of Council this week. We wish Cr Henderson and Cr Hewitt well in their new roles serving the people of Hepburn Shire.

Find out what else is happening around Hepburn Shire in Hepburn Life Newsletter.  It’s comprehensive and informative. Follow this link: https://mailchi.mp/hepburn/november-2024?e=cd0bb68021

Mount Alexander Shire

Congratulations to new Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors

Councillor Rosie Annear is the new Mayor of Mount Alexander Shire Council, after being elected by Councillors for a one-year term at the November meeting of Council. Cr Annear, who represents the Barkers Creek Ward, was elected to Council in October 2020 and most recently served as Deputy Mayor for the 2023/2024 term.

Councillor Toby Heydon, who represents the Forest Creek Ward, was elected Deputy Mayor for the 2024/2025 term. Cr Heydon joined Council in October 2024.

New and returning councillors elected in October’s local government elections include Cr Annear (Barkers Creek Ward, Cr Heydon (Forest Creek Ward), Cr Lucas Maddock (Moonlight Creek Ward), Cr Bill Maltby (Campbells Creek Ward), Cr Phillip Walker (Coliban Ward), Cr Matthew Driscoll (Loddon River Ward), Cr Tony Cordy (Calder Ward) and Cr Rosalie Hastwell (Tarrengower Ward).

We wish Cr Annear, Cr Heydon and all the new and returning councillors all the very best in their new roles serving the people of Mount Alexander Shire.

Find out what else is happening around Mount Alexander Shire by visiting their news page: https://www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Council/News-and-updates

10. Workshops and Courses

Introduction to Band weaving – Inkle loom workshop with Ilka White

When: Saturday, December 7, 2024 10:00 AM
Sunday, December 8, 2024 4:00 PM

Where: Uniting Church Hall, 12 Lyttleton Street, Castlemaine, VIC,

11. Letters

12. Food for Thought

Environmentalist. Conservationist. What’s the difference? A fascinating interview with a biographer of the influential US conservationist Aldo Leopold.

US Lawmakers urge Biden to pardon Assange to send ‘clear message’ on media freedom (The Guardian Online) Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Patrick McGovern write a bipartisan letter to President Biden urging him to pardon the Australian publisher and activist.

And  finally, for the holiday break, here are some varied but worthwhile podcasts and blogs for you to explore, writing on degrowth, simple living, resacralisation, sensemaking and peacemaking

Nate Hagens: The Great Simplification – Youtube channel with a rich array of episodes interviewing scientists and thinkers on diverse topics including degrowth, climate crisis, economics and rebuilding community

Paul Kingsnorth – Substack blog – writes on relocalisation, simple living and resacralising our lives

Daniel Schmachtenberger :The Consilience Project and countless interviews – sensemaking, education vs propaganda, meeting the existential crisis of our time

The New Enlightenment with Ashley: interesting Youtube channel with economist Ashley Hodgson exploring paradigm shifts in economics, governance and knowledge

Glenn Greenwald ‘System Update’  news and analysis channel – free speech, censorship and the military-industrial complex

Samer Sinjilawi and Gershon Baskin on X (Palestinian and Israeli peace activists) – new initiatives for peace in Israel – Palestine

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Who would dream for us to be better if it were not the artist? And who would show us the way if it were not for the storyteller?

Jamaica Osorio, cited in Emergence Magazine,  October 2024  https://emergencemagazine.org/ 

Welcome to the November edition of Localising Leanganook ‘s e-newsletter. Enjoy our feature article prepared by Ira from Murrnong Mammas Exclusivity at Harcourt Organic Farming Coop.  The newsletter also includes regular updates on upcoming local events for the month of November, plus activities that contribute towards localisation.  We hope you enjoy it.

Cheers, Nikki, Keppel, and Laurel

Note to Contributors and Readers

Localising Leanganook’s e-news continues to grow from strength to strength reaching more than 700 subscribers. The monthly newsletter  includes an ever expanding range of localising events, programs and creative initiatives  in  our central Victorian region.  If you’ve got items for inclusion in future editions, let our editing team know – (nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au). To help our editing team please email through information you’d like included in the following format: program/project/event name plus date, time and location if relevant; summary of event/issue/program, in word format; accompanying photo as a jpeg or png.

November’s edition includes:

1. Feature Article:
   
2. Arts and Culture
3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security
4. Ecology and Environment
5. First Nations
6. Sustainable Living Resources
7. Building Community
8. The Spirit and the Sacred
9. Local Government News
10. Workshops and Courses
11. Letters
12. Food for Thought

Feature Article: Exclusivity at Harcourt Organic Farming Coop 

Prepared by Ira- Murnong Mummas

Diversity at Harcourt Organic Farming Co-op goes beyond what’s cultivated from the land—it also encompasses the people who work and contribute to it, as well as truly valuing the countless generations of Djaara people who have been custodians of this place for time immemorial. This commitment to inclusivity
is central to HOFC’s identity, and something we are working hard at developing further.

Inclusivity here is grounded in collaboration, respect, and shared responsibility. Each member brings unique insights and experiences, and these are valued as integral to the decisions we make together. As a co-op member, I personally feel valued for my distinct perspective, knowing I can openly share my past and present experiences, whether as a First Nations person or someone from a Gender-Diverse background. My way of thinking and being in the world is respected—and it’s this foundation of respect that makes fostering collaboration and shared responsibility possible. Without truly feeling welcomed here, I wouldn’t be able to do the work that I do effectively.

The co-op takes a community-centered approach, creating opportunities for not only those working the land but also for the broader community to connect with, learn from, and appreciate it. Each enterprise brings people together in unique ways. Whether it’s the delight of supporting and enjoying the milk from
Sellar Farmhouse Creamery through a *CSA subscription,  (https://www.sellardairy.com.au/how-to-buy/#CSA-SUBSCRIPTION-FAQ), gathering to learn with community (and cake!) with *The Orchard Keepers’ Fruit Crew program (https://theorchardkeepers.com.au/volunteering/), or learning to cultivate and cook with Bushfoods with Murnong Mummas on the Bushfoods tours, each initiative fosters connection. This engagement helps the wider community understand our work and the passion that drives it—making our efforts deeply meaningful. Growing here is about more than produce; it’s about inviting others to walk with us, to learn, share, and appreciate this land together.

Inclusivity is central to how we operate. We make decisions collectively, ensuring that everyone’s voice is represented. “Being here is about sharing power and responsibility, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard in shaping the future of the land.” At HOFC, each member’s voice is valued, with our collaborative model aiming to foster a true sense of belonging and purpose. By committing to inclusivity, we create an environment where every perspective shapes our work, ensuring that the diverse needs of both the land and our community are respected.

HOFC members face Leanganook during the on-farm Cultural Competency Workshop held by Djaara “We acknowledge that we live and farm on Djaara country… we are grateful to Djaara for their leadership and commitment to working towards Djaara management of Leanganook”.  We hope that by sharing our journey of connecting with Djaara, we can inspire other landowners and farmers to take a similar path. By listening to and respecting Djaara’s values and aspirations for Country, we aim to weave these into our vision for the land HOFC is on. Walking together with First Nations Peoples to care for the land is essential to us, as it brings mutual benefit. We are committed to reconciliation and to continually educating ourselves about First Nations cultures and
challenges, so we can serve this land and honor those who have cared for it for countless generations.

“It’s not just about farming but about how we interact with the community and the land in a way that benefits everyone involved.” The co-op emphasizes the importance of diverse voices—whether through the active involvement of First Nations enterprises like Murnong Mummas, relationship building with communities like Djaara, or through collaborative land ownership and farming practices. Inclusivity is not only about representation but about shaping decisions collectively, ensuring everyone in the community, including those interacting with the land, contributes to its future direction and sustainability.

REPORTS ETC REFERENCED IN THIS ARTICLE
All quotes within this article have been taken from the following reports, plans and papers which were a part of the WWF Innovate to Regenerate Grant, all of which can be found at https://hofcoop.com.au/innovate-to-regenerate-grant-from-wwf-australia/
You can learn more about what collaborative farming means to us in this briefing paper:  https://hofcoop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/HOFC-Collaborative-land-ownership-Briefing-Paper

You can learn more about our plans for the farm and how we have approached documenting this in our Whole Farm Plan: https://hofcoop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Whole-Farm-Plan_HOFC_Thriving-Rural_Working-

You can learn more about what values drive action at HOFC in our Small Farm Viability Case Study Report: https://hofcoop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/HOFC_Small-farm-Viability-Case-Study-Report-1.pdf
You can learn more about HOFC’s commitment to valuing Djaara’s input in this blog…https://hofcoop.com.au/2024/07/11/listening-to-djaara/

2. Arts and Culture

Maldon Folk Festival

November 1st -4th

Maldon Folk Festival, located in Central Victoria, has been held annually for more than five decades. Experience the legendary festival atmosphere, showcasing an abundance of music, and dance in the historic, National Trust Classified Maldon township.

Each year we provide a long weekend of quality folk, bluegrass, a little jazz, a little blues music, and dance and interactive workshops at affordable prices, to suit all age groups. All venues are walking distance from the centre of town and have access for people with a disability.

Yandoit Cultural

Bendigo musician Matthew Burke will perform at Yandoit Cultural – Guitar and vocals.

Matthew will perform covers and original songs including songs from Ricki Nelson, Neil Diamond, America, Alan Jackson and Buddy Holly.

Matthew will include songs from his own albums and share some of the stories associated with his music.

When: Friday November 8^th, 2024,  7.00pm

Where: Yandoit Cultural- the old church in the bush, Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit.  

Entry by donation- support our local musicians.

For more information and to book:  https://yandoitcultural.org/

Newstead Arts Hub- What’s On

• Nov Workshop – 3 Sundays in November – Plein-air oil painting with Mark Dober
• Nov Exhibition: Places Revisited…Again! Bill Beasley
• Unleash – Art Auction: Nov 9. Come along to buy great art, support the Hub and have fun!
• Hub Writers Group: Let’s Shut Up and Write! Next sessions –  Nov 22

Dig around for that piece you’ve been longing to sell or the one that no longer fits on your wall. Click on red button above and be part of this wonderful event. 2D and 3D work in all styles are welcome . We’re creating a fabulous fun auction event with food, wine & those great Hub vibes !! Need more info ? Get in touch – info@newsteadartshub.org

EOI for 2025 – Calling all artists- Exhibition spaces at the Hub

We’ve opened up our calendar for 2025!

Unleash your Hidden Art Submit your Auction piece!

The Hub is a wonderful exhibition space and we love to see all kinds of art from all kinds of artists, at all ages and stages. Email us at info@newsteadartshub.org to discuss your ideas or submit a short proposal at https://newsteadartshub.org/venue-hire/. Don’t worry if it’s not a fully formed idea yet…just a sentence or two will get the ball rolling! We are also keen to hear of your ideas for workshops and events, all ideas are welcome no matter how big or small! Let’s talk about all things Art. EOI’s Close 31 October!

Newstead Writers Group: Monthly ‘Let’s Shut Up & Write’! Fourth Friday, each month – 1pm to 5pm.  
Our next afternoon session is Friday 22 Nov, 1-5pm –   The Hub Writers Group is self-organising and supports everyone to write at their own pace. We have tables and chairs, so you only need to bring what you need to write.   In the evening you can join the first ‘Writers Read’ event on Friday 22 November 6.30-8pm.  This is an invitation to read something you have written, perhaps at a Newstead Writers Shut Up and Write session, or elsewhere in your writing life. Poetry, prose, experimental – any form but you will only have three minutes!  This will be a super-supportive environment to take the plunge. An old hand at reading your work? This event is for you too!  We’ll order pizza, wine and other refreshments, with a $10 donation at the door to cover food and venue. All writers welcome. Please let us know you are coming by email to leni.shilton@me.com or text 0466612972.

Young Writers Holiday Writing Program Advance notice for secondary students.

First session Dec 14, 2-4, January check in online, Session 2 – Feb 15.

Want to learn more about the art of writing, and work on your own writing project? Newstead Writers invites senior secondary students to a summer holiday writing program.  Award winning local writer Cate Kennedy will host two workshops at the Newstead Arts Hub during the school holidays. Working with you, Cate will explore the principles of great writing, how to release your inner creativity and support your holiday writing goal. Contact Leni Shilton leni.shilton@me.com or 0466612972 for all queries.

More information for all events and programs: https://newsteadartshub.org/whats-on/

Radius Art Gallery- Hepburn Springs

Movie and Meal Night: Asian Feast and Magical Film –Sunday 3rd November from 5.30pm

Feast & Flicks is our monthly celebration of food and film. This month join Charlie Si for a succulent 3 course banquet followed by a screening of the classic Studio Ghibli “Arrietty.

INFO + BOOKINGS

Living with Wildlife Book Launch 

Join local wild life expert Tanya Loos as she celebrates the publication of her latest book Living with Wildlife.  Possums in the roof? Echidnas in the garden? Living with Wildlife is packed full of advise and is an essential resource for all nature lovers.

BOOKINGS + INFO

Saturday 10th November | 4 – 5.30pm

Self Discovery and Creative Play Workshop

Would you like to explore the way you express your creative imagination?  Join local artist Gav Barbey for an immersive and participatory exploration of yourself. You will be led on a journey of self-discovery via art play, nature, movement & sound- Saturday 23rd November| 10am – 3pm

BOOKINGS + INFO

Northern Arts Hotel

THE COOLROOM DIARY [Click on links for event details]
MUSIC GIGS  [Usually at 7.30pm, Sunday at 6 or 6.30pm]
Friday 18 October | Jesse Lawrance Album Launch ‘Some Little Town’
Saturday 19 October | Castlemaine Chamber Players Heaven & Earth 3
Sunday 20 October 6pm | Miguel Rios live at The Coolroom  [W]
Friday 25 October | The Moonee Valley Drifters
Saturday 26 October | Twin Cinema album launch – Archipelago
Saturday 2 November | Hetty Kate Trio Australian Tour
Sunday 3 November, 6pm | Road to Tangier: A Satirist’s Journey
Saturday 9 November | Sally Ford & The idiomatics
Friday 15 November | Thieving Magpies – A World of Music [W]
Saturday 16 November | Kavisha & Charles: Island Songs [W]
Sunday 24 November 6pm  | Tom Woodward Revolving Doors Album Tour
Friday 29 November | Jeff Lang Album Launch More Life
Saturday 30 November | Goldfields Folk & Roots: Summer Folk
Saturday 7 December | Peter & The Wolves: Summer Soirée
FILM
Sunday 20 October 2.30pm | To Thank the Room Encore Screening
Monday 21 October 6pm, | To Thank the Room Encore Screening final.
SPOKEN WORD & REGULAR GROUPS
Thursday 17 October, 4pm | Maine-ly Ukes
Thursday 17 October ,7.30pm | Guildford Folk Club at The Coolroom
Saturday 19 October, 2.30pm | Celtic Singing Circle
Saturday 26 October 2.30pm | PoetiCas
Monday 28 October 5pm | Make a Zine, Encore!
NORTHERN ARTS HOTEL
Ongoing | Ethiopia, Hudad Plateau: A Self Portrait Series
Every Tuesday | Potluck Dinner from 7.30pm
Nightly Dusk to Dawn | Wimble St Wall 
[W] – World Music

3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security

Harcourt’s Fruit Crew

Read MOU and Apply for Fruit Crew 24/25

We’re delighted to announce the launch of Fruit Crew, our volunteer exchange program, for the 2024/25 season!

Joining Fruit Crew will give you a chance to learn fruit-growing skills, connect with your local organic farm, and have fun outdoors with a team of like-minded people. We ran the program in the 2023/24 fruit season, and it was hugely successful! Here’s what some of last year’s Crew had to say about their experience…

Being in a joint venture outside and contributing to organic food growing for the community. A massive healing contrast to my paid job. Working with great humans with similar values and…. The amazingly delicious fruit!

Learning about setting up and managing orchards. Also like bartering for goods and services with my skills and labour.

My good friend was doing it and invited me as I think she thought my mental health would benefit. Once on deck I felt the benefits of the physical “doing” and I loved learning so much. The gratitude of our hosts and the cake and coffee at break time were the icing on the cake (sometimes there was icing!!)

I wanted to learn more about growing fruit well. I also wanted to meet people in town with similar interests and food values. The fruit was a huge bonus!

I love that it’s a community engagement thing and educational also. I see it as free therapy being out in the air working in the earth.

I wanted to be involved in something that I felt strongly about (organic practices in growing food) and help those who are willing to do that.

A chance to learn and embed techniques, meet lovely people, and give back to a visionary farm so important to our community.

Fruit Crew runs at our farm in Harcourt on Wednesdays and Thursdays with shifts available in the morning, afternoon, or both. It will start this year on Wednesday, October 23. We ask that you only sign up for Fruit Crew if you can commit to at least 20 half-day shifts for the season. We offer an exchange of 5kg of fruit for each shift, plus you get a Skills and Theory lesson each week on a range of fruit-growing topics. There will be lots of yummy cake provided for morning and afternoon teas. 🎂😀

A new innovation this year is the introduction of Fruit Crew Leader positions to help guide and support our amazing team of volunteers. We’re also downsizing the orchard and focusing on more local markets and less wholesale. It’s part of a shift towards a more circular economy, not-for-profit, community-based model. Our goal is to create a truly sustainable long-term model for the Orchard Keepers so we can keep supplying delicious organic fruit to the community for many years to come.

Please get in touch if you have any questions, and we hope to see you in this year’s Fruit Crew.

Mt Franklin Organics

Florian from Mt Franklin Organics is back at the Daylesford Sunday market with lots of seedlings,  seeds and a bit of produce. For those of you who can’t  make it to the market, I will be around between midday and 2pm, please text first  0412 517 013

Address is 180 church Rd, Mt Franklin, come down the driveway and park at the shed

Fresh produce:

Dutch cream potatoes  $4.50/kilo ( also good for planting )

Leeks  $6 /bunch

Rhubarb  $4.50/bunch

Garlic chives, chives, thyme, dill, sage, coriander $2.50/bunch

Seedlings $3.50/punnet or 3 for $10

Spinach, lettuce  (3 varieties ), leeks, spring onions,  brown onions,  red onions, red chard, silverbeet,  pak choi, snowpeas,  peas,  artichokes,  Tuscan kale, broccoli, comfrey, horseradish,  lemon thyme,  thyme, mint, Vietnamese mint, chives, garlic chives,  tarragon, oregano, marigolds, climbing nasturtiums, alpine strawberries. ( other seedlings are on the way, as it gets warmer)

Tomato plants & Other Items:

Rouge de marmande – St. Pierre – oxheart  – black krim – black trifelle  – rainbow – indigo – aunt ruby – yellow perfection – purple cherokee  – tigerella  – green zebra – cosmic – tommy toe – black cherry  – yellow  pear  – blueberry – violet – jaune flame

6 packs of romas $10, Strawberries  $2.70/plant or 6 pack for $11, Red, black and white currants, Rhubarb $7/plant, Fig trees $10, Banana passionfruit  $10/plant

Happy to recycle small seedling punnets and pots to reuse.

Two Fold Bakehouse

Local bread for the local community.  Read our story

By ordering Thursday bread you are joining our bread family of farmers, millers and bakers who work to regenerate the land and value small scale, local food systems. Your support means we can bake to order, with no bread going to waste. Thursday bread, ordered online weekly as a one off, or monthly as a subscription with pick up each Thursday from Daylesford, Yandoit or Kyneton hubs.

Daylesford Sunday Railway Market 
September: 1st, 15th and 29th, October: 13th, 27th, 2024

Hepburn Wholefoods Collective Fresh bread every Thursday from 3:30pm

Food Pantry- Castlemaine – The CCH Food Pantry is open for anyone and everyone!

This initiative aims to complement the existing services provided by The Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul in the Shire of Mount Alexander, addressing the increasing demand for food relief in our community.

No appointments are necessary, simply drop into Community House, see our friendly reception staff for directions to the pantry, and then help yourself.

When: 9.00am – 3.00pm, Monday to Friday
Where: Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton St.

Donate: Want to make a contribution?  Cash donations go a big way to supporting this free community service.  If you are in the position to help, we greatly accept good-quality non-perishable food and toiletry item such as: Pasta, noodles and rice, Canned fruit, vegetables and soups, Tea, coffee and spreads, Flour, sugar and sauces, Long-life milk and breakfast cereal, Shampoo, tooth paste and sanity products etc, Dog or cat food

Castlemaine Seed Library

On the board for October we have Flat Leaf Parsley, Rainbow Chard, Garlic Chives, Dill, and Mixed lettuce, which can go in the ground now. For planting early, on a warm windowsill or in a greenhouse we have Mass Cross Cucumber, Coloured Corn (this is very pretty, and can be ground up for maize or popped), Butternut Squash, Lebanese Zucchini and more tomatoes….

Purple Ukrainian, (gorgeous, purple, egg-shaped tomatoes), Rouge de Marmande, (great for sauce or dehydrating), Beefsteak, (big ones), Lemon Drop, (a prolific, round, yellow cherry tomato), the mixed cherry tomatoes, (lots of different colour tomatoes in that mix), and Tomatillo, which is great for salsa.

Flowers are Echinacea, Oriental Poppies, a wildflower mix and Tallest Sunflowers.

The next working bee is Thursday November 7th, usual time, 11am in the library foyer.

4. Ecology and Environment

Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation.  What is ours to do? (Laurel Freeland, LL eNews Co-editor)

In 2018 I attended the ‘Great Debate – can we reverse global warming within a meaningful time frame?’ at the Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne.  One of the speakers was Paul Hawken.  He arrived early and sat down in the seat next to me at the front on my left.  He immediately voiced that he didn’t to talk to anyone as he wanted to relax and be prepared.  I nodded understandingly and didn’t speak.  In my lap was a copy of his recently published book, ‘Drawdown, The most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming.’

He couldn’t help himself though.  Conspiratorially he leaned towards me and told me he was very nervous as he didn’t like debates.  I laughed and explained to him that ‘The Great Debate’ wasn’t really a debate.  He relaxed visibly and we began chatting.   Arriving shortly after was a secondary school from a posh girls college in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne who sat on my left.  We all had a great conversation and he signed my book. I asked the school girl if she or her school library had  copy of the book.  No, she said. We continued chatting and I clued her up about getting one into her school library.  Hawken started to fossick in his bag and pulled out some cash.  Reaching across me he passed her $35.  She freaked and asked me what she should do.  ‘Go to the back of the auditorium and buy the book of course,’ I commanded.   She returned with the book, and he signed hers as well.  It was a heart warming interaction.  The ‘debate’ proceeded and all the speakers were well informed and erudite.  The answers were all there.  It is worth a listen: https://soundcloud.com/monashmsdi/2018-sustainable-living-festival-the-great-debate

In 2024 I am re-examining what is mine/ours to do.  Where can I/we have the best impact? What is my capacity? It is inspiring to see many regenerative and climate activities happening in this bioregion.  In the meantime you might like to answer the questions below from the book ‘Regeneration – Ending the climate crisis in one generation.’  It has multiple ideas well researched ideas of how we can do this.  The checklist below is from the book of the same name. Paul Hawken (2021) Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation

Regeneration: Paul Hawken’s Climate Check List

A Climate checklist is informed by straightforward principles. They help guide out endeavours from farm to finance, cities to clothing, groceries to grasslands, and are applicable to every level of activity: people, homes, groups, companies, communities – and countries too. Guidelines are yes or no. Every action either moves towards a desired outcome or heads away from it.  The number one guideline is the fundamental principle of regeneration.  The remaining are outcomes of that principle.

1. Does the action create more life or reduce it?
2. Does it heal the future or steal the future?
3. Does it enhance human well-being or diminish it?
4. Does it prevent disease or profit from it?
5. Does it create livelihoods or eliminate them?
6. Does it restore land or degrade it?
7. Does it increase global warming or decrease it?
8. Does it server human needs or manufacture human want?
9. Does it reduce poverty or expand it?
10. Does it promote fundamental human rights or deny them?
11. Does it provide workers with dignity or demean them?
12. In short, is the activity extractive or regenerative?

How you apply, score, or evaluate these principles is up to you.  Most of what we do does not tick all the boxes. However, like a compass, it shows us the direction and where to go. By employing the guidelines, you pivot and begin, action by action, step by step, bit by bit to create regeneration in one’s life. What am I eating?  Why? How am I feeling? What is happening in my community? What am I wearing? What am I buying? What am I making?

YIMBY Composting

• Yimby aims – To reduce methane emissions by diverting organics from landfill and using localised transport; To close the loop on (re)cycling food organics in our local community and to grow the availability of good soil, with compost.To build community resilience by connecting people in neighbourhoods and building skills

YIMBY exists because we value community-led solutions to global problems and trust that, with support, communities are more adaptive and responsive when we work together.

YIMBY is a community-run backyard composting project based in Castlemaine, Victoria.

YIMBY is a dedicated group of volunteers, and partially paid employees of The Hub Foundation, who coordinate the program.

To our knowledge there is no other program like this in Australia.

For more information: https://www.yimbycompost.com/

The Town Folk Festival will be held on Saturday 16th of November with YIMBY supporting this event through composting food scraps, as well as collecting drink cans for recycling. All CDS proceeds will go towards buying more straw for our composters. You can register to volunteer at the festival here 

Mt Alexander Sustainability Group – MASG E-news October 2024

MASG AGM – November 13, 7.30 pm
Memberships are due
Wash Against Waste trailer – volunteers needed in November
Getting off gas workshop
Rising Tide
Energy Breakthrough – Maryborough
Get involved with MASG

Central Vic Climate Defenders

A rising tide of Central Vic climate defenders are preparing for non-violent coal disruptions. 

A growing number of Central Victorians will travel to Newcastle in November 2024 to the People’s blockade of the world’s largest coal port, to demand policies on capping and reducing fossil fuel exports.  Thousands are expected in a mass, non-violent protest.

Bernard Tonkin says “non-violent direct action (NVDA) involves peaceful resistance and civil disobedience to protest unacceptable corporate or government actions. No developed country has more to lose than Australia from climate change-fueled extreme weather. Perversely, Australia has no policy to reduce its fossil fuel production for export.”

Organisers of the blockade, Rising Tide use NVDA to stop coal ships entering or leaving the coal port. It is a technique used by people outside the official channels of power (that’s most of us) who are reaching for the biggest levers out of necessity.  NVDA can be disruptive, uncomfortable, inconvenient, but it is also by far the most effective way of shaping politics and policies.  An enormous problem like climate change needs to be tackled with action that is commensurate with the size of the problem. That means that our actions must be collective. NVDA is one of the biggest levers that we’ve got. In the case of  blockading Newcastle port, cars and commuter trains and buses are not held up, only ships entering the harbour, and most of these are huge coal containing vessels.

The local organisers are planning on taking photos of supporters with them as they paddle into the shipping lanes.  Not everyone can take time off work to travel to the Newcastle protest in November, but huge numbers of Australians would love to see urgent reductions to Australia’ fossil fuel exports, and support direct action in principle. “We plan to take a bunch of vicarious protestors on the kayaks with us”, says one of the local CVCA organiser’s, Serena Everill.

When you see us on a Saturday morning around town in the weeks leading up to the November protest jump into one of our kayaks for a photo op.  People are also welcome to send in photos of themselves in any sort of boat to cvca@gmail.com “Come along and show your support, even if you’re not planning on traveling to the Blockade yourself.  We would love to take your photo with us into the shipping lanes”, says Serena.

Susie Burke PhD,  Member of Central Vic Climate Action,  M: 0430042087  www.susieburke.com.au

Natural Newstead- Sacred Encounters- Geoff Park’s blog

I’ve witnessed courtship and mating between Sacred Kingfishers on several occasions over the years. Once observed, the pattern can be recognised and with luck provides an opportunity for some action-packed encounters.

The female typically perches on an exposed site and patiently awaits the arrival of the male that has been feeding nearby. Once sighted the female rocks forward and produces a series of harsh vocalisations, similar to those heard later in the season around the nest.

Mating is brief, perhaps ten to fifteen seconds at most, with the male grasping the feathers at the base of the female’s bill throughout copulation. The male often brings an offering such as a skink or insect, although this wasn’t the case in the encounter shown below.

Egg-laying will commence over the next week or so – the nest site has already been selected.

Photo: Sacred Kingfisher (female), Loddon River @ Newstead, 26th October 2024

Read on blog

Seeding Our Future: Seed Collection Workshop- Connecting Country

Connecting Country is pleased to announce an exciting new project; Seeding Our Future which is funded by the 2024 Victorian Landcare Grants. The Seeding Our Future project focuses on building the populations and connectivity of local flora species through community engagement and educational workshops. 

One of the key threats to local flora populations is seed security, particularly those species occurring in low numbers and fragmented populations that lack genetic diversity. Local plant populations are already highly fragmented and isolated. With this we are witnessing the reduction of genetic diversity across populations which will be exacerbated by severe weather patterns and could eventually lead to the extinction of rare indigenous plant species. This will have enormous repercussions for many local vertebrates and invertebrates who rely on specific plant species for habitat and food sources. 

To protect biodiversity from extinction, the Seeding Our Future project offers local community the opportunity to take direct action to increase flora populations across the region. Through the collection of seed and growing of indigenous plant species, particularly those that are rare, we can increase genetic diversity and population of local indigenous flora, creating resilient ecosystems and seed banks for our future.

To kick the project off we are hosting a Seed Collection workshop with Seeding Victoria, in Castlemaine on Saturday 9 November 2024. This workshop has also received funding support from Cassinia Environmental, Natural Resources Conservation Trust and the Victorian Government BushBank program.

The day will involve;

• The nuts and bolts to seed collecting: You will learn species identification, what permits you need to obtain for collecting seed, OH&S, collection techniques, extraction and storage.

• Field Trip: We will have a look at the OH&S components of seed collecting, observing what’s flowering and what will be ready to collect in the coming months.

• There will be an opportunity to order seed-collecting equipment on the day.

• Learn about how the NRCT Seed Bank Revolving Fund works and how to obtain a discount for seed-collecting equipment.
• Introduction to the BushBank Program: How to get involved in collecting seed for the $30M Government program and access funding to undertake biodiversity planting on your property.

When: Saturday 9 November 2024, 9.30am – 3.30pm

Where: Castlemaine Botanical Gardens Tea Rooms, Downes Rd. Castlemaine  Cost: $30.

For more information: https://connectingcountry.org.au/

Biolinks Alliance- Connecting Central Victoria

At Biolinks Alliance, it’s been a busy few months leading into Spring – from continuing our on-ground cutting-edge projects to holding events that enable conventions to be challenged and innovations to prosper. This includes our Monthly Webinar Series, as well as our hugely popular Rewilding Central Victoria Symposium that brought together experts and practitioners to speak about the latest research and projects, and offer those in attendance a chance to learn, share and collaborate.

Alongside this Symposium – we’ve been working with Melbourne Water and Network Member Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network, as well as Upper Maribyrnong Catchment Group and Macedon Ranges Shire Council, to set up a large-scale biolink repair project that eventually looks to go from Melbourne all the way to Echuca.

As always, we are incredibly grateful to all our supporters. With government investment in nature and biodiversity so limited, we continue to rely on philanthropic funds for the projects we are bringing to life and all of our work to restore function to ecosystems to keep going.

Town Folk Festival – Castlemaine

A single-day music festival on Dja Dja Wurrung Country / Castlemaine on Saturday November 16th 2024, Town Folk celebrates the diverse, compelling and exciting sounds which live under the ever-widening umbrella of folk. Set across 4 stages, all a short walking distance from one another, this is a family-friendly afternoon-into-evening of performances, food, drinks and friendly faces.

Town Folk Festival

Wombat Forestcare newsletter

Wombat Forestcare is a community group dedicated to protecting and enhancing the natural ecosystems of the Wombat Forest and surrounding areas.

The Wombat Forest contains a diverse range of native plants and animals, including a number that are listed as rare or threatened, such as Powerful Owl and the Wombat Bush Pea. As well as these natural values, the Wombat is a significant water catchment area, giving rise to six rivers.

Wombat Forestcare engages in a range of activities. These have a strong focus on community involvement and education, and include undertaking flora and fauna surveys. We also enjoy the social aspect of a forest group, with picnics and bushwalks for people who love being in the bush.

https://www.wombatforestcare.org.au/newsletters/WombatForestcareNewsletter69_Sept_24.pdf

North Central Catchment Management Association

This month’s edition encourages citizen scientists to spring into action, with Frog Month Victoria and the Aussie Bird Count taking place, so why not put the smartphone to good use and get out and about in your backyard, paddock or local reserve with an app in hand to record what is living where.

https://www.nccma.vic.gov.au/documents/1578/North_Central_Chat_-_October_2024.pdf

5. First Nations

Malamiyi Mang – Then and Now, Festival of Djaara Arts – Launch on Thursday, 31 October, 6pm

The three day events begins with Djandak Wi Exhibition October 31^st October 6pm.  The whole event runs from Thursday 31 October to Saturday 2 November 2024, this three-day event will showcase the best of Djaara art, design, fashion, music and Culture.

DUMAWUL Hub, 273–277 Hargreaves Mall, Bendigo

Experience the creativity of over 12 Djaara artists inspired by Cultural Burns restoration on Djandak. The exhibition features a diverse mix of paintings, weavings, and photographs, showcasing Djaara culture through contemporary art.

Marna Muyupilap (Made by Hand) Fashion Show

When: Thursday, 31 October, 7:30pm

Download the program here

6. Sustainable Living Resources

Plant Selector- choosing indigenous plants

Calling all gardeners in the Mount Alexander Shire! PLANT SELECTOR is your essential tool for choosing indigenous plants that will not only thrive in your garden but also support local wildlife. With expert local plant knowledge at your fingertips, you’ll be able to confidently select from 100 native species adapted to the unique conditions of our region.

Calling all MAS gardeners! PLANT SELECTOR is your essential tool for choosing
indigenous plants that will not only thrive in your garden but also support local
wildlife. With expert local plant knowledge at your fingertips, you’ll be able to
confidently select from 100 native species adapted to the unique conditions of
our region. Start growing a garden that meets your needs and benefits nature.

Many of us make hasty choices in nurseries, resulting in wasted money and very dispiriting results. Use PLANT SELECTOR to identify the right plant for you, your garden and for the environmental conditions of your site. Simply filter the list of 100 plants to find the plant you need, based on criteria that include plant height, tolerance to drought and waterlogging, horticultural uses and the wildlife that you want to attract and support through habitat creation. By growing local plants in local gardens, you can help create win-win landscapes that support both the wellbeing of people and biodiversity in our shire.

This tool was created by Dr Cassia Read at the Castlemaine Institute. Over many years, Cassia recorded ecological and horticultural information about local species suitable for gardens. This information has now been made accessible to all gardeners in the Shire, as a searchable online tool. Development of this tool was made possible through support from the Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Community Grants Program. Local plant experts Frances Cincotta (Newstead Natives) and Ian Higgins (Friends of Campbells Creek) rigorously reviewed the tool and provided local insights about growing these plants. Frances also shared her records of local flowering times. Cassia continues to maintain and update the website.

All plants included on this website are found growing naturally across Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country). We acknowledge the work of Dja Dja Wurrung in caring for Djandak over millennia and we hope that Plant Selector will support the essential work of healing this upside-down Country.

To use the tool visit: https://ci.org.au/plantselector .

Cassia Read (Ph.D.) Ecology | Education | Design- Central Victoria- cassiaread@gmail.com

Castlemaine Free University- From AI to Fungal Dreaming

Grounded- Affordable Community Housing and Treadmill Economics

Ready for some hard truths and fresh ideas? In this month’s update, we’re tackling the Australian Government’s Help to Buy scheme—aka “treadmill economics”—and why it’s spinning in circles without offering real solutions for housing affordability.  We’re also sharing exciting highlights recent media interviews and a presentation, including Karl’s insights into why Community Land Trusts are an important affordable housing model. Dive in for the latest events, media features, and a global spotlight on AOCs push for housing as a social good and human right in the US!  Let’s keep the momentum going!

https://mailchi.mp/grounded/help-to-buy-treadmill-economics?e=d98ac1c09e

Newkind Social Change Conference: People Planet Purpose

Newkind Conference is multi-disciplinary, cross-sector, social change empowerment event designed to inspire and initiate more effective social change efforts by individuals and organisations, so we can collectively work towards a more just, equitable and sustainable world.

When: Saturday 2nd – Tuesday 5th of November on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in Redbank, Victoria.

Newkind is a festival-style social change conference that creates a space for people to come together to celebrate our humanity and inspire positive social action. Enjoy 4 days of discussion panels, workshops, arts, and entertainment with meals included while camping under the stars. Rest Repair Redesign.

For more information : https://www.newkindconference.com/

Degrowth Central Victoria

Degrowth has become an international movement in the last couple of decades. Degrowth embraces many principles and aims of other environmental and social movements. But, degrowth is unique in its focus on the growth fetish – as in growth of monetary GDP (gross domestic product), productivity and profits. Market economies are driven by an abstract concept of limitless monetary growth at the cost of human lives, quality of life and Earth’s regenerative capacity. Think out-of-control carbon emissions threatening our futures.

Degrowth is about transforming our everyday practices towards respecting and working with the fragile, limited, yet bountiful Earth on which we rely to exist.

Degrowth aims to reframe our economies away from socially and ecologically destructive growth. The regenerative capacities of Earth and of ourselves need to be restored and preserved. Everyone’s needs – and more general ecological needs – must be met, neither more nor less.

So, how will we do that? Degrowth Central Victoria is a collective of people supporting degrowth aims by experimenting with degrowth practices in our local area. This site offers details of such activities, and how to get involved in them or engage with us, along with resources to learn more about degrowth.

If you want to receive the e-news sign up here: https://degrowthcentralvic.org/contact/

Repair Cafes

15th anniversary of the start of Repair Cafes- from (Chris Hooper, Castlemaine Repair Café Coordinator)

Dutch journalist Martine Postma wanted to drive local-level sustainability and to do this introduced the Repair Café in Amsterdam in 2009 on October 18th.  The number of Repair Cafes has grown quickly. In March 20016 Postma registered more than 1,000 Repair Cafés worldwide, 327 in the Netherlands, 309 in Germany, 22 in the UK, 21 in the US, 15 in Canada, four Australia and one in India. The Repair Café foundation estimated the number of Cafés had exceeded 2000 in 2021.

The Castlemaine Repair Café started in April 2017. The Daylesford Café started at the end of 2028 and Creswick’s Repair and Share started in 2023/4. 

7. Building Community

Castlemaine Community Coop – AGM

Just a reminder that the Castlemaine Community Investment Co-operative Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Tuesday 12th November 2024, from 5.30 – 6.30 pm, at Castlemaine Town Hall.

All members are encouraged to attend.

Before the AGM business proper we will give members an update including the results of our due diligence on the Hub building and the debenture funding mechanism we will be proposing for buying it.

Affordable Housing Trust Advisory Committee

. 

And now the newly established advisory committee will support the trust to deliver local affordable housing options.

Selected for a range of skills and experiences, the committee members are responsible for making sure any affordable housing options coming out of the trust are informed by local community need and objective evidence, balanced, inclusive and fair.

Council welcomes the following committee members:

• Delphine Laboureau-Ormancey
• Gary McClure
• Jacqui Watt
• Laura Keogh
• Liam Wilkinson
• Natasha Williams

Grounded- the Future of Housing

Grounded is seeking passionate and skilled individuals to join our voluntary board! After two years of dedication and hard work, we’ve had some turnover and a few open positions are now available. A special thank you to Bo Kitty, who has resigned as our chair after two years of remarkable leadership. Bo’s sense of urgency and ability to break down complex concepts for everyone made her an invaluable part of our team. We’d also like to thank retiring board members Lenka, Elle, Lewis, and Kathryn for their commitment and contributions to Grounded.

Now, we’re looking for new board members to help steer our growing organisation!

We need individuals who are passionate about affordable housing and committed to supporting Grounded’s mission. Specifically, we’re seeking expertise in:

• Finance & Investment: To guide Grounded’s growth

• Property Law: To help navigate the legal landscape for CLTs

• Urban Planning: With a focus on housing affordability

👉 Apply below, deadline is 14 October, or contact us for more details on hello@grounded.org.au 

APPLY NOW

DOWNLOAD A 2024 YOUTH AWARDS NOMINATION FORM

Local news from across Hepburn Shire and beyond

Confirmed Future for Daylesford Town Hall

Older Women Tackle the Housing Problem Themselves

More articles: https://thewombatpost.com.au/

8. The Spirit and the Sacred

The Grail Chapel

We have an auspicious weekend coming up, Diwali, Samhain, The Day(s) Of The Dead, All Saints Day and All Souls Day, extending from Next Thursday evening until Sunday and beyond. This is what the Celts call a ‘thin time’, when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest, a time for commemorating and communing, a time for giving thanks and celebrating joyfully.

Saturday 2nd 6pm Beltane Bonfire  (For our celebration on Saturday evening we ask that as well as picnic fare to share, you bring a photograph of a beloved ancestor, as well as a song, poem or story to share and your musical instruments.)

Sunday 3rd November Eucharist 11 am followed by shared lunch

Sunday 1st December Advent Eucharist 11 am followed by shared lunch

All enquiries to Ken Killeen – Johannine @hotmail.com    https://www.grailcommunity.com/

9. Local Government News

Elections and Meet the Candidates

The Mt Alexander based group – Really Local and the Hepburn based groups – Chamber of Peoples  and Hepburn Matters have completed their meet the candidates sessions. Local Government ballot papers have been posted and will be counted over the next week or two followed by  announcement of new councillors.

Watch this space for an update in our next edition.

Photo: Harcourt Meet the Candidates,  organised by Really Local

Workshops and Courses

Film-making Workshops- Club CDoc

Letters

Can we turn back the clock? 

I write this letter out of a love for humanity and for this beautiful planet that we call Mother Earth. The late Richard Buckminster Fuller, a famous architect and inventor, once said “There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth”. What he meant was we are all caretakers or crew, and we all have a responsibility for our survival. And yet we still have a great hurdle to overcome, and that is our failure to acknowledge those who look a bit different from us, or come from a different racial or cultural background. We may not realise it, but the First Nations People of this country have given us a wonderful gift. It is as if they knew instinctively, if you care for the land and all it provides, it will always look after you. So I want to thank them for looking after Mother Earth sustainably for at least 60,000 years. If, on the other hand, you look upon our Earth as a “cash cow”, an unlimited source of obtaining great wealth, then you are only fooling yourself. Sooner or later, all of the old-growth forests, all the lakes, rivers and oceans, that make up the habitats of all Earth’s wondrous creatures including humankind, will be gone. So it brings me great sadness to learn that the government that was “going to tackle Climate Change” has just given the go ahead for the expansion of 3 huge coal mines in NSW.

The Doomsday Clock, the symbol of the likelihood of a human-made, global catastrophe is at 90 seconds to midnight! It warns how many metaphorical “minutes to midnight” humanity has left. Set every year since 1947, by the “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists” it is intended to warn the public and inspire action. Can we turn back this clock?

Trevor Scott, Castlemaine, October  2024- (also published in the Castlemaine Mail and the Bendigo Advertiser)

Food for Thought

Milkwood- you can subscribe to the Milkwood e-news : https://mailchi.mp/milkwood/wild-food-mapping-a-celebration-giveaway-and-owl-friendly-rat-solutions

Biolinks Alliance- The Critical Role of Pollinators In Protecting Biodiversity Webinar: https://biolinksalliance.org.au/knowledge-hub-blog/2024/10/28/the-critical-role-of-pollinators-in-protecting-biodiversity-webinar

This webinar offers an intriguing look at how pollinators and other invertebrates are the backbone to our ecosystems.  Insects do all sorts of weird and fascinating things. Hear from Ecologist Dr. Mark Hall, Senior Biodiversity Officer at City of Greater Bendigo, about:

🐝a range of insect pollinators you can see in your garden or bushland
🐝how we can help them
🐝what they do that makes them so special.

Start Here

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The thing that we did differently was to set out a way of working and ethos. We said, this is how we, as a group of individuals, will work together. The key element of which is: we won’t be confrontational. We can disagree with each other, but we won’t turn that into Westminster-style conflict. We won’t have an opposition that’s always saying no. We’ll particularly emphasise listening. It’s actually got a massive overlap with municipalism and the whole philosophies of councils in Spain where the women have a much greater role.

There is ‘power over’ and ‘power with’ and we were trying to do ‘power with’: a constructive relationship in which we can use the power that the council has to raise money and to bring in staff to work with the community. That meant changing the relationship, so that people understand this, because we are used to ‘power over’. Even at this community level, people get elected as representatives, and then the public sit back, expecting them to do stuff, and get angry when they don’t. For me that method of representative democracy doesn’t really work anymore, if it ever did, because people are more empowered, more knowledgeable, have access to more facts. So it makes much more sense to have a relationship in which the councillors are facilitating conversations, are catalysing actions, but then are bringing people in.

Peter Macfadyen, co-founder of Independents For Frome and former Frome councillor – interviewed on the Public Square podcast, 26 November 2020

Welcome to the October edition of Localising Leanganook ‘s e-newsletter.  This month, council elections will be held across Victoria, reminding us that an important aspect of developing resilient, sustainable communities is enabling all community members to participate meaningfully in decisions about their future. This month’s newsletter leads with a quote from the inspirational community activist Peter Macfadyen, who co-founded Independents for Frome, a grassroots political movement in the UK that pioneered a new way of doing local government. Born out of frustration with an ineffectual council weighed down by party politics and hidebound traditions, Independents for Frome’s model of collaborative local governance has now been taken up by around 20 councils across the UK, and is a role model for local democracy groups worldwide. Our feature article profiles the Chamber of Peoples – Hepburn, one such group in our region that is seeking to build participatory democracy and community empowerment in Hepburn Shire. Another group, Really Local, is doing similar work across Mt Alexander Shire (see more information in the Local Government section) . The newsletter also includes regular updates on upcoming local events for the month of October, plus activities that contribute towards localisation.  We hope you enjoy it.

Cheers, Nikki, Keppel, and Laurel

Note to Contributors and Readers

As you can see, Localising Leanganook’s e-news continues to grow from strength to strength reaching more than 700 subscribers. The monthly newsletter  includes an ever expanding range of localising events, programs and creative initiatives  in  our central Victorian region.  If you’ve got items for inclusion in future editions, let our editing team know – (nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au). To help our editing team please email through information you’d like included in the following format: program/project/event name plus date, time and location if relevant; summary of event/issue/program, in word format; accompanying photo as a jpeg or png.

October’s edition includes:

1. Feature Article: Chamber of Peoples – Hepburn
   
2. Arts and Culture
3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security
4. Ecology and Environment
5. First Nations
6. Sustainable Living Resources
7. Building Community
8. The Spirit and the Sacred
9. Local Government News
10. Workshops and Courses
11. Letters
12. Food for Thought

Feature Article : Chamber of Peoples – Hepburn

Background:

The Chamber of Peoples- Hepburn is a grassroots organisation committed to transforming local governance in Hepburn Shire through participatory democracy and community empowerment. It began in 2020 as Community Voice, an organisation which emerged from a shared belief that the Hepburn Shire Council needed to be more responsive to the community’s needs and aspirations, a sentiment echoed in the 2020 Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey.

In a significant step forward, Community Voice supported the successful election of four councillors in the October 2020 local elections, marking a key milestone in our journey. Building on this success, the Chamber of Peoples emerged in 2024 with a renewed focus on fostering a collaborative and inclusive relationship between the Hepburn Shire community and the Council beyond and between elections.

As we approach Council elections in October this year, The Chamber of Peoples is poised to play an even more active role in ensuring that the voices of Hepburn Shire are not only heard but are central to shaping the decisions that affect our collective future. Our vision is to create a ‘can do’ culture within the Council—one that prioritises active listening, transparency, the empowerment of all community members, which draws on the wealth of skills within the community, and is equipped to deliver positive outcomes for the people of Hepburn and future generations. 

The Chamber of Peoples builds on the concept of an Ecological Society, which is grounded in three key principles: a vibrant civil society, practical deliberation driven by problem-solving, and structures that connect state agencies with daily civic life. We believe in the importance of a rich associational life for several reasons:

• Incubators for Solutions: Associations foster creative solutions to pressing problems.
• Skills Development: They equip citizens with the skills needed to collaboratively solve problems.
• Deliberation: Central to associations is the practice of deliberation, essential for informed decision-making.
• Democratic Education: Civic associations serve as schools of democracy, where citizens learn about collective issues, the knowledge required to address them, and the values that sustain democratic governance.
• Monitoring Power: Civic associations play a crucial role in holding powerful elites accountable.

Proposed Objects of The Hepburn Chamber of Peoples

• Provide a democratic and evidence-based voice for Hepburn.
• Provide community-led opportunities for people to express their views and Councillors and council officers to listen.
• Identify and offer the skills of local people to help in strategic planning and better decision making grounded in local knowledge.
• Form or support existing collectives around communities of interest and knowledge (e.g. housing, climate, agriculture and environment, transport, aged care, youth…), and build alliances between them.
• Support devolved powers using the community engagement and public transparency policies, astutely and rigorously to benefit the people of Hepburn.
• Improve Council relations with the community by seeking reforms to make meetings less formal, more open and more interactive.
• Work together to benefit the shire with humility, honesty, courtesy, integrity, and justice.

Acknowledging Sovereignty and Building Partnerships

We acknowledge that Hepburn Shire is on the unceded lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung People. This land is, and always will be, Aboriginal land. The Chamber of Peoples is committed to truth-telling, supporting treaty and reconciliation, and honouring the Dja Dja Wurrung’s cultural heritage, knowledge, and connection to Country. We are dedicated to building a genuine partnership with the Dja Dja Wurrung People, walking together to ensure their perspectives are integral to our work. This partnership reflects our shared responsibility for the land, the community’s well-being, and future generations.

Values and Principles

The Chamber of Peoples will advocate that Hepburn Shire Council adhere to the following principles and values:

• Inclusion and Equity: actively seek out and value the views and contributions of everyone in our community; welcome and acknowledge the strength inherent in diverse views and life experiences in our community;
• Collaboration: listen to and draw upon the knowledge and experiences of diverse community perspectives; 
• Localisation: actively support local cultures, environments and people, and increase agency for self-reliance and community-sufficiency. Maintain a shire-wide focus that responds to diverse needs across wards, town centres and rural areas, and devise appropriate responses to distinctive local circumstances, challenges and needs;
• Innovation: exercise creative response thinking, a willingness to take calculated risks, and acknowledge and learn from mistakes within a team framework; 
• Evidence-based problem solving: be guided by sound evidence-based processes and local knowledge, experience, and diverse perspectives from the community;
• Resilience: foster diversity across the community, including broad forms of biodiversity, and build alliances that increase the ability of our community to adapt to rapid changes; balance economic imperatives with social and environmental needs.

The Chamber of Peoples invites all people in Hepburn Shire to add their voices to help create a more cohesive and engaged community, both now and into the future.

We are currently in the process of creating a new website, but in the meantime we can be contacted via the Community Voice website below or https://www.facebook.com/groups/communityvoicehepburn/ or email: admin@communityvoice.group

Home

Arts and Culture

Swiss Italian Festa

Equinox Lantern Walk
The Equinox Lantern Walk was postponed due to the weather. But it’s still happening! Friday October 4th from 5pm the community will come together, with kids and parents from every school around Hepburn and Daylesford walking with lanterns from 10th Street, Hepburn Springs down into the Mineral Springs Reserve. A bit of food, a bit of kids’ entertainment, and a lot of excitement.

‌Program Update ‌ ‌
We’re a month out from 2024 Festa (25-27 October) and a busy program is shaping up: Thursday night heritage dinner, Friday night VIP launch, Saturday street parade to Carnevale in the Mineral Springs Reserve, guided Hepburn Heritage walks, Yandoit Cultural events, hands-on drystone walling, the Landscape Art Prize, Sunday night fireworks……it’s packed!

We expect a lot of first time Festa folk this year, so we’ll post the early program to our website as well as Facebook and Instagram so you can plan your Festa adventure.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Yandoit Cultural

Yandoit Cultural is hosting two special events in October:

1. Film Screening: The Road to Patagonia

When and Where: Friday October 4^th, 7pm , at the old church in the bush- Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit

The Road to Patagonia is a stunning, intimate and unflinching series of love letters within a documentary – firstly a love between two people, and secondly between humanity and the Earth. We follow Matty Hannon on an incredible solo adventure, to surf the west coast of the Americas by motorbike, from the top of Alaska to the tip of Patagonia. But deep in the wilderness – alone with the wolves and the bears – the journeyer’s plans unexpectedly fall to pieces. After losing everything, and on the cusp of quitting he meets the girl of his dreams, a permaculture farmer named Heather Hillier who throws caution to the wind and sells her urban-farm to buy a bike of her own. Together riding south, the duo meet with Zapatista rebels, Amazonian shamans and Mapuche leaders whose salient words crack the adventurers’ cultural veneer, leaving them with existential questions.

The 50,000km surfing odyssey becomes beautifully complicated by their decision to downshift from motorcycles to horseback, presenting a relational approach to the breathtaking landscapes and a host of challenges that ultimately become extremely rewarding. Hannon and Hillier succeed in beautifully capturing deeply human moments during the world-first expedition, and the noticeable lack of camera-crew becomes The Road to Patagonia’s strength. The theme of deep ecology underpins the entire film, visually communicated through exquisite cinematography and emotional verité sequences. Shot over 16 years, the result is an adventurous exposé on the more-than-human world, offering a physical and spiritual odyssey to better understand our place in Nature

🏆 Winner – Best Film and Best Documentary – Byron Bay International Film Festival, 🏆 Winner – Audience Choice award – Florida Surf Film Festival, 🏆 Winner – Audience Choice award – Melbourne Documentary Film Festival

Entry by Donation

Enquiries: https://yandoitcultural.org/

2. Yandoit’s Historic Stone Houses Bus Tour- part of the Swiss Italian Festa

When and Where: Saturday October 26^th, 2.30pm – 4.30pm; Gather at Yandoit Cultural– the old church in the bush, Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit

Yandoit is renowned for its stone houses, built by the Swiss-Italians who settled in the region from the 1850’s onwards.   This special event, as part of the Swiss-Italian Festa, will visit half a dozen of these iconic buildings. Local historians will share some of the stories associated with these buildings, the families who gathered local stone to construct and live in them, and give insights into the livelihoods of those new settlers.

Transport to the stone houses will be via mini buses and, at the end, we will re-gather at Yandoit Cultural for more sharing of stories and history, as well as afternoon tea.

Bookings Essential – https://www.trybooking.com/CVOKX

Cost: Full price- waged $15; Low Income $10; Family Ticket $25

Northern Arts Hotel – Music and Community Events program

The Coolroom at the Northern Arts Hotel, located at 359 Barker St Castlemaine, is a place for a melange of musical experiences – jazz, folk, classical, experimental, cool pop, western, Americana, and other event-based performances in an active listening, quiet room atmosphere. It’s also a place for friends and strangers to come together to share a secret film screening or talk. There’s The Coolroom Bar, where drinks are at reasonable prices, and The Coolroom Cinema home to the Free Sunday Secret Movie Matinee.

There are also other events, workshops and talks and Festivals that find home in our dedicated and flexible space. Recently we are proud to be involved in the Castlemaine Fringe, Castlemaine Jazz and Castlemaine Pride Festivals. We also host regular events by groups such as Castlemaine Free University, Maine-ly Ukes, Celtic Song Circle, Guildford Folk Club, and PoetiCas.

THE COOLROOM DIARY [Click on links for event details]
MUSIC GIGS  [Usually at 7.30pm]
Friday 27 September | Beare & Smith live at The Coolroom
Saturday 28 September | The Duck Downpickers with special guests
Friday 4 October | Andy Baylor with the Banksia Band
Saturday 5 October | Sarah McDonald Quintet
Sun 6 Oct 6.30pm | Bendrups & Jiuriansz Studies in Jazz & Fusion
Friday 11 October | Raziel Gutiérrez Soto Duo [W]
Saturday 12 October | Suzette Herft ‘Songs that Shaped Me’
Friday 18 October | Jesse Lawrance Album Launch ‘Some Little Town’
Saturday 19 October | Castlemaine Chamber Players Heaven & Earth 3
Sunday 20 October 6pm | Miguel Rios live at The Coolroom  [W]
Friday 25 October | The Moonee Valley Drifters
Sunday 3 November, 6pm | Road to Tangier: A Satirist’s Journey
Saturday 9 November | Sally Ford & The idiomatics
Friday 15 November | Thieving Magpies – A World of Music [W]
Saturday 16 November | Kavisha Mazzella with Charles Maimarosia [W]
Friday 29 November | Jeff Lang Album Launch ‘More Life’
FILM
Sunday 29 Sept at 2.30pm, 6pm, 30 Sept at 6pm | To Thank the Room
Sunday 13 October 2pm and 5pm | Locals Redux at Phee Broadway
SPOKEN WORD & REGULAR GROUPS
Thursday 19 September 7.30pm | Guildford Folk Club
Saturday 21 September 2.30pm | Celtic Singing Circle
Saturday 28 September 2.30pm | PoetiCas with Ann de Hugard & Rob Wallis
Monday 7 October 6pm | CFU presents Encore! from Daylesford Words in Winter
Thursday 10 October 4pm | Maine-ly Ukes
NORTHERN ARTS HOTEL
Ongoing | Ethiopia, Hudad Plateau: A Self Portrait Series
Every Tuesday | Potluck Dinner from 7pm
Nightly Dusk to Dawn | Wimble St Wall 

[W] – World Music

Newstead Arts Hub- October Exhibition: Mother Mother

Radius Art Gallery

Fundraising Event – Sustainable Fashion Parade

A unique showcase of Upcycled Clothing and conscious living. Helping raise funds for The Good Grub Club, dedicated to nutritious meals for our local community.  Raffles, Up-cycled & Re-cycled Clothes for sale. Afternoon tea provided.

When: Sunday Oct 6th October 2-4 pm
Cost: $25 per person  Bookings: here

Movie and Meal Night – Curry Night with Raman Richards!
Our first event was so popular Raman decided to do it all again.  This time it will be a screening of Slum Dog Millionaire and 3 curries (1 Beef & 2 Veg) plus salad and chicken wing entree.  Only 40 places so get in quick.  Booking link below.

When: Sunday 29th September from 5.30pm
Cost: $30 per person  Bookings: here

DJs + Live Electro
Join us for an evening of fresh tech sounds.  Time to get moving and grooving peeps!

Local Acts / DJ’s including: Square Wave Bounce// Koshka// Timmaculate//Clay Ravin // Justinah // EZC // Fahad. Live Visuals by Michael Groth

When: October 18th from 6pm  Cost: $10 per person – tix on the door

Understanding Dyslexic Minds – Talk and Facilitated Discussion
Join us for a talk with Kim Percy, a PhD candidate and a sessional lecturer in Visual Art.  Facilitated by Peter O’Mara, specialist dyslexic tutor.  Kim will share her observations and research findings at the 2024 British Dyslexia Conference to discuss how we can better understand dyslexia.

When: Sunday 27th October 2pm – 4pm   Cost: free  More information: here

Kids’ Events – Holiday Art Program
Some of you have already met Maya, the latest creative to take up residence at Radius.  After her sell out workshop “Lost Scrolls” for Words In Winter Maya is hosting some more creative fun times for young folk during the hols:

• Creatures of the Deep (ages 7 – 12) Sat 5th Oct 10-11.30am
• Shadow Puppet Theatre (ages 8 – 15) Fri 4th Oct 10-11.45am

Cost: $30  Bookings: here

Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival Workshops

Food Growing, Farming and Food Security

The Orchard Keepers

Welcome to the 2024/25 fruit season! Last season was the first time we ran The Orchard Keepers as a community-based model. It included some new initiatives:

• Fruit Crew (a volunteer/work exchange program),
• A new pick-your-own CSA model,
• A weekly on-farm series of “how to” classes for volunteers.

Fruit Crew was a highlight, with more than 30 enthusiastic volunteers helping out over the season. (In fact, many of them are still here almost 12 months  later.)We also picked and sold more than 15,000 kg of fruit. Our farm has been growing fruit for local people for almost 150 years. In fact, we’re one of only about six family-run orchards left in Harcourt (there used to be over 100).

The pressures on small family farms are huge, but we’re determined to keep supplying our community (that’s you :)) with locally grown, organic fruit. In our quest to create a sustainable community orchard, the model continues to evolve. We’re not quite ready to announce what this season will look like, but we can tell you that Fruit Crew will be reopening for applications very soon!

Some of last year’s Crew will be staying on, but we have room to take on new volunteers. Do you think Fruit Crew might be right for you? Fruit Crew is a weekly volunteering commitment at the orchard in exchange for fruit, classes, working together, excellent company, and lots of cake. Lucy says:

“Fruit crew is a fabulous way to contribute to local food growing. I understand the importance of eating as local as possible, so it makes sense to me to pitch in when I can, to support local farmers, to try and help make the whole thing viable. “Oh yeah, I get to hang out with some interesting people and have great conversations!”

For more information: Website 
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Castlemaine Seed Library

We have put tomatoes on the board this month, for those of you who want to start them early,(indoors, in case more pesky frosts.) So pop into the library and you will find, for sewing in the garden: Asparagus, Wasabi Mustard, Rainbow Chard, Delta Dusk Snowpeas, Russian Kale, Globe Artichoke, Parsnip, Flat Leaf Parsley, Carrot, Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce and Oriental Poppy

For those starting their tomatoes early, on the board we have:

Periforme Abruzze – a fantastic heirloom passata tomato with plenty of meat and minimal seed. Produces plump, pear-shaped fruit with a renowned succulent flavour. Perfect for pasta sauce. An indeterminate so staking required.

Tommy Toe – an indeterminate heirloom tomato variety with good disease resistance.  It produces great tasting, sweet and juicy, red fruit about the size of a small apricot.  This variety takes 10-11 weeks from sowing to harvest.

Rouge de Marmande – Climbing (indeterminate). Large, red ribbed fruit. Exceptional flavour. Good all purpose variety. Early maturing. A good variety for cooler climates. Good disease resistance.

Purple Ukrainian – Plum-shaped purplish-black fruit, I’ve found they can be prone to splitting, so recommend harvesting them as soon as they start to change colour and ripen them inside. An heirloom from Ukraine, the sweet meaty flesh can be used in salads or preserving. Fruits in 7 weeks from transplant; yields 3.5kg per plant.

Jaune Flamme – Climbing (indeterminate) variety. French heirloom tomato producing juicy round apricot orange golf-ball sized fruit. Early cropping, productive variety with good disease and split resistance due to its thick skin. Fruit contains high levels of Vitamin A due to its orange colouration. Great for drying, roasting or eating fresh, has as light citrusy flavour.

Beefsteak – Meaty, juicy fruits. Large, thickly fleshed beefsteaks are the biggest type of tomatoes. Growing quickly to at least 6 feet tall, the late-maturing tomato plant will produce a bountiful harvest in about 85 days. Need a sturdy trellis.

Beams Yellow Pear – An heirloom yellow cherry tomato with vibrant colour and flavour, the pear-shaped golden-yellow fruits with a shiny skin and firm flesh are produced in trusses just7 weeks from transplant. This American heirloom from Indiana has a great flavour and the tasty, yet firm flesh holds well in salads and preserves. Yields 8.6kg fruit per plant. Indeterminate. This is a most prolific producer over many months. Got to be the easiest of tomatoes to grow, but needs support as it will grow over 2m tall.

Our next working bee will be 3rd Oct, Thursday at 11am, at the Castlemaine library.

Ecology and Environment

Wombat Forest Care- Protecting the Mountain Skink

A well-respected skink scientist has agreed to return to the Wombat and Lerderderg to continue his research into the endangered Mountain Skink, but we need to fund his work which will include undertaking further surveys, establishing long-term monitoring sites and collecting additional genetic samples.

Your support for our Chuffed campaign would be greatly appreciated.

https://chuffed.org/project/113833-be-a-champion-for-nature-lets-protect-our-mountain-skink

info@wombatforestcare.org.au

Don’t Undermine Daylesford

This group is focused on protecting the mineral water aquifer in our region from mining.

Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens

Day basin restoration- Renovation work is about to begin on the day basin at Daylesford’s Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens. The day basin was a water storage facility and it sits at the base of the historic Pioneer Memorial Tower. The project has been championed by the Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Garden, who are keen to see the basin restored and celebrated as one of their key projects. Funding has been secured from the Victorian State Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund, Hepburn Shire Council, and the Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Garden.

The garden is beautiful in all seasons, and we encourage you to take a stroll and maybe seek culinary delights at the cafe.

First Nations

dum and bundjil time- Dja Dja Wurrung Calendar

According to the Dja Dja Wurrung calendar, from September to mid-November the weather warms and the peak flowering season for many wildflowers begins.

https://www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Explore-the-shire/Castlemaine-Botanical-Gardens/Explore-the-collections/Dja-Dja-Wurrung-seasonal-calendar

Frog and yellow (flowering) time:  September-mid-November – as the weather warms, the peak flowering season for many wildflowers begins. Frosts and rainy days are often still common.

As the water warms over spring, River Blackfish and Murray Cod become more active. These are caught in traps constructed along waterways using stone and woven baskets.

Watjarang (Platypus) along Campbells Creek breed and lay eggs. This is peak flowering season for many wildflowers, such as Murna (Yam Daisy), Gitjawil Matom (Chocolate Lily) and Bam (Bulbine Lily), which can be seen at the Muckleford Nature Conservation Reserve, Kalimna Park and Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. Gurndi (Cranberry Heath) berries ripen and are ready to eat.

This is peak flowering season for many wildflowers, such as Murna (Yam Daisy), Gitjawil Matom (Chocolate Lily), Bam (Bulbine Lily), Sticky Everlasting, Clustered Everlasting, Grey Everlasting and Orchids, as well as for shrubs such as Downy Grevillea, Rough Mint-bush, and Fairy Wax-flower.

Watjarang (Platypus) breed and lay eggs;  Brushtail Possums carry their young from nests;  River Blackfish spawn;  The bush is bright with yellow daisies that provide a landing pad where insects can warm up on cold mornings;  Australian Reed-warblers begin calling along creeks and rivers;  Rainbow Bee-eaters arrive from northern Australia to nest along creek and river banks;  Large flocks of White-browed and Masked Woodswallow arrive from northern Australia and can be heard calling in the sky;  This is peak frog breeding season – large frog choruses can be heard in wetlands and along creeks and rivers;  Black Wattle and Red Box flower.

Introduction to Decolonisation- New Economy Network

Starting 1st October! Join us for this new 4-week introductory course

Members of NENA’s First Nations Hub are co-hosting a 4-week introductory course for people seeking to build their understanding about what ‘decolonisation’ means in theory and practice, and how principles and practices of decolonisation can be used in our personal and professional lives.

• Learn about the history and different interpretations of decolonisation, as well as connected concepts including colonisation, imperialism, post-colonialism, Westernisation, modernisation, racism and whiteness studies.
• Develop your ability to identify, critique and challenge political, economic and governance systems from a ‘decolonial’ perspective.
• Develop your ability to identify, critique and change colonial perspectives and practices in your profession, workplace and personal life, and learn how to become a ‘good ally’ to First Nations colleagues and organisations
• Connect and collaborate with a network of like-minded, multi-disciplinary professionals.
• Engage at a personal and professional level, with a positive, inclusive vision for the future

Course Facilitators 

• Ross Williams – Director of Future Dreaming and Bindal/Juru First Nations person
• Dr Michelle Maloney – Australian Earth Laws Alliance, Director of Future Dreaming and descendant of Irish people who were part of the colonisation of Australia

Guest speakers include: 

• Dr Mary Graham – Adjunct Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Queensland and Kombu-merri and Waka Waka First Nations person
• Professor Yin Paradies – Professor of Race Relations, Deakin University and an Aboriginal-Asian-Anglo Australian of the Wakaya people from the Gulf of Carpentaria
• Shrishtee Bajpai – researcher and activist, Global Tapestry of Alternatives, India
• Other speakers currently being confirmed

Who is it for?
This course is designed for a general audience and we invite participation from all interested people; from all backgrounds and knowledge disciplines.

Find out more
Please visit our Course webpage for costings, scholarship details and more

READ THE COURSE OUTLINE AND REGISTER HERE

Sustainable Living Resources

NENA Exploring Bio-Regionalsim

In our October webinar, AELA Convenor and Greenprints creator, Dr Michelle Maloney, will be joined by Emeritus Professor Ian Lowe AO, to discuss what Western science can tell us about bioregions, boundaries and ‘bioregionalism.

Bioregionalism is a a philosophy that sees human societies and culture as part of nature, and proposes that modern human societies can be more sustainable, successful and meaningful, if our political, cultural and economic systems are organised within natural boundaries such as bioregions and catchments (watersheds). Some have referred to bioregionalism as ‘localisation within the foundations of nature’.

When: 24 October 12pm – 1.30pm
Where: online
Cost: free
Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/aela-24oct/tickets

Grounded- Big Ideas for Affordable Housing

Grounded is a not-for-profit organisation established to advocate, incubate and accelerate the development of Community Land Trusts in Australia. The group has come together to ensure a diverse mix of housing models is possible. Our name is borne out of the need for more realistic land prices, out of grounding a community with a commitment to not only the best practices on land and housing economics, but also on the social side, with a commitment to social change.

As housing affordability continues to challenge Victoria, we presented a visionary submission to the state’s “Big Ideas for Victoria’s Future” inquiry. Our submission focuses on innovative, community-driven solutions that can deliver long-term affordability, resilience, and sustainability to regional and urban areas. You can read the submission here.

Building Community

Castlemaine Free University-  CFU

ZINE workshop planned for Monday 7 October, as below.

Guided by amateur and professional artists, graphic artists, writers and the like.

Look forward to seeing you then. As always share this notice and news with others. All welcome.

School Holiday Activities

Have you started planning activities for the upcoming school holidays? Hepburn Shire’s Library and Youth and Family teams have come up with a program of activities for children of all ages.

Check it out…and don’t forget to book.

Trentham Family Clothing Swap

This time all the family are invited! Come and join the fun, hang out and pick up some great pre-loved clothing & accessories: women’s, men’s and kids’. Bring up to 8 items. Door prize and arvo tea included. Gold coin donation appreciated. Bring your friends along too.

When: 20th October 1 – 3pm
Where: Trentham Mechanics, 66 High St, Trentham
Cost: free – gold coin donation appreciated

We are looking for helpers on the day to assist with running our popular event. If you can help out, even for an hour, please email or SMS Susan on 0493 647 819

Wombat Post

The Wombat Post is a community news publication for the Daylesford and Hepburn Springs region, which is published every Friday afternoon. .

The purpose of the Wombat Post is to

• inform the community of news and events that contribute to community building community and community well-being,
• promote a positive image of the local community,
• contribute to the historical record, and
• provide a medium for advertising services and trades offered to the community.

The Daylesford District Community News Association Inc. (DDNA) is responsible for The Wombat Post.

Repair Cafes across Central Victoria

Castlemaine: last Sunday of each month- October 27th, 10am to 1pm at Castlemaine Community House,  30 Templeton St.

Daylesford– 3rd Sunday of the month- October 20th 1-4pm at Victoria Park Pavillion, Ballan Rd, Daylesford

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/daylesfordrepaircafe/

Creswick Repair and Share: a project of Transition Creswick- 3rd Sunday of the month- September 15th, 1-4pm at Creswick Neighbourhood Centre

For more information: https://creswicknc.org/groups/post2-nn6m5

Ballarat: 1-4pm last Sat of the month at Barkly Square- Saturday October 26th

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/ballaratrepaircafe/

Bendigo Share &Repair Shed: Thursday: 10am – 1pm, Saturday*: 10am – 1pm, at 120-126 Garsed Street

A community based organisation that started as the Bendigo Repair Cafe in 2017 and has since grown to include a Tool Library, Useful Bin, Food is Free Table and a range of other ‘re’ and ‘up’ cycling services. We also offer a ‘one stop’ recycling drop off for small items and a Community Swap table.

For more information: https://bendigoshareandrepairshed.org/

Reskillience Podcasts

Reskillience is a podcast that asks: What are the skills we need for the future we want?

http://www.catie.com.au/podcast

Hepburn Shire Seniors Festival events

Seniors Festival is nearly here!! The Victorian Seniors Festival is a major state-wide festival for and involving seniors. The festival runs from 1–31 October every year.  There are 5 events scheduled in Hepburn Shire this year:

Positive Ageing Expo 2024

Hepburn Shire Council’s Positive Ageing Expo is a free event, with free catering, unique, informative and fun! There are guest speakers, stalls and public announcements! Come and make new friends and network with other community members, community groups and service providers. 

When and Where: 10 October, 10am – 3pm RACV Goldfields Resort, 1500 Midland Highway, Creswick
Cost: free, For more information and bookings: Positive Ageing Expo 2024

Friendship and Fun at the Men’s Shed – 55+ men’s only session

A wonderful opportunity for locals to experience the camaraderie of the Men’s Shed, meet new people, learn new skills and for those who would like to be more hands on, contribute to an identified community project or simply come for a cuppa. Lunch will be provided, allowing for the opportunity for some conversation and connection in a supportive and inclusive environment.

When and where: 15 October, 10am – 1pm.  Cost: free  Bookings: here

Friendship and Fun at the Men’s Shed  – 55+ women only session

The Creswick Men’s Friendship Shed has more recently developed a women’s group, coming together once a week to enjoy the art of woodwork, learn new skills and be empowered to create and contribute to an identified community project. This women’s session is a wonderful opportunity for locals to experience the camaraderie of the Men’s Shed and meet new people. A free lunch will be provided at this free event, allowing for an opportunity for conversation and connection in a supportive and inclusive environment.

When and Where: 16 October, 10am – 1pm , 15 Bridge St, Creswick  Cost: free Bookings: here

Movement and Fun – CHRH 55+ – Link to this event – Movement and Fun – CHRH 55+

Local Central Highlands Rural Health exercise physiologist and Allied Health Assistant will host a fun interactive session around movement, with a focus on exercising and stretching. Participants will also have the opportunity for social interaction and healthy competition while playing the variety of life-sized games including connect four, chess, draughts, Jenga and corn hole, along with card games. A free lunch will be provided at this free event. Some of the life-sized games have been modified to allow chair-based participants and those with a disability to also enjoy them.

When and where: 23 October, 10am – 1pm, 24 Vincent St, Daylesford, Cost: free , Bookings: here

Healthy Eating, Healthy Conversations – 55+ – Link to this event –  Healthy Eating, Healthy Conversations – 55+

Local Central Highlands Rural Health dietitian/nutritionist and Allied Health Assistant will host an interactive session around Try 4 Five campaign, healthy snacking, healthy eating on a budget, cooking for one. Participants will enjoy a free nutritious meal together while getting to know one another at this free event.

When and where: 24 October, 10am – 1pm, Trentham Mechanics, 66 High St, Trentham,  Cost: free, Bookings: here

Quick Response Grants

Hepburn Shire’s Quick Response Grants are now open! Quick Response Grants have been designed to support community groups who may have experienced an unforeseen disruption or urgent issue, and to facilitate smaller projects that are less costly than the amount available in the Community Grants scheme.  Grant applications will be assessed monthly to ensure a timely response to community issues. Applicants can apply for a grant up to $1,000 at any time but can only receive one Quick Response Grant per year.

Applications are assessed monthly, however due to the upcoming Council Election in 2024, the outcome of grant applications received after 17 September 2024 cannot be announced until after 26 November 2024.

For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/Residents/Support/Grants

The Spirit and the Sacred

Yandoit Sacred

Yandoit Sacred is a sanctuary, a place for stillness and silence, a place for ceremony, prayer, song and ritual. It is an ecumenical place of connection beyond religious or philosophical divisions, where we foster curiosity about how to live in the world with love and joy and wisdom as we face the challenges and big questions for humanity and other species at this time.

Yandoit Sacred is a gathering place where our hunger to share the deepest movements of our hearts can be fed. It is a community beyond denominations, open to the mystery; a community where our gifts are nurtured and appreciated; a community open to wisdom teachers, past present and emerging.

Yandoit Sacred meets every 6 weeks in and around Yandoit’s Uniting Church in the bush.

Enquiries: nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au or 0432 232 073

The Grail Community

The Grail Chapel in Green Gully is home to the Castlemaine Johannine Community, a spiritual community that practises ‘pagan Christianity’: a spirituality based in the mystical tradition of St John, Mary Magdalene and the Rosicrucians, and grounded in deep reverence for the sacredness of the Earth and the wisdom of the ancient Celtic, Aboriginal and Native American spiritual traditions. Through both inner and outer work, we seek to collaborate with the impulse of Christ and Sophia to bring healing and renewal to our communities and the Earth. We meet monthly for Eucharist services and other special events shaped by the sacred calendar of the seasonal Christian and Celtic festivals.

October events: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October 1pm till 4pm each day, Gospel of St. John workshop

All enquiries to Ken Killeen – Johannine@hotmail.com

https://www.grailcommunity.com/

Castlemaine Zen- Zen Practice in the heart of the Goldfields

Local Government News

Local government election information

Voting is by mail- Voting opens by mail on 7 October and ballots must be posted back (or dropped in a ballot box at an election office) by 25 October 2024.

Key dates

• 17 Sept 2024: Candidate nominations close
• 29 September – 10 October: Meet the candidates events
• From Monday 7 October ballot papers sent by mail
• 7 October – 25 October 2024 vote and return ballot by mail or election office
• Ballots must be received by 6pm Friday 25 October to be counted
• Before 15 Nov: Results finalised

Really Local

Council election period is nearly upon us! Mount Alexander Shire will be going to the polls in October, along with all but one other Council in the state.  Local group Really Local will be holding ‘meet the candidates’ events in in all contested wards (see below), building on the series of local community conversations held across our Shire in recent months.  The events are independent, non-aligned, and community-led. For more information check out www.reallylocal.au.

Coliban Ward (Chewton, Elphinstone, Taradale and surrounds)

• Who are the candidates? Kelly Ann Blake, Phillip Walker and Max Lesser
• Where can I meet them? Wed 2 October 2024 6:30pm Chewton Town Hall, 141 Main Road, Chewton.
• How do I register? Jump in here

Campbells Creek Ward (Campbells Creek, Mackenzie/s Hill)

• Who are the candidates? Bill Maltby and Gavan Thomson
• How can I meet them? Sat 5 October 2024, 2:30-4:30pm, Five Flags Merchants, 151 Main Road, Campbells Creek
• How do I register? Get tickets here

Calder Ward (Harcourt, Sutton Grange, Redesdale)

• Who are the candidates? Kerrie Allan, Tony Cordy, Ken Price
• How can I meet them? Thu 10 October 2024, 6:30-8:30pm, Old Railway Station, Station Street, Harcourt
• How do I register? At this link

In each of the remaining five wards, only one candidate nominated, so they will be elected unopposed, and no vote will be held. (Not sure of your ward? check out this map.) Three of those five candidates, (Rosalie Hastwell in Tarrengower, Lucas Maddock in Moonlight Creek, and Toby Heydon in Forest Creek) will be new Councillors. Current Mayor Matthew Driscoll, and Deputy Mayor Rosie Annear were also elected unopposed.

Really Local has met with all five of the provisionally-elected Councillors during the course of this year and we are confident they will bring a collaborative, community-minded approach to the new Council and we congratulate them on their appointment.

Stay tuned for opportunities to meet your new Councillors after October!

The Chamber of Peoples – Hepburn

The Chamber of Peoples hosted a Meet the Candidates event in Hepburn Springs  in late September, where candidates and community members were asked to respond to 3 questions: What fires you up? What’s your dream? Who shapes Hepburn Shire’s future?

A further Meet the Candidates session will be jointly hosted by The Chamber of Peoples and Glenlyon Progress Association on Monday October 7th, 6.30 pm at Glenlyon Hall

Candidates will respond to questions including: What attributes do you bring to Council?

How  do you see Council and the community working together for the benefit of Hepburn Shire shire now and into the future?  What mechanisms do you envisage will enable local knowledge and representation in Council decision making given there are no wards  for this term? 

For more information:  Community Voice website below or https://www.facebook.com/groups/communityvoicehepburn/ or email: admin@communityvoice.group

Workshops and Courses

Castlemaine Documentary Film- Club CDOC Workshop

Free Industry Talk: Legals & Ethics
Date: Saturday, 19 October 2024 Time: 2pm – 4pm Location: Castlemaine Community House
Facilitators: Hollie Fifer (Director/Producer), Shaun Miller (Entertainment Lawyer)
Free, but please register here.

When it comes to making documentaries, getting the legal stuff right is a must. From talent releases to music rights, clearances keep your film above board. But it’s not just about paperwork – it’s about telling true stories ethically and respectfully. Join us for a free Legals & Ethics in Documentary Filmmaking discussion, where we’ll break down the must-know legalities and explore how to handle real stories with care and integrity. In conversation with local award-winning Documentary Filmmaker Hollie Fifer, and Entertainment Lawyer, Shaun Miller, you’ll learn about all the essentials to protect your film, and your subjects.

Letters

No letters for this edition.

Food for Thought

Towards Eudaemonia : https://towardseudaemonia.substack.com/

Post Carbon Institute: https://www.postcarbon.org/

Small Giants Academy : https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/roman-krznaric-how-history-informs-the-future

Milkwood : https://www.milkwood.net/2023/06/06/we-cannot-help-transform-a-world-that-does-not-know-us/?

Many people would throw a tantrum at this point’: An Israeli and a Palestinian discuss 7 October, Gaza – and the future- A Guardian article:   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/13/israel-palestine-7-october-gaza-orna-guralnik

Understanding Relationships and Ecology: Fritjof Capra interview on the Great Simplification podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPVnR-FiQ4k

Local Futures- Feminine Futures- Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves 

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We live in capitalism.  Its power seems inescapable – but then so did the divine right of kings.  Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings.  Resistance and change often begins in art.  Very often in our art, the art of words. 

Ursula K Le Guin, speech to the National Book Awards, 2014

Welcome to the September edition of Localising Leanganook ‘s e-newsletter.  In this month’s newsletter, enjoy our feature article- Future Hepburn Forum– Lightning Talk on Climate-  by Taryn Lane. The newsletter also includes regular updates on upcoming local events for the month of September plus activities that contribute towards localisation.  We hope you enjoy it.

Cheers, Nikki, Keppel, and Laurel

Note to Contributors and Readers

As you can see, Localising Leanganook’s e-news continues to grow from strength to strength reaching more than 700 subscribers. The monthly newsletter  includes an ever expanding range of localising events, programs and creative initiatives  in  our central Victorian region.  If you’ve got items for inclusion in future editions, let our editing team know – (nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au). To help our editing team please email through information you’d like included in the following format:

• program/project/event name plus date, time and location if relevant
• summary of event/issue/program, in word format,
• accompanying photo as a jpeg or png.

September’s edition includes:

1. Special Feature: Future Hepburn Forum- Lightning Talk on Climate
   
2. Arts and Culture
3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security
4. Ecology and Environment
5. First Nations
6. Sustainable Living Resources
7. Building Community
8. The Spirit and the Sacred
9. Local Government News
10. Workshops and Courses
11. Letters
12. Food for Thought

1. Special Feature: Future Hepburn Forum- Lightning Talk on Climate, by Taryn Lane

Background to Future Hepburn Forum

At the Hepburn Shire Future Forum, organised by community members and held on August 4^th at Radius Gallery in Hepburn Springs, conversations were opened up, ideas were seeded, and actions proposed via Lightning Talks designed to help shape the future of our shire. These brief  4-5 minute talks presented ways forward for the immediate and longer term of Hepburn shire:  4 years, 40 years  and 400 years. Local thinkers and activists shared their visions and strategies around the themes of Climate (Taryn Lane- Hepburn Energy), Environment (David Holmgren- Holmgren Design), Liveability and Affordable Housing (Karl Fitzgerald- Grounded), and Governance (Tammi Jonas- local farmer and Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance). Lucy Richards- social entrepreneur for future generations- commented on each of the lightning talks from the perspectives and needs of young people.

These talks were provocateurs to peoples’ thinking, action and agency.  They also provided inspiration, identified flaws in existing policies and processes, and highlighted tangible ways forward. With local government elections coming up in October this year, the Future Forum also heard from Cr Jen Bray about the realities of being a councillor, with suggestions for effective community engagement. Cr Tim Drylie spoke about the challenges, responsibilities and satisfactions of being a councillor, the candidate process, and encouraged others in attendance to consider standing in the 2024 elections.  Participants were made aware of the limited time available to recruit candidates, volunteers and voters before the October elections.

The talks were followed by hearty discussions amongst participants, well facilitated by local resident, Peter O’Mara. Some themes emerging included the high turn-over of staff within the Shire, the extensive use of consultants without local knowledge, and the wealth of skills amongst our local residents which could be drawn upon for the benefit of our community and shire. The end of the ward system poses new challenges and/or threats including potential lack of representation and local knowledge for sections of the shire, especially small hamlets.  The Future Forum was organised by some original members of Community Voice, formed during the campaign for the 2020 local government election. Interest and enthusiasm from those attending the Future Forum has seeded a new community group:  The People’s Consultancy- Hepburn.

Here is a summary of Taryn Lane’s Lightning Talk relating to Climate. 

“The next 4 years: the time is now for action on climate. We have the community wide goal of net zero by 2030 under the banner of Hepburn ZNET – the key focus areas are agriculture, energy, transport, and waste, and ensuring our Wombat Forest remains the carbon sink that it is. Hepburn Shire Council has its Sustainable Hepburn plan for council infrastructure that is integrated with the community goals of Hepburn Z-NET and also covers biodiversity and circular economy.

On the energy front we have firstly a once in a lifetime opportunity for a wealth transfer to occur away from energy companies and into homes via electrification and renewables. In the past 12 months we saw 4mw of rooftop solar deployed in the shire, with ward areas such as Holcombe and Cameron going from 24 and 26 percent of rooftops to 39%. So, the work of now is largely a retrofit project.  Rooftop solar is now in aggregate the biggest energy player after coal and gas. We need all the homes that can to have rooftop solar. We need all the existing homes, regardless of solar, to be energy efficient, cheap to run, and as thermally comfortable as possible, resilient to fires, storms and floods. This will be supported by minimum standards for energy efficiency for rental homes under the state government and new 7-star minimum standards for new houses under the federal government. We need our existing local electricity grid to be smart and resilient – enabling us to use our hot water systems and our cars as batteries. We need money to be saved and kept in the local community.

For Hepburn Shire, as a small local government area with a tight budget, the only way to effectively get action on climate change is through community- council partnerships and collaboration with local groups. The Z-NET partnership has overseen more than $6.5m in community value through bulk buys and energy efficiency programs since 2019. Another example is our Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging network in the Shire that now has four 100% community owned EV chargers by Hepburn Energy. This has come about through the partnership between Hepburn Energy, Hepburn Shire Council, Central Highlands Water and Chargefox.

This coming year it is anticipated that Hepburn Shire Council should reach zero net emissions for their infrastructure. This should allow an increased focus on supporting the community to reduce emissions, to protect and expand our biodiversity, and to promote circular economies. In addition, a key focus needs to be support for our farmers to continue reducing farm operational emissions, regenerate farmland and increase carbon sequestration.

In 2020 a big group of us gathered underneath the turbines to spell out 1.5 degrees in a human sign, as a symbol of the need to stay within a safe climate trajectory. We are now consistently breaching this temperature rise and are more in reach for 2-3 degrees.

In 40 years I hope we can look back at how everyone played an active part in reducing emissions, adapting to climate change and Caring for Country.”

(Taryn Lane is the General Manager of the local energy co-operative Hepburn Energy, and has been taking care of the 2 turbines ‘Gale’ and ‘Gusto’ since they were built in 2011. Hepburn Energy supports the community towards the community-wide goal of zero-net emissions by 2030 through a range of community-based programs such as bulk buys and energy efficiency.) 

2. Arts and Culture

Yandoit Cultural- A special evening with Virtuoso Guitarist, Alex Tsiboulski

Renowned classical guitar master Alex Tsiboulski presents a unique one-off program in the special atmosphere and acoustics of Yandoit Uniting Church- Yandoit Cultural. An artist known for his virtuosity, intensity and depth, Tsiboulski presents a program spanning music from three centuries, listeners will see and hear an original 200-year-old guitar from Italy, a Telecaster electric and a modern Spanish guitar.

Recently returned from an extensive tour of Ukraine, the ARIA-nominated Daylesford resident Tsiboulski splits his time between touring and teaching at the University of Melbourne.  His last two solo albums have received five-star reviews in the Weekend Australian.

When and Where: Friday 27 September 7:30PM, at Yandoit Cultural, Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit

Seating and Bookings: Seating for this concert is limited for visibility and acoustic reasons. Bookings essential: https://www.trybooking.com/CUQVU

Enquiries: sasha.bookings@carpecook.fr Phone: 0401-162-796 or nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au 0432 232 073

“Tsiboulski is little short of a magician […] producing astonishing varieties of tone from the lute-like early music to virtuoso feats of contemporary dexterity . . .” (The Advertiser, Adelaide)

Here’s a few taste tempters for Alex Tsibulski: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCBJYfIoEk0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdJdW2UP4jg

Newstead Arts Hub

To see all exhibitions, performance and workshops click here

Shut up and Write- Friday 27th September 1-5pm

The Newstead Writers Group meets monthly at the Arts Hub on the 4th Friday of the month. This is a space for professional authors, occasional writers and budding authors to write without the interruptions of day to day life.  The writers take a break for 15 minutes or so mid afternoon to join in a conversation with other writers.  Otherwise they find a spot to sit and shut up and write!  A small donation to attend is requested.

Friday 27th September 6.30 – 8pm-  Thrutopia – Beyond Utopia and Dystopia: a new writing genre for the future.

Bring  your imagination to join in an Experiential Thrutopian Writers Lab to seed new stories for the Future. Stories are a powerful force to change the world for the good of all.  They can pierce outdated beliefs and behaviours to bring new light and optimism.  This will be an interactive and joyful experience exploring a new global writing genre to find a cut through pathway between Utopia and Dystopia to seed a viable future for all life.

The Bedridden Return for a Second Concert at Yandoit Cultural

When and Where: Saturday September 14^th, 7.30pm.  Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit

The Bedridden were formed in Canberra in 1989. Five albums and several line-up changes later, Dave, Raz and Alex are based in Central Victoria and are the undisputed kings and queens of acoustic psycho muppet punk.

“The Bedridden are brilliant, childish, side-splittingly funny, mean-spirited, musically outstanding, puerile, visionary, insular, hugely talented, immature, poetic, condescending, and capable of making albums that challenge, disgust & inspire”.

Listen via youtube and spotify: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuRldykgWi8

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0zLUdu0JTDHiXFCjT3hIB0?si=TppzCI3XQX66vFOEYX78yA

Entry by donation. Bookings and Enquiries: http://yandoitcultural.org/

Radius Gallery

Fathers Day Event: Mouth watering curries and heart warming comedy.

Sunday 1st September 6pm – 9pm

Join us for a fun evening of food and film as we launch Feast & Flicks at Radius. Join local legend Raman Richards as he crafts an array of curries followed by a screening of classic movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  READ MORE for full Radius Program.

Northern Arts Hotel

There is always something on at the Coolroom.  World music is on from August to November.  You can go to Las Gatas album launch, listen to Yirrmal live and an array of fabulous performers and other events through to November.  Events are usually at 7.30pm.  Click on the Coolroom diary links below for details of September. Remember Potluck dinner is on every Tuesday from 7pm.

Friday 30 August 7.30pm  | STANO In Between Silence, where we really exist
Saturday 31 August 3pm | Las Gatas Album Launch ‘Feelings’
Friday 6 September | Indigenous music with Yirrmal  [W]
Saturday 7 September | Ms Onur Kurt & DJ Luqman  [W]
Sunday 8 September 7pm | She: Beccy Cole, Felicity Urquhart & Lyn Bowtell
Friday 13 September 7.30pm | Namrock House: Solomon Island Reggae  [W]
Friday 20 September 7.30pm | The Jack Pantazis Group in concert
Saturday 21 September 7.30pm | Trudy Fatnowna Edgeley Album Launch  [W]
Friday 27 September 7.30pm | Beare & Smith live at The Coolroom
Saturday 28 September 7.30pm | The Duck Downpickers with special guests
Friday 29 November 7.30pm | Jeff Lang Album Launch ‘More Life’
FILM
Friday 30 August7.30pm  | STANO In Between Silence, where we really exist
SPOKEN WORD & REGULAR GROUPS
Saturday 24 August 2.30PM | PoetiCas at The Coolroom
NORTHERN ARTS HOTEL
Ongoing | Ethiopia, Hudad Plateau: A Self Portrait Series
Every Tuesday | Potluck Dinner from 7pm
Nightly Dusk to Dawn | Wimble St Wall 

Swiss Italian Festival Amici

The Swiss Italian Festival Committee is looking for 100 community supporters prepared to donate $100 to be recognised as a Festa Amici and provide a solid $10 000 financial base to help guarantee the future of our Swiss Italian Festa. Will you be an Amici – a friend of the 2024 Hepburn Swiss Italian Festa?

The Festa was revived last year after a COVID-enforced break, the sort of break that’s made so many other community celebrations and festivals unviable. In 2024 we have an expanded, enthusiastic volunteer committee working hard to deliver a bigger, better Festa on the last weekend in October. We do have some business sponsors and in-kind donors, and have received some State Government funding, but we need community funding to ensure we can host the Street Parade, Lantern Parade, Festa day at the Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve and – of course – the traditional fireworks!

Every $100 Amici will be listed in our program, on our website and recognised in our social media. And every Amici will be in the draw for a major prize donated by one of our business supporters. If you can be an Amici this would be a big help for this year’s Festa. Please contact us if you would like to discuss the Festa.

You can donate directly to the Swiss Italian Festa Bank Account – Or you can go to our Swiss Italian website  https://swissitalianfesta.com/ to make a payment.

For more information: email Eddie Beacham  beacham@mooltan.com.au

3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security

Milkwood- Beginners Guide to Veggie Gardening

NEW: our free Beginner’s Guide to Veggie Gardening

4. Ecology and Environment

YIMBY – Yes in My Back Yard – Composting – Update – July ‘24

• We have reached the grand milestone of composting 50,000 kgs of kitchen organics! (anyone with the time and skills to help us visually represent this please get in touch)
• Costa and the Gardening Australia crew spent a day filming some of our YIMBY crew on Tuesday 23rd July for a segment on Gardening Australia. We appreciate their interest in telling YIMBY’s unique story as we also think it is a story worth telling! It will go to air sometime before Dec, date TBA.
• YIMBY was grateful to be nominated as the receiving charity for Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) for two weeks in July. Thanks to all who took their bottles and cans down so that we can buy more straw. And remember, you can always nominate YIMBY to receive funds through the CDS, just ask the friendly staff at the Chewton Service Station.

Upcoming events:Weekly coffee catch up at Tortoise Cafe, every Wednesday from 8-9am. Everyone welcome.

• Next YIMBY Continuous Hot Composting Workshop will be held on Saturday 21st Sept, 9:30am – 12:30pm. Limited places, book your spot now.

Anyone got the time and skills for…We have a new section on our website Get Involved showing all the ways you can help YIMBY including…

• Weekly collection of CDS bottles and from The Tap Room – largish vehicle needed (about a 1.5 hour weekly commitment – or occasional help).
• Fortnightly collection of buckets from Don KR – largish vehicle required
• Grant Writing
• Help to visually represent our statistics, what does 50,000 kgs of kitchen scraps look like?!
• YIMBY is still looking for a home. A place to run our workshops from, store our buckets, pile our straw and plan our future. If you have any ideas on potential locations we would love to hear from you.
• Horse poo collection or donations.
• Donations of wood chips as a carbon source for our composters
• Please get in touch with the YIMBY team if you can help. hello@yimbycompost.com

This month’s Compost Conversation articles:TAKE IT OUTSIDE – kitchen caddies; ADDING SOIL, OR NOT?

• Reminder: All YIMBY Compost Conversation articles are available on our website under our new Resource Hub.

Green Drinks return to Hepburn at Radius Arts

Fri 30th August, 6pm  at Radius Gallery, 76 Main Rd Hepburn Springs

Image by KamranAydinv Freepic

Feathery Festival

A collaborative venture with Connecting Country, Birdlife Castlemaine District and Barkers Creek Landcare and Wildlife Group.

Join us for a series of events in celebration of woodland birds including films, walks, talks and books

September 2024 on Djaara Country

The Message of the Lyrebird Film Fundraiser

When and Where: Thursday 5 September 7:30pm (doors open at 6pm for dinner and music) at Theatre Royal Castlemaine

Tickets $25/$20 concession HERE

This is a special fundraising event also featuring live music by Joel Bloom and Hilary Blackshaw and a conversation with local Landcarers and ecologists.

All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards – Connecting Country’s Conservation Program and Balangara Films Education Distribution Program. 

Guided Bird Walk

When and Where: Saturday 7 September 9am, Rise and Shine Nature Conservation Reserve, Newstead 

Join expert bird watchers from Birdlife Castlemaine District on a free guided walk in one of the region’s bird watching hotspots, including a ‘how to identify birds’ session, followed by a delicious brunch in the outdoors with entertainment from the Chat Warblers. Kids welcome. Reserve your spot HERE

Birds and Beers

When and Where: Wednesday 11 September, Talk starts at 7pm (come down earlier for dinner), Shedshaker, Castlemaine 

Enjoy a beer and some delicious grub, and Join Tanya Loos, author of forthcoming book Living with Wildlife: a guide for our homes and backyards, while she delves into the delights of our local bird fauna. As well as describing commonly seen birds of the Castlemaine region, Tanya will provide tips on how to make sure our homes and backyards are havens for birds.  Practical advice will include preventing window collision, owl friendly rodent control, how to stop birds attacking windows and why bird baths are a better option than feeding birds. 

Natural Newstead

The Importance of Lerp #1

Lerp, the sugary secretions created by psyllid insects, plays a vital role in the natural economy of many ecosystems, especially so in the box-ironbark woodlands of central Victoria. At times when other food may be scarce, often over winter, lerp provides a crucial source of energy-rich starch (along with some protein and fats) for woodland birds.

River Red-Gum lives (mainly) in ecological harmony with psyllids and it is not uncommon to see trees covered in scars where the sugary casings have been plucked from the surface of leaves. This Brown-headed Honeyeater was feasting on red gum lerp at Rotunda Park, performing some impressive gymnastics as it picked its way through the leaf clusters.

Read more from Geoff Park 

Clean Energy Children’s book

There’s a new children’s book about clean energy out now and we love that the wind character was inspired by Hepburn Energy’s turbine Gale.

Amy’s Balancing Act is an illustrated children’s book about the transition to clean energy and the power of diversity. The author, Dr Bjorn Sturmberg, is an energy researcher at ANU, award-winning science communicator, and long-standing member of Hepburn Energy. Its illustrator is Melbourne artist Laura Stitzel.

With National Book and Science Week coming up in August, Bjorn is donating books to Hepburn Energy for us to distribute amongst local schools and libraries. Bjorn will match every copy bought using the code “Hepburn” on his website: https://bjornsturmberg.com/shop/ (the code also provides free shipping).

If more than 10 books are bought he’ll donate 50% of the sales price to the Hepburn Energy community battery fund.

Australian Conservation Foundation Central Vic- Community Forum: Saving Nature, Saving Ourselves

Central Victoria ACF community is hosting this forum on the government’s ongoing reform of Australia’s 20 year old national  Environment Protection and Biodiversity Protection (EPBC) Act, laws that continue to fail to adequately protect nature, or prevent extinctions. The government knows that nature is in crisis. This forum will provide an important opportunity for our region’s community to engage with our Federal Member, Lisa Chesters, and to demonstrate our support for strengthening nature laws, to ensure a halt to the destruction of nature and habitat.

The government plans to establish Environment Protection Australia (EPA), a new national body to be responsible for overseeing and protecting our natural environment, tasked to ensure well-being and survival of the many plants and creatures that depend upon it. We will be urging our MP, Lisa Chesters, to use her voice to convince the Environment Minister and the PM to accelerate and be more resolute with their plans to legislate for stronger laws and action to implement them.

Join us at our Saving Nature, Saving Ourselves forum. Attendance at this dynamic event will help us demonstrate the breadth and depth of community support for strong and effective nature laws.

On the panel, you’ll hear from:

• Lisa Chesters – MP for Bendigo
• Brendan Sydes –  Australian Conservation Foundation Biodiversity Policy Advisor (and Castlemaine resident)
• Kelsey Macdonald – Central Victoria Youth Climate Network
• Sean Dooley – Birdlife National Public Affairs Manager
• MC – Josh Meadows, ACF Media Adviser  (and Castlemaine resident)

When: Saturday August 31st, 1.30 – 3.30 pm

Where: The Gallery, Library Student Union Building, La Trobe University Bendigo, Edwards Rd, Flora Hill, VIC 3550

To register: Central Victoria ACF Community  Community Forum: Saving Nature, Saving Ourselves

Bird of the Month Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor)

At my home in Campbells Creek, I regularly see the imposing Grey Currawong. The individuals I see are likely to be the same pair I’ve been watching for years. The small birds are a bit scared of the Grey Currawong, with good reason as you’ll read below, but they are an important part of the forest ecosystem despite their small vertebrate munching habits. If you are lucky enough to see one up close, you’ll notice the bright yellow eye, so beautiful against the grey plumage and probably summing you up in a way that feels both intelligent and slightly intimidating. Read more  at Connecting Country  To find out more about Grey Currawongs and listen to its call, click here.

To find out more about Pied Currawong and listen to its call, click here.

Central Vic Climate Action

Some us attended the forum about planned burns in Victorian forests, presented by Adjunct professor Phil Zylstra  It was very confronting to understand the flawed science. Attached is a summary.

 

Rethinking Planned Burns – Philip Zylstra, August 20th 2024 | Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests fobif.org.au

Bernard continues to work away at the fossil free super campaign. It’s a great project. You can contact him if you’d like to help out. Lots of info here: https://fossilfreesuper.org/

contact Bernard for more info: 0459 472 558 

On Saturday 31st August, some of us will be attending the ACF Community forum:  Saving Nature Saving Ourselves, Latrobe University Bendigo from 1.30 pm. Maybe we’ll see you there?

Monday 2nd September, help hand out fliers at the No to Violence conference. Join the fossilfreesuper campaign in calling out the super fund HESTA for supporting coal and gas. We plan to flyer the conference to invite more community sector agencies to dump Hesta who persist with about 2.3 Billion of investments in climate wreckers while claiming to represent the Health & Community sector (see below Market Forces Climate Wreckers Index ). Check out:  fossilfreesuper.org  and

On Tuesday 10th September, 11 am Central Vic Climate Action crew will be joining a protest outside the weapons expo at the International Land Defence Expo in Naarm (Melbourne). We’ll be dressed as red or black rebels. We’ll be highlighting the links between arms sales, war and climate change. Consider taking the day off and joining us! Contact us if you’d like more info.

Saturday 21st September, join us for a coffee from 1 pm at Saff’s cafe, Castlemaine.

29th September, Meet the candidates, Royal Theatre, Castlemaine from 11 am. Sunday 15th 

20/21st November, many of us will be heading up to the Rising Tide action in Newcastle. Some of us will be camping, some of us will be sharing accomodation. The Ballarat crew will be hiring a bus. Get in touch if you’re interested in coming along. Here’s the details: https://www.risingtide.org.au/  

5. First Nations

Drawing on Indigenous Wisdom at the Creative Resilience Lab for Mt Alexander Shire

On August 1 and 2 The Centre for Reworlding in partnership with Mount Alexander Shire Council held a 2-day Creative Resilience Lab at Newstead Community Centre. The Centre for Reworlding work is grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems and protocols based in the concept of relationality that foreground inclusion, mutual benefit sharing and the plurality of knowledges including those often absent in climate and disaster management discourses.

The purpose of the Lab was to bolster literacy about localised climate emergency context and the role of arts and culture; to cultivate greater understanding of creative resilience approaches to local disaster risks and build relationships that enable longer and deeper cross sectorial collaboration working with diverse community and equity denied groups. The workshop fulfilled that purpose.  It was enlightening, interactive, engaging and inclusive.  The group took a systems perspective on building the scaffolding needed for our current and future generations to survive and thrive.

Up to 80 people from Mt. Alexander Shire participated in the lab, representing Indigenous knowledge-keepers, culture & the arts, physical & social sciences, emergency services, local government, funders and community groups were invited to participate. (Laurel Freeland, Newstead Connecting Stories Ally group)

6. Sustainable Living Resources

Degrowth Central Victoria

Plenty of thought-provoking articles to read  via substack.

Read more 

Renewable Newstead Community Energy Project

We at Renewable Newstead are excited to be able to share details of another of the local community benefits that our Newstead Community Energy Project (solar farm) is bringing to our community. It’s called the Newstead Local Community Benefit Program. (See info attached.) You’ll discover a great way to support Newstead clubs, organisations and projects if and when you sign up to buy your electricity from Flow Power, the company retailing the energy generated at Newstead.

Grounded – Community Land Trusts and Affordable Housing

The Vision for Grounded, (located in central Victoria) is focused on bringing best practices to the affordable housing market in a new ‘for purpose’ housing model for Australia. Community Land Trusts (CLT’s)  have been successful in the northern hemisphere in identifying raw community needs, whether that be in housing, farming, or saving a beloved local pub. Together, we can get the economics right so that our land and housing payment streams go towards supporting our community, rather than draining it. We can make affordable housing and responsible land stewardship a reality for all. Dig into CLTs here.

Grounded has assembled a passionate team of changemakers determined to disrupt our current housing model and finally deliver real, intergenerational affordability. We hope you can join us as a member or donor.

An update on Airbnb and BTR Inquiry: Our Airbnb cap n trade report is still making the news with a run in the media including an article in Smart Property Investment (SPI)

Hepburn Energy Electricity Retail Offer

We consider our retail offer one of the most ethical and environmentally sustainable offers on the market. What better way to support your co-operative and community power? We’d now like to extend this pilot offer to another group of Hepburn Energy members across Victoria. Our community retail offer is delivered through our retailing partner Flow Power. The electricity plan on offer is called Flow Home, a unique electricity plan that rewards greener habits, provides free energy monitoring tools, opportunities to increase your feed-in tariff when you export at the right time and support from their Melbourne-based Customer Success team.

As we continue to beta test this product, we’re looking for members who are happy to provide feedback on their experience, so we can make our offer the best it can be! In particular, for this second round, we are looking to test our product with people knowledgeable about the energy industry and EV and/or battery owners.

The best-fit customers for round 2 onboarding are: Victorian Hepburn Energy members; Battery owners; EV owners; Customers with no rooftop solar, but would like to benefit from cheaper daytime solar from the grid (and support the energy transition);Customers who have rooftop solar but use most of it; Customers interested in participating in the energy transition actively with their home energy system.

Contact our Preference Centre if you are interested. To learn more about the offer, jump on our website here. Or email info@hepburnenergy.coop.

Land Care Grants

$300,000 Landcare Australia Community Grants program is now open to revive nature, boost biodiversity and support volunteers

All landcarer groups  are encouraged to apply for this exciting new grant program. It’s an opportunity to celebrate and build on the wonderful work and dedication to landcare activities taking place in your local patch.

Grant applications for a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $20,000 (excluding GST) are available.

Applications are now open, and close on  Friday 20^th September. Successful applicants will hear by Friday 18^th October 2024.

$300,000 Landcare Australia Community Grants program is now open (activehosted.com)

Castlemaine Vigil shines light on Homelessness

Over 70 community members attended a vigil in Castlemaine in early August as part of Homelessness Week  to honour those in our community who are homeless. Thirty candles were lit at the event to represent the dozens of rough sleepers in our community. Attendees urged both State and Federal Governments to take stronger action on homelessness. Over 50 letters were signed and sent to The Hon. Harriet Shing, Victorian Minister for Housing, calling for more support. Additionally, many petitions were signed advocating for a significant increase in social and affordable housing at the federal level.

Repair Cafes across Central Victoria

Castlemaine: last Sunday of each month- September 29th, 10am to 1pm at Castlemaine Community House,  30 Templeton St.

Daylesford– 3rd Sunday of the month- September 15th 1-4pm at Victoria Park Pavillion, Ballan Rd, Daylesford

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/daylesfordrepaircafe/

Creswick Repair and Share: a project of Transition Creswick- 3rd Sunday of the month- September 15th, 1-4pm at Creswick Neighbourhood Centre

For more information: https://creswicknc.org/groups/post2-nn6m5

Ballarat: 1-4pm last Sat of the month at Barkly Square- Saturday September 28th

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/ballaratrepaircafe/

Bendigo Share &Repair Shed: Thursday: 10am – 1pm, Saturday*: 10am – 1pm, at 120-126 Garsed Street

A community based organisation that started as the Bendigo Repair Cafe in 2017 and has since grown to include a Tool Library, Useful Bin, Food is Free Table and a range of other ‘re’ and ‘up’ cycling services. We also offer a ‘one stop’ recycling drop off for small items and a Community Swap table.

For more information: https://bendigoshareandrepairshed.org/

Mount Alexander Sustainability Group- Newsletter

https://mailchi.mp/69a2e1fd6d16/2020agm-9199568?e=9582a495c2

7. Building Community

Community Celebrates Landmark Decision In Liquor Commission

Daylesford community members have welcomed the decision handed down by the Victorian Liquor Commission on 14th August, overturning the Liquor License granted to The Endeavour Group Ltd to establish a Dan Murphy’s on the corner of Bridport Street and Central Springs Road.

“It was always going to be a huge battle to go up against a corporate entity as big as Dan Murphy’s but we felt we had to stand up and let the Liquor Commission know how this was going to impact our children, our teenagers and the broader community,” commented Jen Bray, local resident and Hepburn Shire Councillor. (Ms Bray participated in the hearing as an individual community member and did not represent Hepburn Shire).

The Liquor Control Reform Amendment Act 2021 changed to include a new definition of harm arising from the use and misuse of alcohol and much of the hearing before the Liquor Control Commission centred around the potential for “harm”. Importantly, this legislative reform was triggered by the Parliament’s commitment to implement all 227 recommendations that came from the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence in 2016. In a landmark decision, the Commission overturned the granting of the Licence concluding that granting the licence would be conducive to or encourage harm to the local community, especially minors.

Lynda Poke, a Daylesford resident who gave evidence at the hearing said, “We are seeing that the levels of violence against women and children were clearly linked with the harms induced by alcohol consumption. The regulatory reforms to address the issue appear to be finally working and giving decision makers the capacity to change how laws are interpreted and implemented. This will change peoples lives for the better.”

Hepburn Shire CEO, Bradley Thomas said, “Council welcomes the Victorian Liquor Commission decision to refuse Dan Murphy’s a licence to operate in Daylesford. Council strongly advocated for the refusal during the submission process and at hearings, along with a number of committed community members who contributed their time and presented evidence. This is the first time the new definition of “harm” under the Liquor Control Reform Act has been used to refuse a licence, making it a landmark decision.”

Resident Michelle Stephenson said “This has restored my faith in due process. Sometimes you feel like you are going up against Goliath and you haven’t a chance but there was a process in place which we pursued by going to the Liquor Commission and we really didn’t give up the fight.”

Note: Extract from article published in the Wombat Post, August 16th, 2024

Castlemaine Free University

Community Campaign to Save Guildford General Store

A local family has bought the Guildford General Store, which closed in March this year. The small Victorian community had campaigned to keep the 108-year-old store in local hands.

A community campaign to save the general store in a tiny central Victorian town has paid off with a local family swooping in to buy it. The 108-year-old Guildford store went to auction on Saturday with a reserve price of $750,000. It was sold at $710,000.  Anton Perry said the purchase, made by his 89-year-old nan Norma Hancock, was a sudden decision. “No-one was making a bid, and I just kicked my nan in the ankle and said, ‘C’mon, let’s do it, [let’s] throw in something,'” he said.

The family, who bought the shop in an auction, say they want to turn it back into the “soul of the town”. The family plans to turn the Guildford General Store back into a meeting place for the community as well as a place to buy takeaway and essentials.

Community Heritage Meeting- Maldon

The Maldon Heritage Network, a group of community members who share an interest in protecting, preserving and promoting Maldon’s heritage, is holding a community meeting about our local heritage on Wednesday 18 September at the Maldon Neighbourhood Centre at 7.30pm.

Whether it be an Aboriginal cultural heritage site, an old building, a significant tree, the remains of gold diggings, stories and oral histories, or long running events and groups, what makes heritage important is that it plays a role in our lives, even if we don’t give it much thought: it is part of the continuum of our local world and history and our place in it. Our local heritage is also fundamental to larger questions of development, land use, ownership, sustainability, community participation and design.

We are keen to hear your views about Maldon and district’s heritage, including any concerns you may have or priorities that you believe need addressing. These ideas will be collated and used to inform future directions for the group, which you are welcome to join.

Castlemaine Seed Library

The Seed Board is restocked and awaiting you!
We have: Rainbow Chard, Red Onion, Land Cress, Red and Green Chard, Purple Sprouting Brocolli, Coriander, Leek, mixed Lettuce, Mizuna, Mustard and Wasabi Mustard, Russian Kale, Carrot, Chamomile, Chicory and Parsnip.

Next Working bee is Thursday September 5th. We meet at the library at 11am, usually in the foyer, inside the library if an event is on, on the first Thursday of every month. Put it in your diary and come along and join the team.

All welcome to winnow and pack seeds with us.

Support Hepburn Residents Doing It Tough

Small acts of kindness can have a BIG impact. Join our GenK (Generational Kindness) inter-generational workshops on Thursdays in September (6-7.30pm), light dinner provided.

Hear from services about who is doing it tough.Work in inter-generational teams. Help combat ageism & build stronger communities. Be supported to do a simple act of kindness.Hear from services about who is doing it tough. Share the kindness to encourage others.

Workshops led by Celebrate Ageing in partnership with Elder Rights Advocacy,  U3A Hepburn and Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre.

GenK is an initiative of the Centre for Intergenerational Power, an initiative of Celebrate Ageing. GenK takes a kindness lens to the problem of ageism & builds stronger local communities. RSVP Catherine Barrett – 0429 582 237

Local Futures

8. The Spirit and the Sacred

Yandoit Sacred

Castlemaine Johannine Community – Grail Chapel

The Castlemaine Johannine Community gathers at the Grail Chapel in Green Gully regularly for teaching, healing, meditation and Christ centered spiritual growth and upliftment. This site details meeting times, contact information and special events. Your pastors are Rev. Kenneth Killeen and Rev Diane Thompson.

The Castlemaine Grail Community continues to meet regularly to connect through rituals of celebration, initiation and renewal. We share in the transformative power of the Eucharist regularly and in September we have a two day seminar/workshop on the Gospel of St. John as a guidebook for initiation.

These are the dates for our upcoming events in September:

Sunday 1st September Father’s Day Eucharist 11 am followed by shared lunch

Sunday 29th September Michaelmas Eucharist 11 am followed by shared lunch

All enquiries to Ken Killeen – Johannine@hotmail.com 

https://www.grailcommunity.com/

9. Local Government News

The People’s  Consultancy- Hepburn

The People’s Consultancy of Hepburn is a grassroots organisation committed to transforming local governance in Hepburn Shire through participatory democracy and community empowerment. Founded in 2020 as Community Voice, the organisation emerged from a shared belief that the Hepburn Shire Council needed to be more responsive to the community’s needs and aspirations, a sentiment echoed in the 2020 Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey.

In a significant step forward, Community Voice supported the successful election of four councillors in the October 2020 local elections, marking a key milestone in our journey. Building on this success, The People’s Consultancy was established in 2024 with a renewed focus on fostering a collaborative and inclusive relationship between the Hepburn Shire community and the Council.

As we approach the next term of Council with elections in late October this year, The People’s Consultancy- Hepburn is poised to play an even more active role in ensuring that the voices of Hepburn Shire are not only heard but are central to shaping the decisions that affect our collective future. Our vision is to create a ‘can do’ culture within the Council—one that prioritises active listening, transparency, the empowerment of all community members, and which also draws on the wealth of skills within the community, and is designed to deliver positive outcomes for the people of Hepburn and future generations.

We want to change the way the Council works, to make it better at listening to what people want and to create a ‘can do’ culture. The People’s Consultancy invites all people in Hepburn Shire to add their voices to help create a more cohesive and engaged community.

To register your interest: https://communityvoice.group/

Really Local

Mt Alexander Shire News:

https://mountalexandershirecouncil.cmail19.com/

10. Workshops and Courses

Expand Your Impact Workshops- Make a Change Team

FREE Expand Your Impact workshops start online next Tuesday 3rd September. These workshops are relevant to any area of life: personal, family, work, career, or community care – ANYTHING you want to address!

Expand Your Impact is particularly helpful if you’re:

• feeling stuck, frustrated & unmotivated
• looking for inspiration
• working on something that isn’t going well
• interested in picking up tips & tricks to get stuff done
• looking for new ideas
• wanting to kick-start something new

Invest just 2 hours for 3 weeks to see what you’ll discover. We’ll gather as a supportive group, to discuss, explore & learn.

Find out more & register here

Experiential Thrutopian Writers Lab – a new writing genre for the future beyond Utopia and Dystopia

Friday 27th September 6.30 – 8pm- at Newstead Arts Hub

Bring  your imagination to join in this Writers Lab to seed new stories for the Future. Stories are a powerful force to change the world for the good of all.  They can pierce outdated beliefs and behaviours to bring new light and optimism.  This will be an interactive and joyful experience exploring a new global writing genre to find a cut through pathway between Utopia and Dystopia to seed a viable future for all life. Cost: $18 or $15 Members  To book Humanitix

New Economy Network-  Re-imagining the Good Life Free Webinar

Join NENA and the University of Newcastle for this special event  A Pluriversal perspective on community well-being in Australia

When:  12th September @ 12pm AEST (QLD,NSW,VIC)

Click here for Event Details, speakers and to book FREE TICKETS

Rewilding Central Victoria Symposium

Two-day premiere event exploring ‘rewilding’ in our region and beyond.

Date: Friday 13 and Saturday 14 September, 2024
Location: LaTrobe University, Bendigo + local rewilding project sites

For more information and tickets

Download Symposium Program 

Ecologist Lance Lloyd, Restoration Scientist (Aquatic Ecology) at Winton Wetlands, is the Keynote Speaker at our Rewilding Central Victoria Symposium Dinner. Lance is set to speak on the fascinating topic – The Time is Now: Rewilding aquatic species to improve biodiversity and ecosystem function. Image credit @Dave Watts

Swiss Italian Festa- Equinox Lantern Parade

When : Friday 20 September

Where: Hepburn Springs  Mineral Springs Reserve

Navigating Direct Democracy: Global State of Direct Democracy- Webinar

When: AEST 1.30am Friday Sept 6th 

Democracy is under pressure worldwide. The number of democratically governed states has fallen significantly in the last ten years. But there are also developments that give us hope. Above all, democracies in which citizens are not only allowed to vote, but also to be elected, are proving to be extremely resilient. You are invited to join the authors of the Global State of Direct Democracy Report  for a discussion on trends in direct democracy around the world. (English language)

Programme: explore various findings of the report and its classification approach; delve into current trends and predictions in direct democracy; ask questions to the authors and engage in a discussion. Register now!

Speakers:

Bruno Kaufmann, democracy correspondent for the Swiss Broadcasting Company
Prof. Raul Magni Berton, European School of Political and Social Sciences, France
Prof. Clara Egger, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands 

11. Letters

12. Food for Thought

North Central Catchment Management: https://www.nccma.vic.gov.au/documents/1566/North_Central_Chat_-_August_2024.pdf

Unlocking Enough with Stephen Jenkinson– podcast :    https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/unlocking-enough-with-stephen-jenkinson-encore/id1108741194?i=1000663715024

Conversation with Joanna Macy- Post Carbon Institute:  https://mailchi.mp/postcarbon.org/wcpgr-bonus-69352?e=e959617162

Conversation Series with Helena Norberg-Hodge (encore)- The Wisdom & Action Podcast

Play

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/conversation-series-with-helena-norberg-hodge-encore/

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‘The equal right of all people to the use of land is as clear as their equal right to breathe the air: it is a right proclaimed by the fact of their existence.
For we cannot suppose that some people have a right to be in this world, and others no right.’

Henry George, Progress and Poverty.

Welcome to the August edition of Localising Leanganook’s e-newsletter.  In this month’s newsletter, our feature article by local economist Karl Fitzgerald describes one of the hidden factors contributing to the chronic shortage of rental housing in Australia, and an innovative scheme for fixing the problem. The newsletter also includes regular updates on upcoming local events for the month of August plus activities that contribute towards localisation.  We hope you enjoy it.

Cheers, Nikki, Keppel, and Laurel

Note to Contributors and Readers

As you can see, Localising Leanganook’s e-news continues to grow from strength to strength reaching more than 700 subscribers. The monthly newsletter  includes an ever expanding range of localising events, programs and creative initiatives  in  our central Victorian region.  If you’ve got items for inclusion in future editions, let our editing team know – (nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au). To help our editing team please email through information you’d like included in the following format:

• program/project/event name plus date, time and location if relevant
• summary of event/issue/program, in word format,
• accompanying photo as a jpeg or png

July’s edition includes:

1. Special Feature: Airbnb’s hidden threat requires a sensible response
   
2. Arts and Culture
3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security
4. Ecology and Environment
5. First Nations
6. Sustainable Living Resources
7. Building Community
8. The Spirit and the Sacred
9. Local Government News
10. Workshops and Courses
11. Letters
12. Food for Thought

Special Feature: Airbnb’s hidden rental threat requires a sensible response

By Karl Fitzgerald

Should Airbnb’s be allowed to run unhindered or should we cap the numbers and channel some of the profits towards affordable housing? That’s the question we’ve asked in Grounded’s recent report “Airbnb: from a housing problem to solution”. Thirteen of Australia’s leading tourism towns were analysed, revealing that Airbnb investors enjoyed a stunning 81% higher return than a traditional landlord. Such a premium provides an incredible incentive for investors to switch towards short-term rentals (STRs). The housing supply is going backwards in the towns studied, with more of it going towards Airbnb than it is to either the rental or ownership markets. Over the last decade, the equivalent of 74% of new supply has migrated towards these short-term profits. Airbnb sponsored reports typically water down their impact by comparing their stock to total dwellings. “Nothing to see here, we account for just 5.7% of total dwellings”.

When investors prioritise short-term returns over a long-term community, the rental market is where the pain is first felt. People on the margin are forced to make ends meet, by paying 50% of incomes on escalating rents or worse, sleeping precariously. Analysis should focus on where this change has been enforced – the rental market. Such a comparison shows that Airbnb’s account for 35% of rental supply. No wonder there’s a housing crisis, as this ABC segment describes. Apollo Bay and Noosa Heads both have more than twice as much short-term rental supply as is available for traditional renters. Investors in these towns receive a return on investment of more than 100% above the typical rental property.

Meanwhile, Castlemaine only has 121 total STR listings (96 active listings), out of 5,059 total dwellings. However, despite the low STR concentration, the number of active STR listings is up 4%. This is despite annual revenues being down 12% to $40,800. If we compare STR incomes to median rents at $19,022 p.a (Census 2021 indexed to 2024), we can see a clear signal to the market: invest in STRs.  Averaged over a decade, Castlemaine produced 76 news homes per year. Despite this, only 64 new rental homes were produced over this same time frame to 2021 (Census, ABS). Meanwhile, 96 active STRs appeared.

Whilst shocking at first glance, our numbers are unsurprising to analysts of the short-term rental market. They’re actually quite conservative because we looked at active listings rather than total listings. That provides a 25%+ discount to the numbers analysed. So it’s likely that Airbnb is actually equivalent to 50%+ of rental supply.

Our report details how and why we must cap the number of Airbnbs, reducing the number every two years. By auctioning off STR licences that increase in value alongside their scarcity, Airbnbs become less profitable. Importantly, rising licence fees discourage marginal Airbnbs, incentivising them to rejoin the traditional housing market.  Not only does the Airbnb cap-and-trade system reallocate investments, but it raises revenue for the funding of affordable housing.

As this ABC article describes:

‘Mr Fitzgerald estimates that in the Hepburn Shire where he lives, there are around 1,400 short-term rentals but only 1,100 of them are active. “So the beauty of the ‘cap and trade’ system is that it works most effectively on marginal sites,” he said. “Those excess 300 sites that aren’t so active would probably head back onto the market.” ‘

A significant advantage for government is that it doesn’t have to spend much to drive meaningful change. Housing policies are costing billions of dollars these days because you barely get two affordable homes for a million dollars. We need to help the market help itself.

In my discussions with Airbnb operators, they prefer the cap-and-trade system over the 90 day cap rate because the latter would wipe out much of the industry – even for those providing innovative tourism experiences. The cap-and-trade system gives entrepreneurs time to adjust. Those that aren’t operating effectively will likely return to the traditional housing market quite quickly.  Over time, as the cap-and-trade licensing fee increases, the funding should be given to local councils to fund affordable housing. Community Land Trusts (CLTs) can then partner with councils, working together to lock in perpetual affordability, maintaining and recycling any public subsidy. By rolling the cap-and-trade policy in over time, we would expect the licensing to start at around $3,000 in year one. By year 8, it would account for some $8,500 on a median $42,000 in net profits. That’s a small price to pay to ease the housing crisis.

If you need further convincing of why this change is needed, just plug your suburb into one of the many rental listings websites to see how few homes are available for renters. Then pop over to Airbnb to see how many short term rentals are on the market. Do we really need 1000 plus Airbnbs in Sydney’s Canterbury, when it only has 196 rental properties? In West End, Brisbane, there’s 542 long-term rentals to 1000 plus Airbnb’s. Merri-bek in Melbourne’s inner north has only 664 long term rentals to 1000 plus Airbnbs. These numbers are replicable across the nation, which is why it is time for change. The STR incomes earned will see this as a juggernaut that is only just beginning. Ask your Treasurer whether we need housing resources allocated this way – particularly during a never-ending housing crisis?

Watch out for the international figures being released very soon, covering global cities such as Berlin, Barcelona, Zurich and others.

Check out the Youtube recording of the recent public event discussing the report – Channelling Airbnb Profits Toward Community Land Trusts. It features Professor Peter Phibbs (AHURI) and a number of councillors discussing the impact of STRs on their community.

Arts and Culture

Words in Winter Festival- Daylesford and Surrounds

When: Friday 23rd – Sunday 25th  AUGUST

Where: Assorted venues in Daylesford, Hepburn Springs, Yandoit, Clunes, Trentham

This year’s Words in winter theme is ‘Connection of the Heart’- A sensory feast of community and beyond. Featured events include in conversations with writers and thinkers Arnold Zable and Bruce Pascoe. There are also Author talks, poetry readings, comedy, travel writing , open mic’s and much more.

Band without Borders play at Yandoit Cultural

When and Where:  Saturday August 10^th at 3pm, at Yandoit Cultural, (the old church in the bush), Uniting Church rd, off High st, Yandoit

Dance and clap your way through Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Scandinavia and beyond with this mighty 10 musical ensemble. Klezmer, Gypsy, Balkan and Greek tunes to raise your spirits and get your feet moving. Band without Borders, formally known as The KGB, hail from various towns and villages from Victoria’s central highlands. They are drawn together by a love and passion for music from the Middle East, Balkans and Scandinavia. With relentless passion and enthusiasm they fill a room with beautiful music that makes  the audience happy and want to dance & they appeal to all ages.

Entry by donation- Please be generous to support musicians. 

For more information and Bookings: https://yandoitcultural.org/

Acceptance is the Door to Freedom

When and Where:  Saturday August 17^th, 5.00pm, Yandoit Cultural– the old church in the bush, Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit

“Imagine just being diagnosed with cancer and because the letter C is close to the letter D on the keyboard, I made the word ‘cancer’ into the word ‘dancer’, so my diagnosis became somewhat different” .

In this special performance by renowned French clarinet player, Benoît Oury, and local artist Petrus Spronk, Petrus will share the story of his experience with cancer and how he overcame it until Mr Parkinson’s tripped him up.

Entry by donation.   For more information and Bookings: https://yandoitcultural.org/

Radius Gallery

Love’s Brother 20th Anniversary Celebration

Celebrate 20 years since Love’s Brother was filmed at the Macaroni Factory in Hepburn Springs. Join us for a glass of wine and some nibbles. Entry by donation. Seating is limited to 40 people, so please reserve via link below. Movie starts 7:30pm.

Sunday 28th July 7-8pm  

BOOK NOW

Local Elections Future Forum

As council elections approach in October, we are reigniting our collective spirit and inviting you to be a vital part of enhanced democratic participation in Hepburn Shire.- see more in  the Local Governement section below. 

Sunday 4th August 10.30 am – 12.30 pm at Radius Gallery 

READ MORE

Also, there’s lots of events being held at Radius Gallery for the Words in Winter Festival: https://www.radiusart.com.au/

Northern Arts Hotel

The wonderful documentary concerning the last 100 days of Maggie Fooke’s iconic Brooklyn Arts Hotel, To Thank The Room will have an encore screening on Wednesday 31 July at 6.30pm at Cinema Nova, Carlton. All welcome.
Don’t forget there is a new 16 week Permaculture Design Course starting NOW ON 29 JULY. It conducts much of the course at the Northern Arts Hotel as well as including a tours of  a range of other local permaculture projects. For details and registration, see the Courses and Workshops section of this newsletter.

THE COOLROOM DIARY [Click on links for event details] MUSIC GIGS  [Usually at 7.30pm]
Saturday 27 July 7.30pm | Maggie Jackson NY Jazz Trio | Lush Jazz…always
Saturday 3 August 7.30pm | Kavisha Mazzella Trio | Italian Songs
Friday 9 August | Derrin Nauendorf launches The Desert Machine.
Saturday 10 August 7.30pm | Deep in a Dream: Tribute to Chet Baker
Friday 16 August 7.30pm | Rose Turtle Ertler & The Cherry Reds
Saturday 17 August 7.30pm | The Anticlinal Fold with Jo Huf
Friday 23 August 7.30pm | Geoff Achison – Acoustic
Saturday 24 August 7.30pm | Langue de Chat – French Musette Quartet
Sunday 8 September 7pm | She: Beccy Cole, Felicity Urquhart & Lyn Bowtell
FILM
Sunday 28 July at 2.30pm  | Free Secret Sunday Matinee
Wednesday 31 July at 6.30pm | Cinema Nova Carlton | To Thank The Room
Monday 5 August | CFU presents Tale of Two Peoples
SPOKEN WORD & REGULAR GROUPS
Saturday 27 July 2.30pm | PoetiCas with Lina Shilton (4th Saturday of every month)
Monday 29 July | 16 weeks | Permaculture Design Course Starts
Thursday 1 August 4pm | Maine-ly Ukes (every Thursday except school holidays)
Monday 5 August | CFU presents Tale of Two Peoples
Thursday 15 August 7.30pm | Guildford Folk Club (3rd Thursday of every month)
Saturday 17 August 2.30pm | Celtic Song Circle (3rd Saturday of every month)
NORTHERN ARTS HOTEL
Ongoing | Ethiopia, Hudad Plateau: A Self Portrait Series
Every Tuesday | Potluck Dinner from 7pm

Open Mic for Words in Winter at Yandoit Cultural

When: Sunday August 25th, 11.00am

Where: Yandoit Cultural, the old church in the bush, Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit

Yandoit Cultural will host another Open Mic as part of this years Words in Winter festival, around the theme-  ‘Connection of the Heart’. A chance for anyone and everyone to have their 5-10 minutes and share a  story, song , poem, musical piece, local history and more.

Always an eclectic range of offerings, listenings and connection with others in our community. And there’s time at the end for a cuppa and the best of Yandoit’s country hospitality.

Contact Katy to express your interest: katylbauer@hotmail.co.uk or 0430 530 868

Newstead Arts Hub

Newstead Spinners: Fibre to Fabric ’24 

Exhibition: Starting NEXT Sat 3-18 Aug, Weekends 10am-4pm.  

The Newstead Spinning and Weaving Group have been busy spinning, weaving, felting and hand knitting creations. There will be lovely things to look at and purchase.

Come along to see all their beautiful creations and demonstrations. The whole Hub will be buzzing.

Food Growing, Farming and Food Security

Hepburn Wholefoods change to opening hours

From July we will be changing our regular shop opening times. We will no longer be open on Wednesdays, but will be extending our opening hours on Saturdays from 11am until 2.30pm (starting on Saturday 6th July)

Ecology and Environment

Natural Newstead- Silvereyes

The gentle calls of Silvereyes are with us year round, but they are not the same birds.

If you have a close look at our local Silvereyes at present they’re likely to have rich chestnut flanks, indicating that they are ssp. lateralis, winter migrants from Tasmania. Click here for a more detailed discussion on the movements of our local Silvereyes.

Silvereyes will opportunistically take nectar, often piercing the corolla to get at the sweet liquid inside. Irish Strawberry is a popular garden tree with a propensity to go rampant on areas of disturbed and depleted soils. It has become an environmental weed in some areas in nearby places such as Creswick, where large specimens have established in mature conifer plantations. The species is found naturally across the Mediterranean basin and also in south-west Ireland, hence its common name.

The Creek Kids Podcast

This local podcast is produced by climate champion Rob Law from the banks of Campbells Creek. Give it a try on the next road trip with the kids. Join the Creek Kids on their adventures along their local creek. You may be surprised what mysteries lay in store, and what creatures they will encounter along the way. A podcast audio book series created by Ralph and Otto Maguire-Law and Rob Law. All music and sound production by Rob Law. Created in Central Victoria on the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung in January 2023. Cover art by Anna Read (Copyright 2023).

Winter in the Gardens-Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens and Daylesford Convent

All day Saturday & Sunday 3/4 August
Wander the heritgage listed Wombat Hill Gardens and use the gate to enter the garden of the neighbouring Convent.

10am-4pm Sat/Sun Winter Flower Competition- Alf Headland Conservatory, Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens. Host: Agricultural Society
11am-3pm Daylesford Museum, 100 Vincent St, Daylesford. Special display of historical material related to Wombat Hill. Host: Historical Society
Saturday 3 August- 1.30pm Guided walking tour of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens & Convent Garden significant trees with Arborist & Horticulturist John Beetham, Host: Horticultural Society
3pm Afternoon Tea (by donation) Stanbridge Hall, 54 Central Springs Rd, Daylesford, Host: Horticultural Society
3.30pm “Victoria’s Botanic Garden Legacy.”- Talk by Janet O’Hehir, Camperdown Botanic Gardens & Arboretum. Stanbridge Hall
6.30pm Winter in the Gardens Celebration Dinner, Daylesford Town Hall 76/78 Vincent St ., Daylesford, Guest speaker Peter Leigh, Post Office
Farm Nursery, Hellebore specialist. Eureka string Trio, complimentary champagne on arrival. $75 BYO.
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/

Sunday 4 August, 10am “La Trobe the Plantsman” Senior Citizens’ Rooms, rear Daylesford Town Hall, Talk by Helen Botham, La Trobe specialist with
National Trust & Australian Garden History Society
11.00am Morning Tea (by donation) Senior Citizens’ Rooms. Host: Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens
11.30am “Unearthing our public garden history – The Ken Duxbury postcard collection.” Senior Citizens’ Rooms, Talk by Helen Page, horticulturist, foundation member Australian Garden History Society

“Winter in the Gardens” is a joint project in partnership between The Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Daylesford & District Horticultural Society, Daylesford & District Historical Society, Daylesford & District Agricultural Society, Hepburn U3A, The Convent Daylesford, supported by Hepburn Shire Council and the Daylesford and District Community Bank.

Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests AGM

When and Where: Monday 12 August 2024 at 7.30pm,  Castlemaine Senior Citizens Centre, Mechanics Lane, Castlemaine  

Local ecologist Geoff Park will talk about Woodland birds in central Victoria – historical observations, current status and future prospects.

Woodland birds are an iconic and special element of the box-ironbark forests and woodlands of central Victoria. The impacts of European settlement, from gold-mining to agricultural intensification, have contributed to a steady decline in species diversity and populations. This decline is now being exacerbated by the clear and present effects of climate change.

Geoff’s talk will span some historical perspectives on what are now locally extinct or rare woodland bird species, discuss what we think we know about the current situation and consider options and possibilities for future conservation efforts.

For more information: Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests (FOBIF)

Central Vic Climate Action Film Night

Repair Cafes

Castlemaine:  Sunday July 28th, and Sunday August 25th, 10am -1.00pm at Castlemaine Community House.

For updates: https://www.facebook.com/groups/castlemainerepaircafe/

Daylesford: Sunday August  18th, 1-4pm at Victoria park Pavillion.

For updates: https://www.facebook.com/daylesfordrepaircafe/

Creswick: Sunday August 18th, 1-4pm at Creswick Neighbourhood House

Landcare

Joan Kirner Landcare Award-  Winner: Marie Jones

The Joan Kirner Landcare Award honours a long-term Landcarer in Victoria who has forged partnerships and inspired, encouraged, and mentored others to undertake on-ground action. Marie Jones is an exceptional grassroots environmental leader, who has been involved in Landcare for 30 years with Golden Point Landcare Group, Post Office Hill Action Group, Friends of the Box Ironbark Forest and Connecting Country.

Marie has an impressive history of making things happen in Landcare through partnerships, advocacy, and delivery of on-ground projects, including at landscape scale. She has provided inspiration to others by finding innovative ways to involve the community in landcare, and mentoring and supporting many volunteers and staff.

Winter 2024 edition of the Victorian Landcare & Catchment Management magazine is here! You can read Issue 87 online or download it in PDF forma

First Nations

Harcourt Organic Farming Coop- Listening to Djaara

Here at Harcourt Organic Farming Co-op we have been working to listen and build a new relationship with Djaara, and new understanding of the history of this place. Here, Katie Finlay reflects on the process over the past couple of years that has led to “Supporting Djaara leadership and management at Leanganook” being included as a key component of our new Whole Farm Plan. We share it here not to pat ourselves on the back, but because we know it has already generated questions and interest from other farmers keen to take similar steps, and we’re committed to openly sharing the resources and process that we have worked on.

Discovering the farm’s true history: When I was a little girl, I grew up riding my pony and walking all over Mount Alexander. I never heard it called Leanganook, and didn’t know that was its original name…. read more at : https://hofcoop.com.au/2024/07/11/listening-to-djaara/

Sustainable Living Resources

Community Electricity Offer- Hepburn Energy

We’re piloting our community electricity offer with a small group of co-operative members.Our community electricity provides a closer link between our energy and what customers use at home. Our offer comes with 100% GreenPower, Melbourne-based support staff and tools to lower your energy use.

Register here

https://www.hepburnenergy.coop/energy-community-offer/

Castlemaine Seed Library- Mini Seed Swap

The next working bee is Thursday 1st August, 11am, at the library, when we can all start thinking about what we want to plant in our Spring and Summer gardens.

Bring your little ones along and grab some seeds. Bring seeds to swap, or just take some seeds away.

Building Community

Castlemaine Free University – A Tale of Two Peoples

Mount Alexander Affordable Housing Trust

We’re progressing plans to make affordable housing possible for more people in our shire by establishing an affordable housing trust. The trust is an independent charitable organisation, which will hold land and funds for the development of affordable housing locally.

We’re excited by the trust and its possibilities, but understand it’s complex, so we’ve created a space online where you can ask questions and get them answered by Council’s Housing Solutions Broker.

Visit www.shape.mountalexander.vic.gov.au to find out more about the trust and ask us questions. We’ll also be holding face-to-face information sessions in the coming weeks.

Learn more about the trust

For the shire news: https://mountalexandershirecouncil.cmail20.com/

Castlemaine Community Cooperative

We are now 167 members STRONG.  Local lawyers have reviewed our Debenture Disclosure Statement.  Our final due diligence steps are mapped out ahead of launching on offer on the Hub.

If you have skills and a bit of time, we could use some help with: conveyancing, accounting, migration of our documents to Microsoft 365 SharePoint, and planning a big launch and fundraising drive!

Everyone is also welcome to our next Board meeting 9am Saturday 17th August at the Castlemaine Community House (Castlemaine Institute is moving!)

Castlemaine Community Coop have been included in the CoPower 2024 democratically elected budget. CoPower is Australia’s cooperative energy not-for-profit electricity retailer. The revenue they generate is used to fight poverty, tackle the climate crisis and support communities. Customer members decide how revenue is spent. We are included in this year’s vote for $1,500 to help us leaflet households across our town about our upcoming campaign to buy the Hub. If you are a CoPower customer member, vote for us! If not, you can switch your energy to CoPower here and help disrupt the energy market for good.

https://www.cooperativepower.org.au/

Degrowth Central Victoria

Clever Town Crossword Challenge

Clever Town Challenge
Are you a crossword enthusiast, or want to improve your skills? Come along to our crossword challenges across the Shire on Saturday 3 August, from 10.30 – 1130am.

• Creswick Library, Daylesford Library and Clunes Attitude

Remember, no Googling or texting a friend, but reference books are allowed.

The Spirit and the Sacred

Yandoit Sacred

Yandoit Sacred is gathering every 6 weeks at Yandoit’s historic Uniting church in the bush.  We gather again around things that matter, wisdom sharing and with time to connect to the earth and to each other. We’ll be exploring the sacred in our lives. All welcome.

Our next gathering will be on Saturday afternoon, August 3^rd at 2pm.at the Yandoit’s Uniting Church.

For more information: nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au or mob.  0432 232 073

The Grail Chapel

The Grail Chapel in Green Gully is home to the Castlemaine Johannine Community, a spiritual community that practises ‘pagan Christianity’: a spirituality based in the mystical tradition of St John, Mary Magdalene and the Rosicrucians, and grounded in deep reverence for the sacredness of the Earth and the wisdom of the ancient Celtic, Aboriginal and Native American spiritual traditions. Through both inner and outer work, we seek to collaborate with the impulse of Christ and Sophia to bring healing and renewal to our communities and the Earth. We meet monthly for Eucharist services and other special events shaped by the sacred calendar of the seasonal Christian and Celtic festivals.

This month’s events include an Imbolc Eucharist on Sunday 5th August from 11am followed by a shared lunch. Imbolc is a seasonal Celtic festival that marks the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. At this time, the light of the Sun is beginning to return as the days start to grow longer, and with it comes the first stirrings of new life.

Where: the Grail Chapel, 75 McMillans Rd, Green Gully

Cost: all events are free, donations are welcome. Enquiries: contact Ken Killeen on 0423 194 878 or email: johannine@hotmail.com

Castlemaine Zen Winter Sesshin

Local Government News

Hepburn Shire

Community Voice- Hepburn Shire Future Forum

As the council elections approach in October, Community Voice is reigniting our collective spirit and inviting you to be a vital part of a movement for enhanced democratic participation and decision-making in Hepburn Shire. Join us for an invigorating strategy session and potluck lunch at Radius Gallery, 76 Main Rd Hepburn on Sunday, August 4th, 10:30 am–12:30 pm.

Why Should You Attend?-

 Meet Your Candidate: Get to know some of the candidates running and learn how you can step forward to represent our community or encourage others to do so.

 Shape Our Future: Voice your opinions on the values, policies, and causes that matter most to you.

 Forge a Vision Together: Help decide the future direction of our community group and whether we should adopt a new name and platform for ‘Community Voice’.

 Contribute Your Talents: Discover ways to contribute your skills and time to the 2024 campaign and beyond.

Hepburn Matters and Local Government Elections

When and Where: Sunday 11 August, 11am -3pm; Paddock Room, Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre, 13 Camp St.

An information day for those who: have decided to stand for Council;  are thinking about standing for Council; are thinking of encouraging others to stand; and are interested in obtaining more information.

Running for Council and being elected needs to be considered carefully and this seminar has been designed to help assist you with your decision or with helping others. We have brought together a team of people to discuss their experiences on how to be elected, the challenges of being a candidate and how the one ward election works. Each has a unique insight into the process.

Speakers are : Clair Ferres Miles, Independent candidate for Casey, past CEO of Sustainability Victoria, current CEO of Jobsbank. Clair will share her experience of running a campaign; Kate Redwood, Ex Councillor of Hepburn on being a candidate; Dr. Danny McDiarmid, Government expertise across all levels on getting elected, including how to put a support team together.

Cost includes a light lunch: $40.00 for non-Hepburn Matters members. ( includes membership of Hepburn Matters if requested)
$25.00 for Hepburn Matters members.

RSVP : David Reilly 0419 985 245 or Jenny Beacham 0427 512 159 jennifer.beacham@gmail.com

Pastures not Pavements

Hepburn Arts and Culture Strategy

Council is pleased to present the first Arts and Culture Strategy for Hepburn Shire. It was endorsed at the June Council meeting and informed by many community feedback sessions and industry cultural standards. The strategy objectives are based on community needs and achievable positive outcomes for creative industries and the Museum sector.

Valuable insight was sought from our Traditional Owners, DJAARA, who contributed significantly. Art and Culture has long been important in Hepburn Shire, with many artists and creative industry businesses residing in the Shire. We also have several Museums that hold Council collections that are run by dedicated volunteers.

Mount Alexander Shire

Really Local

Want to make your voice heard? Local conversation about how Council works, what matters in Wesley Hill and how we can work together to influence.

Date: Aug 4, 2024 2:00 PM- 4:00 pm  Location: Wesley Hill Hall

Join us for a cup of tea and a casual and respectful conversation on:

1. How council works and the role of Councillors
2. Our priorities to take to Councillor candidates (sharing concerns and ideas)
3. What we can do to make sure our voices are heard in Council

In the October elections, Wesley Hill and surrounds will have two Councilors representing our end of Castlemaine (one from either side of Duke St). It’s an important opportunity to find someone local who can represent us and to have our voices heard about what is most important for Council to do over the next four years.

For more information: https://www.reallylocal.au/

Join the Affordable Housing Trust Advisory Committee

Mount Alexander Shire Council is inviting community members to express their interest in joining the Advisory Committee to the Mount Alexander Affordable Housing Trust. The trust is an independent charitable organisation that will hold land and funds for the development of affordable housing locally. Council is looking for six representatives to advise the trust on housing needs in the shire, bring a range of professional expertise, and represent the community.

Members of the advisory committee will:

• Advise on affordable housing needs and opportunities in the shire.
• Represent the community in an inclusive way that accounts for all affordable housing needs.
• Present informed, balanced and fair advice based on objective evidence and broad engagement with the community.
• Provide advice free from personal or representational bias.
• Provide advice on potential projects, donation and funding opportunities in and for the community.

To register your interest:

• Complete an online EOI form or download a hardcopy from www.shape.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/mount-alexander-affordable-housing-trust.
• Pick up a hard copy from Council’s Customer Service Centre, located at the Civic Centre, corner Lyttleton and Lloyd streets, Castlemaine. Then return it in one of the following ways:
  • Email it to affordablehousing@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.
  • Hand it in at the Civic Centre.
  • Mail it to PO Box 185, Castlemaine VIC 3450

Expressions of interest close Sunday 4th August at 11.59pm

Let’s Work Together to Support Young People in our Shire

Mount Alexander Shire Council is inviting the community to have their say on the services, programs, opportunities and challenges that affect young people aged 12-25. The feedback will be used to inform a new Youth Plan, which will outline Council’s commitment to supporting young people through its youth programs, initiatives, and events over the next four years. Council is inviting input from three different cohorts within the community – young people, parents and carers, and youth service providers.

Through community consultation, Council is aiming to better understand:

• The needs, issues and challenges facing young people and their families.
• The gaps in local services.
• How our shire could be a better place for young people and their families.

To have your say, visit shape.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/youth-plan

Workshops and Courses

Castlemaine Permaculture Hub: Permaculture Design Course (PDC)

When and where: from Monday 29th July, 9.15am – 3.15pm for 16 weeks at the Northern Arts Hotel, Castlemaine.

Cost: single payment of $1400/$990 concession or 2 monthly payments of $720/$500 concession

Further information and registration: castlemainepermaculturehub.com.au/pdc/permaculture-design-course-mondays-july-to-november-2024/

Healthy Landscapes Regenerative Agriculture Program

Holistic Grazing Management Short Course

Mount Alexander Shire Council is inviting local landowners to sign up for a Holistic Grazing Management short course. The course will assist landowners in improving their skills and knowledge about grazing livestock. It will also include discussions and six visits to various farms, a visit to each participant’s property to develop a plan, and online tutorials. The course is structured for large and small landholders with grazing livestock. Landholders in the Macedon Ranges Shire, Hepburn Shire, Mount Alexander Shire or the City of Greater Bendigo are eligible to attend.

When and where: August 2024 – May 2025

Cost: $150 per property.

To apply: visit www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/HealthyLandscapes.  Applications close Sunday 28th July.

Healthy Landscapes free events

Planting the right plant
Date and time: Monday 29 July, 10.00am to 12.00pm
Location: Lancefield Mechanics Institute
Register: https://events.humanitix.com/planting-the-right-plant-understanding-evc-s-info-session

Multi-species cropping
Date and time: Friday 30 August, 3.30pm to 5.30pm
Location: Woodstock West
Register: https://events.humanitix.com/farm-walk-multi-species

Letters

No letters this month…we welcome your ideas.

Food for Thought

Renewable energy: Are optimistic scenarios feasible? by Peter Yates- https://degrowthcentralvictoria.substack.com/

What binds you? by Peter Yates  https://degrowthcentralvictoria.substack.com/

SBS Audio’s Everything we need: a series of podcasts about communities leading the way on adapting to climate impacts and making change in their lives for the better. Read more here

An  interview with Isabel Cavelier Adarve, winner of the 2022 Climate Breakthrough Award,

Isabel explains how she unexpectedly became a climate negotiator for the Colombian government in 2011 and how she approaches self-care in order to “stay with the trouble.” She also shares her path to realizing that “solving” the climate crisis requires a transformation in how we relate with one another and the more-than-human world.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW WITH ISABEL CAVELIER ADARVE

The Nightingale’s Song– An Interview with Sam Lee- In this interview, which weaves conversation, song, and the music of nightingales, folk singer Sam Lee speaks about the transformative experience of collaborating with nightingales, the stories of ancestors passed through folk music, and the space for communion that is opened with silence:  https://emergencemagazine.org/interview/the-nightingales-song

Milkwood– Skills for Living like it Matters: https://www.milkwood.net

North Central Catchment Management Authority:  https://www.nccma.vic.gov.au/media/documents/North_Central_Chat-_July_2024.pdf

Beyond the Horizon of Possibility workshop practice will help you to make sustainability transitions feel possible and to create a local context in which interest can turn into action, together with others. https://practise.transitionmovement.org/

Joan Scheckel, a master storyteller with a preternatural gift for story structure, emotional rhythm and throughline. A deep dive into storytelling as a means to heal and connect rather than generate conflict.  https://www.smallgiants.com.au/wisdom-and-action-podcast–

Shades of Green: Finding a Middle Path Through the Forest by Chrissy Sharp – A book review by David Holmgren

Feminine Futures – a program by Local Futures in collaboration with Schumacher College, UK – as well as other upcoming events.

Dive deep into the global-to-local worldview with Charles Eisenstein and Diego Isabel la Moneda in our newest Planet Local Voices episodes.

Sharpen your big-picture perspective with two new blogposts from Local Futures that get under the skin of mainstream (mis)representations of global trade and climate change.

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Degrowth aims to reframe economies away from socially and ecologically destructive growth. Sustainability means that everyone’s needs and Earth’s ecological needs must be met, neither more nor less. This means transforming everyday practices and cultures to restore and preserve the regenerative capacities of Earth and of our collective selves.

(from Degrowth Central Victoria  –  a collective supporting degrowth aims and practices in our local area) 

Welcome to the July edition of Localising Leanganook’s e-newsletter.  In this month’s newsletter our feature article is Anitra Nelson’s opening remarks at the  Degrowth Central Victoria launch held in May this year.  The newsletter also includes regular updates on upcoming local events for the month of July plus activities that contribute towards localisation.  We hope you enjoy it.

Cheers, Nikki, Keppel, and Laurel

Note to Contributors and Readers

As you can see, Localisising Leanganook’s e-news continues to grow from strength to strength reaching more than 700 subscribers. The monthly newsletter  includes an ever expanding range of localising events, programs and creative initiatives  in  our central Victorian region.  If you’ve got items for inclusion in future editions, let our editing team know – (nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au). To help our editing team please email through information you’d like included in the following format:

• program/project/event name plus date, time and location if relevant
• summary of event/issue/program, in word format,
• accompanying photo as a jpeg or png

July’s edition includes:

1. Special Feature: Degrowth Central Victoria Launch
2. Arts and Culture
3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security
4. Ecology and Environment
5. First Nations
6. Sustainable Living Resources
7. Building Community
8. Local Government News
9. Workshops and Courses
10. Letters
11. Food for Thought

1. Special Feature: Degrowth Central Victoria Launch- Opening Remarks by Anitra Nelson 

Degrowth Central Victoria was launched as a Castlemaine Free University Event on May 13th this year. Here’s an edited extract of Anitra Nelson’s opening remarks:

“Welcome everyone to this Degrowth Central Victoria launch session of Castlemaine Free University (CFU). Tonight we have four speakers on degrowth and degrowth activities here in Central Victoria. I am wearing two hats tonight, one as the CFU convenor and the other as an active participant in Degrowth Central Victoria. We’ll each speak for 5–10 minutes. Then we’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions and questions about degrowth.

Free universities foster free and open access to knowledge and skill sharing. Free universities are based on social and ecological values and creativity, principles guiding our Castlemaine program. We can make these sessions free because speakers donate their time free and Northern Arts Hotel offers this venue and their support staff free. Even though CFU has been operating for a few years, it has been accepted as an activity of Degrowth Central Victoria because CFU has strong social and ecological values and encourages open discussion, creative responses and is guided by degrowth participatory approaches.

First, we acknowledge that Australia is founded on the genocide and dispossession of First Nations people. We pay our respects to Elders past and present of the Dja Dja Wurrung peoples of Djaara Country. Sovereignty has never been ceded. It always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land. This acknowledgement of Country, its custodians and caretakers is very relevant to degrowth. When this continent now known as Australia was invaded by peoples from the other side of the world, the very localised, interconnected, culturally rich and sophisticated ecologically sustainable practices of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were disrupted and largely destroyed. There were around 500 distinctive nations, 250 languages and 600 dialects in the late 18th century, when the singular English language and standardised capitalist practices of private property and production for trade, money and profits was inflicted on peoples whose descendants now only make up around three per cent of Australia’s population. Today they identify with around 250 ‘mobs’ with distinctive connections with Country and cultures.

Meanwhile, life in mainstream Australia and much of the planet, is typified by late capitalism with the flagship of economic growth – growing gross domestic product (GDP), growing productivity, growing profits. In contrast, degrowth is a movement which addresses the two great challenges of capitalism today – growing economic and socio-political inequities, and growing ecological unsustainabilities. One example is inequities and unsustainabilities in housing, the scarcity of affordable, secure and ecologically sustainable housing.

Degrowth aims to reframe and recreate economies that respect Earth’s regenerative limits so as to achieve socio-political equity and ecological sustainability. This means improving disadvantaged people’s access to basic needs while reducing excess production and consumption by privileged others. Degrowth is about everyone getting enough. And, ‘enough is enough’. Degrowth encourages what we call ‘frugal abundance’ instead of over-consumption. While growth imaginaries focus on quantity, degrowth is about quality and conviviality. Degrowth is about living one-planet footprints in more attractive ways than we do today, with the average Australian living a four-planet footprint. The degrowth movement actively works for much greater political participation, diversity in ecological systems and landscapes, and a flourishing of creativity, care and commoning – all using renewable energy and materials.

The international degrowth movement has risen to prominence over the last two decades. I’ve been active in it since May 2012 when I participated in the first international degrowth conference of the America in Montreal. I’ve collaborated on writing a degrowth book – Exploring Degrowth: A Critical Guide – and co-edited two collections, Housing for Degrowth and Food for Degrowth.

Although Australian academics have integrated degrowth thinking into their approaches to more sustainable and equitable futures, the activist Degrowth Network Australia was not launched until early last year at the 2023 National Sustainability Festival. Now it’s quite active. Indeed ten campers from Degrowth Network Melbourne spent several days at Butts Reserve at the base of Mt Tarrengower recently, engaging with Degrowth Central Victoria folk, doing practical work such as planting, discussing and doing exercises around some ‘essentials’ research.

We’re exploring ‘essentials’ for everyday life here in our local community, identifying what are essentials; how we can concentrate on essential work; and assessing how many essential goods and services are produced locally. We’re starting to run a series of workshops and to ask people to keep diaries for a short period of time on identifying all our household’s different essentials. Our first workshop is at Northern Arts Hotel in Castlemaine on Monday 3 June at 6pm as a CFU session of 90 mins. Anyone interested in being involved can request more details by emailing degrowthcentralvic@proton.me

I just want to finish this introductory talk by pointing out the obvious – that there have been many degrowth activities here in Central Victoria that predate our recent formation as an active degrowth group. There are activities such as the Castlemaine Repair café, YIMBY composting and Friends of Box Ironbark Forests (FoBIF). We could go on pointing to programs and practices that exist and express degrowth values and aims. Still we felt that a dedicated Degrowth Central Victoria group would help impress the importance of minimising our use of nature and treasuring our social relationships. This is especially the case as green appliances and technologies, such as electric cars, are seeing us continue to exploit nature when we should, instead, be minimising our impacts. Degrowth encourages using our legs and bikes. And, given that many of us in this rural region rely on cars, we would love to see efforts put into sharing electric cars and electric public transport.

On Friday 28 June again at 6pm here at Northern Arts Hotel we have Marisa Holmes, the Brooklyn NY based filmmaker, activist and author of Organizing Occupy Wall Street: This is Just Practice in conversation with the Friends of the Earth campaigns Coordinator Cam Walker. Hope to see you there then.”

2. Arts and Culture

Newstead Arts Hub

Winter Festival @ the Hub  

• Workshop: Charcoal Painting, Stories from the Fire, Sat 29 June 10am-3.30pm Book now!
• Concert: Jo Huf – Electro pop to Bossa Nova, Fri 5 July 7pm Book now!
• Exhibition: Pleinair… Belinda Prest…Saul Roche, 6-21 July Sat & Sun 10am-4pm
• 150th Celebration of the Newstead Railway! Sun 7 July, 2.30pm
• Movie Night – Spears from All Sides: Sat 13 July, 7pm
• Movie Night + Directors Q&A, Stephen Amis – Defend Conserve Protect: Sat 20 July, 7pm
• Concert: Medieval to Modern, Buninyong Players: Sun 21 July, 2.30pm
• Writers Talk: ‘Never bore an audience’: Fri 26 July, 6.30pm
• De-Stash Market: Sat 27 July 10am-3pm. Book a stall!

For more details and how to book or head to our website to read more! To become a member of the Hub and receive discounts on ALL these fabulous events go HERE 

Bliss Bombs Burlesque

Venie Holmgren Environmental Poetry Prize Open

Entries for the Venie Holmgren Environmental Poetry Prize are open until Sunday August 4th. The winner will be announced at Daylesford’s Words in Winter Festival.  The judges for the 2024 Prize are Tim Loveday and Jodi Vial. You can read the details and enter your poem here:  https://holmgren.com.au/news/launched-the-2024-venie-holmgren-environmental-poetry-prize/ 

Club CDoc

Club CDoc membership is for our vibrant network of makers and lovers of every shape of documentary.
It’s a way of supporting the Festival that comes with lots of perks, including:

• Access: a free six-month subscription to documentary streaming service DocPlay. Only applies to the first 100 to sign up.
• Discounts: Enjoy reduced prices on tickets and events.
• Early Bird Access: Get your tickets before they’re available to the general public.
• Special Events: Gain exclusive entry to member-only screenings, networking events and discussions.
• Members-Only Newsletter: Stay informed with updates and stories curated just for you.

Annual subscription $45/ $35  Membership is free for First Nations people. To apply, email hello@cdocff.com.au

Club CDoc continues our deep dives into documentaries and connects you to an uplifting community that guides creators, shapes ideas and inspires conversations.

Ceramics Collection at Daylesford Museum

A new collection prepared by local ceramicists is now on show at the Daylesford Museum. Launched in May, the exhibition is staged as a mock dinner party, the table replete with ceramics and the guest of honour is local ceramicist, Petrus Spronk, who helped bring this collection together with museum curator Gary Lawrence.

Open on SATURDAY’s 11.00 AM – 3.00 PM,  OR BY APPOINTMENT

100 Vincent St, Daylesford VIC 3460- (3 doors down from the Post Office)
ENTRY FEE Adults $5, Children free

Radius Gallery- Hepburn Springs- Exhibitions, Pop up Cinema, Local makers Art Store

Thur / Fri / Sat 10am – 4pm- 76 Main Rd,  Hepburn Springs

We showcase and promote local artists through curated exhibitions, events and an online store. We foster creative learning with workshops, classes and the exchange of skills and expertise. We encourage the curious mind within us all.

We understand that art is subjective and not all art is beautiful. Art may challenge us, confound us and make us think. We are inspired by the artists, ideas and creative possibilities that flourish in our amazing community.

SWISS ITALIAN FESTA EVENT- FUNDRAISER
SUNDAY 28TH JULY

This years fundraiser is for the beloved Swiss Italian Festa is a screening of the touching film Loves Brother.  Filmed on location in Daylesford & Hepburn, join us for a cosy night in the gallery. Tickets will be for sale online soon.  Limited seats.  Register your interest below.

28th July – Doors Open 6pm

SAVE MY SEAT

For more information: https://www.radiusart.com.au/

Northern Arts Hotel

THE COOLROOM DIARY [Click on links for event details]
MUSIC GIGS  [Usually at 7.30pm, Sunday 5.30pm]
Saturday 29 June | Peter & the Wolves: Hibernation Hootenanny
Friday 19 July 7.30pm | Aether + Vassallo Album Launch – Unbroken
Saturday 20 July 7.30pm | Blue Tango Live at The Coolroom
Saturday 27 July 7.30pm | Maggie Jackson NY Jazz Trio | Lush Jazz…always
Saturday 3 August 7.30pm | Kavisha Mazzella Trio | Italian Songs
FILM
Sunday 30 June 2.30pm | Sunday Secret Movie Matinee
Saturday 6 July 7.30pm | Film Freedom is Beautiful | RAR Castlemaine
Sunday 21 July 3.25pm | Cinema Nova Carlton | To Thank The Room
SPOKEN WORD & REGULAR GROUPS
Friday 28 June 6pm | CFU: Organising Occupy Wall Street
Thursday 18 July 4pm | Maine-ly Ukes
Thursday 18 July 7.30pm | Guildford Folk Club at The Coolroom
Monday 22 July | 16 weeks | Permaculture Design Course Starts
NORTHERN ARTS HOTEL
Ongoing | Ethiopia, Hudad Plateau: A Self Portrait Series
Every Tuesday | Potluck Dinner from 7pm

3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security

Harcourt Organic Farming Co-op – Sharing the Research on Small Farm Viability

The Orchard keepers team, Hugh, Katie, Fruit Crew & Friday Crew vollies at Harcourt Organic Farming Co-op have been really industrious with recent webinars and short films celebrating the relaunch of the Co-op early June including the screening of a new short film about their journey and achievements.  They’d been working with Mitch at MDP Photography & Video and were excited to share the results!   As well they shared their new collaborative farming resources with tools and guides to support sustainable farming practices. You can also download thr Small-Farm Viability Casestudy Report.  Read more here.

They gained some valuable insights into what they have been working on, opportunities and ‘what’s next’ for the Co-op.  ‘They shared one of their final grant puzzle pieces this week, developed through our Innovate to Regenerate grant from WWF Australia.  You can also read about Sellar Dairy hitting their target of ten milkers here  and the Orchard Keepers Season Update: A Year of Fruit and Community (and cake) here

Two Fold Bakehouse- Local Bread for the Local Community

Why join our bread family?

By ordering Thursday bread you are joining our bread family of farmers, millers and bakers who work to regenerate the land and value small scale, local food systems. Your support means we can bake to order, with no bread going to waste.

Where can you buy our bread?

THURSDAY BREAD, WEEKLY; ordered online weekly as a one off, or monthly as a subscription with pick up each Thursday from Daylesford, Yandoit or Kyneton hubs.

DAYLESFORD SUNDAY RAILWAY MARKET,
DATES 2024
June 30th, July 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th

HEPBURN WHOLEFOODS COLLECTIVE,
Fresh bread every Thursday from 3:30pm

4. Ecology and Environment

Rose Robins in Winter

In Natural Newstead’s blog Geoff Park writes : ‘What a delight to spend some time today with some Rose Robins.  One of our most spectacular winter migrants it has been a couple of years since I’ve had the pleasure of recording one. The Australian Bird Guide the definitive field guide to Australian birds, notes the following about the Rose Robin … Breeds in tall wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest with a dense mid-storey, especially gullies with large acacias such as Silver Wattle …

Read on

Biolinks Re-wilding Seminar

Join us for our Rewilding Central Victoria Webinar with special guest presenter, Annette Rypalski, Biodiversity Director at Odonata Foundation. Annette will provide insights into what it takes to ‘rewild’ Central Victoria and move towards a nature-positive future for our region.  Don’t miss this webinar exploring what ‘rewilding’ means in Central Victoria.
Date: Thursday 27 June 2024
Time: 6-6.45pm (AEST)
Location: Online via Zoom Register here (spaces are limited)

Photo credit: © Dave Watts 

Read more 

EV day at Newstead Enviroshop – July 6

Seeing EVs in the showroom is one thing, but talking to the owners of the vehicles is better. EV Insights sessions will feature a particular EV at Newstead Enviroshop and a discussion with their owner about all aspects of their EV experience. Sessions will be held once a month on Saturday mornings throughout 2024. To provide an opportunity for a close encounter with the vehicle and the owner (minus any showroom sales pitch) a maximum of 25 guests per session can be accommodated. Please click here to register for the July 6 session with Martin Hurley and his BYD Atto 3.

Wombat Forest Care

June Newsletter: https://www.wombatforestcare.org.au/newsletters/WombatForestcareNewsletter68_Jun_24.pdf

Bird of the Month

A partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District

Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)

Australasian Grebes hold a special place in my heart, simply because they have such cute fluffy bums and can often be seen on dams. They are seemingly half fish, spending their lives on or under water. They nest on rafts and can spend long periods under the water foraging. On land they are quite ungainly and walk very awkwardly. And then there’s the chicks, the cutest striped balls of fluff riding on a parent’s back, tucked safely away in a bed of living feathers.

Appearance can vary quite a bit. In the breeding season, both males and females have a glossy-black head with a chestnut stripe on the face extending from behind the eye through to the base of the neck and a distinctive yellow patch below the eye. In contrast, the non-breeding plumage of both sexes is dark grey-brown above with silver-grey below and lacks the distinctive yellow patch. Juveniles are quite different again, with camouflage-type black stripes on grey plumage.

They are adaptable and can be found in varying habitats from small farm dams to larger bodies of water. Food includes fish, snails and aquatic arthropods usually collected by diving. Grebes are also known to eat their downy feathers and feed feathers to their young. Various reasons have been suggested for this behaviour ranging from aiding digestion to assisting the formation of pellets to help eject fish bones, but definitive reasons are yet to be determined.

Grebes are known to be quite mobile and will fly to new areas as water levels change. Flight is generally undertaken at night. They have also colonized New Zealand in recent times.

Nests are a floating mound of vegetation that is usually attached to a submerged branch or other fixed object. Over a season, two or three clutches of 3-5 eggs are laid. At times two females may lay in the same nest.  Young can swim from birth and are fed by both parents. However, if a second clutch is laid the young of the previous brood are driven away. To hear the call of the Australasian Grebe, please click here

5. First Nations

Supporting First Nations solidarity -Liyanganyuk Banyul

A local network has recently formed connecting Mount Alexander community members with a shared commitment to First Nations justice, self-determination, anti-racism, and ongoing learning and action in solidarity with First Nations people.

The network aspires to keep up to date and to connect with struggles for self-determination and justice across the continent. The network has the support of Senior Djaara Elder Uncle Rick Nelson (who also approved the name) and other local First Nations people.

There are three ways people can engage with the network:

• Join the WhatsApp Community – a space to share resources and ideas and to make announcements across the network
• Quarterly in-person gatherings – will be organised using an ‘open space’ model where you can bring issues or themes for discussion or action planning
• Occasional newsletter – you can sign up to a mailing list here

The group has developed proposed principles to guide the network, including meetings and online interactions. The network will grow and develop responsively to strengthen accountability to First Peoples and the needs and possibilities that arise.

For more information contact: solidarity.liyanganyuk@gmail.com

6. Sustainable Living Resources

Repair Cafes

Daylesford: Sunday July 21st, 1-4pm at Victoria park Pavillion. The July cafe includes a chain-saw sharpening workshop.

Castlemaine:  Sunday July 28th, 10am -1.00pm at Castlemaine community House

Creswick: Sunday July 21st, 1-4pm at Creswick Neighbourhood House

International Repair Cafe Webinar

Date: Mon, Jun 24, 2024 at 8:05 PM
Subject: Repair Cafe webinar on Friday, July 12 (4-6 PM CET)

This two-hour online event will cover various topics. For example, we will hear more about the Repair Cafe movement in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. We will also focus on data collection at Repair Cafes: why is this important, and how are the data being used? Speakers from several countries will share their views.  Read more and register: The webinar is in English. More information about the programme can be found on our website. There you can also register for the webinar.

https://www.ncgrl.vic.gov.au/newsletter

Grounded- AirBnB- From a Housing Problem to a Solution

Grounded’s first report has been released, Airbnb: From a housing problem to solution. It highlights the concerns raised by rampant Airbnb growth. No wonder there’s nowhere to rent, the equivalent of 74% of new housing supply has gone towards short term rentals over the last decade. Why has this happened? The net profits in Airbnb properties are 81% higher than traditional rentals.

This is world first research, with a cap ‘n trade system proposed to cap Airbnbs, reduce their number, auction off operational licences and channel the funding towards CLTs – of course. A lot of thinking has gone into it, as you can see in the Cap ‘n Trade Explainer. Alan Kohler references it here. Thankfully he has retweeted it. We need lots of that so please read the report and share with your networks.

See where your favourite holiday destination ranked

For more information: https://grounded.org.au/

Renewable Newstead and Flow Home Electricity

Renewable energy at competitive prices. You can help speed up Australia’s adoption of cleaner, cheaper energy by joining the Flow Home electricity plan, you’ll join a 100% GreenPower certified plan that’s linked to the Newstead Energy Project.

That means the Newstead Energy Project will send a kilowatt of green energy back into the grid for every kilowatt of energy you use, effectively offsetting your electricity’s carbon footprint. We’ll link your energy use to the Newstead Energy Project – the local, renewable generator championed by your community. Our solar farm with back-up battery will be connected to the grid for supply security and will offer electricity at competitive rates from our partner, Flow Power. Generating as much clean electricity as is consumed each year, the first stage of the two-stage solar farm will reduce Newstead’s annual CO2-equivalent emissions by about 5750 tonnes/year.

Want to learn more? If you’d like to learn more about the offer or its terms and conditions, https://flowpower.com.au/our-service/

7. Building Community

Castlemaine Free University

Maldon Heritage Network – Why does it Matter?

When: Saturday 6 July 2024 at 1.30 pm

Where: Maldon Community Centre, 6 Francis Street, Maldon

Degrowth Central Victoria- Essential workshop

Castlemaine Community Cooperative

Castlemaine Community Coop is now 150 MEMBERS strong and has raised $10,000 for Hub due diligence checks, meaning we reached our fundraising goal!!  Our focus remains on increasing our member base, so please keep helping us spread the word (only 2 more weeks to become a founding member!).

It’s full steam ahead now with the due diligence activities for the Hub.

• We have a new donations page on the website https://castlemaine.coop/donations/
• We have a new bookkeeper (local Stu!)
• We will hold another Working Bee on launch activities for the Hub offer – details in the next update
• We are exploring an institutional membership, so we can attract investment from other funders.

Future Ready Libraries

https://mailchi.mp/ncgrl/june_24_enews

8. Local Government News

Really Local

Really Local is mobilising community in Mt Alexander shire ahead of the October local government elections. We are a small group of Mount Alexander locals, interested in connecting community and government in our Shire. We’re calling ourselves Really Local, at least for now (we have grown out of a similar group, Democracy for Dinner, which formed in Castlemaine in 2010 to build grassroots democracy).

Our focus for 2024 is to increase understanding of council, amplify community voices and to encourage people to run for council in the October elections. We have no funding, no political alignment or policies we want to push.  (We are exploring with the Mount Alexander Shire Council on whether they can partner with us on some of this, so if they can, we will let you know!)

We think Mount Alexander is a pretty awesome community, with some of the most diversity in any regional area. We believe that diversity makes us stronger and old and new together makes us better. We believe we need to meet everyone’s needs, not just the loudest. (More about us here)

Really local is holding a series of events focused around: What matters locally? Who is responsible for what? What does your council do anyway? What is it like inside a Council meeting? These events will be fun, interactive and include current and past councillors, and people who just want to find out more, and kick off future conversations. The first event was held on June 25th at the Taproom in Castlemaine.

Starting in July, they’ll cover topics like:

• What do people love about Mount Alexander Shire?
• What (if anything) they want to change?
• What people want in their local Council representatives?

We’re starting in Maldon in July, and are also planning conversations in Wesley Hill and elsewhere in Castlemaine. Get in touch  if you’d like to help host local conversations

View our website

Subscribe

Shire News-  Mt Alexander Shire:

https://www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Council/News-and-updates

Hepburn Matters

9. Workshops and Courses

Personal Growth Workshop: Explore Family Dynamics

SUN JULY 7TH – 9.30 – 4.30pm

This workshop explores the dynamics within yourself and your family system. Counsellor and Art Therapist Amy Jones lives locally and has been a part of the constellations community since 2019.

Cost by suggested donation $35 full, $25 concession

Radius Art. 76 Main Rd. Hepburn Springs

To join please contact Amy Jones Roberts amyjonesroberts@yahoo.com.au 0418 801 714

More information

10. Letters

No letters for this month. Your letters are always welcomed.

11. Food for Thought

https://towardseudaemonia.substack.com/

Cost of Living Map: https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/democracy/cost-of-living-map

Landcare: https://www.landcarevic.org.au/landcare-magazine/summer-2023-24

First edition of the Global State of Direct Democracy Report! This report spotlights the events and trends of direct democracy in 2023, exploring legal provisions, recent referendums, reforms, and key academic publications in English related to the topic Read report here

World Localisation day films:

Closer to Home features leading localization voices from across the world, including Bayo Akomolafe, Rupert Read, Rutendo Ngara, Iain McGilchrist, Vandana Shiva and many more- Watch now

Showcasing 30+ community groups and businesses, organizations and networks on five continents working towards healthy and fair local economies, communities and food systems, The Power of Local is eclectic, hands-on, and super inspiring- Watch now

https://charleseisenstein.substack.com/p/how-to-heal-the-wound-of-gaza

https://practise.transitionmovement.org/social-currencies-prosumer-communities

https://degrowthcentralvictoria.substack.com/p/renewable-energy-are-optimistic-scenarios

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What is clear is that the Earth is mandating that the human community assume a responsibility never assigned to any previous generation… Our task at this critical moment is to awaken the energies needed to create the new world and to evoke the universal communion of all parts of life.
(Thomas Berry, priest and cultural historian)

Earth Democracy connects people in circles of care, co-operation and compassion instead of dividing them through competition and conflict, fear and hatred.
(Vandana Shiva, scientist, environmental activist and food sovereignty advocate)

Welcome to the June edition of Localising Leanganook’s e-newsletter.  We recently decided that we would include interviews in this newsletter to spotlight some of the many local people who are doing exciting, inspiring things in our community and beyond. These will alternate with the articles from local writers that we have been featuring at the head of each edition. In this month’s newsletter, we are kicking this off with an interview with Dan and Nicola from Open Fields Co-Living Homestead in Muckleford, along with our regular update on upcoming local events and a selection of interesting articles we have come across over the past month. We hope you enjoy it.

Cheers, Nikki, Keppel, and Laurel

Note to Contributors and Readers

As you can see, Localisising Leanganook’s e-news grows from strength to strength reaching more than 700 subscribers. The monthly newsletter  includes an ever expanding range of localising events, programs and creative initiatives  in  our central Victorian region.  If you’ve got items for inclusion in the July or future editions, let our editing team know – (nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au). To help our editing team please email through information you’d like included in the following format:

• program/project/event name plus date, time and location if relevant
• summary of event/issue/program, in word format,
• accompanying photo as a jpeg or png

June’s edition includes:

1. Special Feature: Open Fields Co-Living Interview
2. Arts and Culture
3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security
4. Ecology and Environment
5. First Nations
6. Sustainable Living Resources
7. Building Community
8. Local Government News
9. Workshops and Courses
10. Letters
11. Food for Thought

Special Feature: Open Fields Co-Living Interview

Nicola and Dan are founding members of Open Fields Co-Living Homestead, an innovative new intentional community in Mount Alexander Shire. Situated on 10 acres in Muckleford, Open Fields is based on the model of a single, shared dwelling with communal kitchen, living room and garden. I spoke with them as they were putting the final finishing touches on the building in preparation for moving in with fellow residents in the coming weeks.

Keppel: could you both tell me a bit about yourselves and what brought you to the point where you are now with creating this co-living homestead?

Nicola: It’s been a dream that’s been percolating for a long time, but I think a good way to summarise it is that we both identify as activists, or we used to be activists, and we got pretty tired of fighting against things that we don’t want to see, and wanted to create what we do want to see, and this was a big part of that. It seemed to tick a whole lot of boxes. We just want to live in a way that is better for the planet, but we think that this way of living is better for people as well.  We wanted to create that and see if it was possible, and show other people that it’s possible.

Dan: I was in a number of organisations, most recently Extinction Rebellion but also Earthworker and Food Sovereignty Alliance in the past, and I think often those organisations need support days and integration days if they’re planning a year, planning actions or coming together to rejuvenate, and so thinking about our property as not just housing or farming, but being there to support activists to come and camp and use the facilities, and be integrated into that broader network of people fighting for important causes.

Keppel: Thinking about the housing model that you’ve created, what was it about that model (co-living under one roof) that appealed to you? Because there are more or less interconnected ways of doing community living. So I’m curious about what it was that made you decide that this was the right way for you?

Dan: It’s a good question. I think it’s just from a pragmatic point of view as a starting point. If everybody is living under the same roof together it’s far more resource efficient, both initially and ongoing. The resources it takes to create a slightly larger kitchen and slightly larger bathroom space and things like that. It’s not that much harder to create a home for 10 people than it is for four people, but you can save a lot of money and a lot of embodied energy being under the one compact envelope. If everyone is in their own tiny house you have a greater area of building shell exposed to the elements, especially in somewhere like Castlemaine, so it’s about trying to moderate that energy use. My background is as a building designer. I studied architecture, but also have had a particular focus on passive solar design, high performance building, Passivhaus and that sort of thing. Having everyone nested together, it’s the same reason why you have everyone in those apartments in Europe, because it’s a very warm, tight typology.

I lived in an eco-community called Wurrukan in Gippsland for 2 or 3 years in my 20’s. People had really little tiny houses, cob cabins and earth sheds, but they were all less than 10 square metres, and we all congregated in a retro-fitted shed for our living space, and that was very formative as an experience. All the meals were communally cooked and we lived quite close with each other. Sometimes it was hard, the conditions were pretty trying, but it was also really satisfying, nestling together as a team, all the shared meals, it was very beautiful. That was a homestead as well, where we grew a large amount of our own produce. It was a bit dank, but here we’re trying to do a lot of the things we did there, but in a nicer and more robust way I guess.

Keppel: So how long have you been living there for now?

Dan: We’ve been living onsite since February last year, and the house will be finished in about a week, so we’ll be moving into it very soon. The majority of the other occupants have been living offsite, so it’s mostly just been us here while we built the house. We’ve tried to do everything legally through the council, and you can get a permit to live legally on your property while you’re building.

Keppel: So you’re at that stage where you’re about to enter into living together. Are you feeling excited?

Nicola: We’re excited but in the same way like a marathon runner is excited when they’re getting near the finish line: exhausted and about to collapse and covered in sweat, but you’re sure that once it’s all over you’ll actually feel great (laughs).

Keppel: And do you have all the people you need, or are you still recruiting, as it were?

Nicola: Yeah, we’ve got all the rooms filled actually. Just last week we filled the last two, and it’s a full house now – just in the nick of time actually!

Keppel: So how many people will be living there?

Dan: There will be 11 adults and 4 kids, and one kid in utero.

Keppel: So the general approach of your community is that you’ll be eating together and then doing other things on the property together: is that right?

Nicola: Yeah that’s definitely the plan. We are thinking of food as the central theme: growing it and eating it as a point of connection. Having visited a lot of different communities and lived in various types of shared living for so very long, I’ve realised it needs to have a community glue; and without having a religious overtone – and we don’t, it’s kind of egalitarian and agnostic – you need to create a connecting theme. It’s about why are we living together, apart from having a roof over our heads?  If you look at cultures across the world, that’s when people come together, that’s what brings people together: food and sharing meals.

Even the way the house is designed, with the garden out the front and the orchard out the back, the food comes into the house. It’s very zoned in a Permaculture way of food coming in and being literally at the heart of the house in the kitchen, like the kitchen is literally in the middle of the house.

Keppel: So Permaculture has been another significant influence on the way you’ve developed this project?

Nicola: Yeah for sure. I guess we see Permaculture as a type of systems thinking, and I think we’re really into systems thinking.  So we’re working with Permaculture principles in the stereotypical sense that people usually think of it, like gardens and orchards and land management, but also social Permaculture, how those systems function as well, and how different people use spaces. That’s probably been influenced by Dan’s architecture experience: how does place, structure and buildings shape people’s lives. And also with me as an allied health professional looking at more of a public health perspective: what influences people’s wellbeing psychologically, physically? What do people need to thrive? And we’ve kind of merged that together to create this project. This goes back to that idea that it’s better for planet and for people.

Keppel: So the two things that often come up for people as concerns around community living are around personal space and around conflict resolution. How do you meet your own needs for balancing shared space and personal space? And then what strategies do you have for building collective cohesion and resolving conflicts?

Dan: I probably trend introvert actually, I get most of my recharge from solo times. But as well as the (private) bedroom, trying to offer a whole buffet of spaces that you can head to. So if you’re feeling like you want something spicy, you can head for the main shared living space, where people are cooking and the kids are tearing everyone’s hair out; or there are a few other spaces in the main house, like the secondary lounge, which is more of a chill space for adults who are doing yoga, having a cup of tea or catching up with friends. Then there’s another space, a work from home study space during the day and more of a quiet space during the evening. Then we’re lucky enough to be on 10 acres, with a really lovely dam and the bush next door, so we’re creating lots of really nice outdoor nooks as well, several verandahs, some people will set up yurts, and long term maybe creating a tea house near the dam overlooking the forest.

Nicola: I think it’s a fascinating question, anthropologically, to look back at other cultures in the past, and also other cultures across the world, and the idea of privacy and personal space is such a cultural one, a modern concept, and very British and European. My family are all from South Africa, and my grandmother was born and raised in Lesotho in a small tribal village, and you’d have 8 people living in a 15 square metre hut.  I think the concept of personal space is so different, and I think in contrast to have a whole 16 square metres all to yourself, and then also a kitchen and lounge and living and study space and deck… From that perspective, it seems really sufficient, but I know that for most people it’s not. It’s a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I think to adapt to climate change and use less resources, we actually need to start challenging some of those ideas a little bit.

Dan:  I think this segues nicely into the question about conflict.  I think there are skill sets that you would have if you grew up living in community, like the way you use the space, how you interact with others, and norms that are created around that.

Nicola: We’ve lost those skills as a culture, but we believe we can learn them again.

Dan: We’re several generations deep in the nuclear family mode. I’d love to say I have a formula around conflict management, but to be honest I think it’s probably going to be a bit crap (laughter), as a lot of the residents have probably had some, but not super extensive years of share housing or whatever, and different levels of learning how to resolve tensions with others. There are lots of cool tools out there, like non-violent communication, we’re really supportive of that, the basic recipe of talking to what you’re feeling and what your needs are rather than making assertions about the wrongs of another. I think that’s a great starting point, and also having people who act as facilitators who keep people on track in the way we communicate with each other and bringing different voices into equality and things like that. I’ve shadowed some people who did the Commonground Glen Ochre approach to facilitation and group work, and I think that’s massive, and will be a key to holding people to account in the way they communicate and bringing out the best in each other.

Keppel: And I think you mentioned on your Facebook the idea of a regular weekly meeting and sharing space to support community cohesion. Is that right?

Nicola: Yeah, that’s a system we proposed, and a lot of the early residents who’ve been onboard for a while, they’ve also suggested. I lived in an 8 person share house before I moved to Castlemaine, and we did that. So the structure was a meeting every week, and one was more logistical and practical and making decisions, and the other one was what they called a ‘heart share’, talking about how you’re feeling and really getting to know each other, or doing some exercises that were about the emotional, relational side of being together. Some people might find that hard or offputting, but I actually found it so, so rich and rewarding and connecting, and from that process I felt like I knew these people so deeply in a way that I wouldn’t have otherwise.  When that emotional and personal stuff can be aired and cleared and heard – we have such a deep need to be heard and to belong! – once that need is met it seems like the challenges and little differences just melt away, they seem to be able to be resolved a lot more easily, because that foundation of trust and connection is there.

Dan: I think that’s a big part of having dinners together most nights as well – it serves a similar function. Catching everyone’s stories at the end of the day and connecting. I think just having that time where you feel exposed and empathetic. A lot of eco-villages are designed where people are in their own houses, and maybe have some common facilities, but the vast majority of the time they’re just doing their own thing in their house of an evening, and I think in that situation you’d be missing a lot of the natural glue that would come from being together and around each other on a daily basis.  If you build that strong foundation of goodwill it should grease the wheels a bit.

Keppel: What’s your vision for what Open Fields would be like in 10 years’ time? How would you like it to be?

Dan: We’ll have a crop of kids who will be in that age range, and ideally we’ll have a crop of kids who are really practically minded and can milk the goats, etc. but also just running around in the forest and having that. Then having people who’ve been there for ages and feeling like really good friends, and having all the gardens and orchard really producing.

Nicola: Trees growing, having the whole land filled with trees and shrubs.

Dan: Maybe there are a few different rituals and rhythms, like having the passata day and the walnut harvest day.

Nicola: And the smell of bread baking from the oven, mint tea from the garden, potato mash for dinner from your home grown potatoes, followed with an apple pie from your own apples… And of course in this world, everyone is completely harmonious and everyone is getting along wonderfully (laughs).

Dan: No, no, I think that would boring.

Nicola: It’d be too boring (laughs).

Dan: I think healthy debate is a positive sign, it’s just that hopefully it’s done well, and we’re all arguing in a productive and connecting way, rather than a narky, destructive way (laughs).  That’s the dream, that we build those skills and those cultures.

Arts and Culture

Central Victorian Indigenous Film Festival- Yandoit, Castlemaine, Glenlyon, Bendigo

When: 27th May – 3rd June; Where: Various locations across Bendigo and Central Victoria

Cost: some events are free, others are ticketed

More information and bookings: https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-05/CVIFF-2024-flyer.pdf

Yandoit Cultural will be screening  a series of bush food short films set on Djaara Country, plus feature film:  ‘The Last Daughter’ –  Brenda’s first memories are of growing up in a loving white foster family, before she was suddenly taken away and returned to her Aboriginal family. A documentary about Brenda’s journey to unearth the truth about her past, and to reconcile the two sides of her family.

The series of bush food short films, created by Auntie Julie McHale, feature local indigenous youth and teachers on Djaara country sharing knowledge and secrets of Australian bush foods. Created to accompany Auntie Julie’s tucker boxes and filmed in her private garden, these short films, produced by local film makers People Pictures, are warm intimate descriptions that reveal the quality and uses of these unique plants.

When: Sunday June 2^nd, 2024, 4.45pm for a 5.00pm start

Where: Yandoit Cultural , Uniting Church Rd , off High St, Yandoit

Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival

The 2024 Castlemaine Documentary Festival Program is now live: https://cdocff.com.au/

This year’s Festival will be held on the weekend of 14-16 June in the heart of regional Victoria on Dja Dja Wurrung Country. Explore the programme and come together with fellow film-lovers to immerse yourself in this 2024 edition. We promise a stellar selection of films, each more fascinating than fiction.

OPENING NIGHT starts at 5pm at Theatre Royal. Castlemaine-based ensemble Brazuzul will usher the Festival in with the joyous rhythms and sounds of forró – a vibrant music and dance form from north-eastern Brazil. Then our screenings begin with two short films celebrating regional culture and ingenuity: a beautiful moment, featuring Castlemaine’s own Corker Orchestra, Mainsong and Brazazul; and Ag Fab: From Paddock to Catwalk.

Afterwards, stay on at Theatre Royal and step into the courtyard for warming, delicious sustenance at the Soup Bar, or head to Love Shack for a drink. Then find your seat for WINHANGANAHA, a brilliant new film – “a poem in five acts” examining archival records’ impact on First Nations people – by award-winning Wiradjuri poet and artist Jazz Money, whom we’re thrilled to welcome as a festival guest.

LOCALS 2024: Fun for all, 5pm Saturday 15 June: LOCALS is our annual family-fun showcase, premiering fresh films by gifted creatives from Castlemaine and surrounds – from Bendigo to Ballarat and Gisborne to Maryborough. After the screening, show your support by voting for your favourite.This is a celebration of local stories told by the local voices who took a leap of faith with us. We commend them all!  Submissions have now closed; we’ll add details on the selected films to our programme page soon.

Newstead Arts Hub- What’s On

Tripartite: Exhibition: Weekends, Sat 1 – Sun 23 June, 10am-4pm – Gallery 2&3 

In ancient Egypt the word sculptor means  “…he who keeps alive.”

Lawrence Winder’s Figurative Sculptures range from 1/3 life size to full size. Influenced by French 19th century artists Jules Dalou and Edgar Degas, by “Constructivist” sculptors of the “Dada” period and by Asian culture, particularly Kabuki dance and Japanese architectural space. Lawrence’s sculptures are from clay models and cast in resin then given a bronze or rusted iron patina. Lawrence has created a beautiful exhibition of sculpture in three parts.

 Fire Stories: Sat 22 June, 5pm-8pm. All welcome – Free

Come along and warm yourself by the fire! Fire Stories marks the official opening of our wonderful Winter Program!!
With a special reading by author Leni Shelton PLUS you can come along and tell a story of your own, or a favourite found elsewhere, around the fire. There will be mulled wine and soups with homemade bread rolls to buy.  All WELCOME – no tickets needed just come and enjoy the community spirit.

Keep your eye out for our special edition Winter Program for more details.

Charcoal Painting, Stories from the Fire

Workshop: Sat 29 June, 10am-3.30pm – with Melissa O’Rourke
Cost: $125 Hub members, $140 (full price) All materials included.

Charcoal Painting, Stories from the Fire- A painting and drawing workshop. Facilitated by Melissa O’Rourke.

Using charcoal we collect from the embers of our fire stories, work with artist Melissa O’Rourke to weave your own stories into free flowing charcoal drawings. Learn some of the process used to make her latest body of work The Company of Women. Suits all levels of experience from absolute beginner onwards. All materials are provided for you.

Events at Radius Art Gallery- Hepburn Springs

Evening of Soulful Sounds – A Night of Kirtan with Sarah and Nina

Join us for sacred mantras and divine sounds in ‘call and response’ style. Raise your vibration and bring healing frequencies to your body and mind.
Sarah and Nina will guide you on a magical journey of connection and free expression.

Sat 15th June 6pm for chai | 6.15 Start

MORE INFO

Community Fundraiser – Sweet Sounds of Honey Tone

Let the dulcet tones of our very own local town choir dance upon your ear drums.

This annual fundraiser is bound to warm your heart and soul.  For more info contact Suzanne Hobson: 0448 564 362

Monday 24th June @Radius
7.00 pm – 8.30 pm

Northern Arts Hotel

THE COOLROOM DIARY [Click on links for event details]
MUSIC GIGS  [Usually at 7.30pm, Sunday 5.30pm]
Friday 24 May | Sally Ford and the Idiomatics
Saturday 25 May | Kris Mizzi and Mandy Connell
Fri 31 May | Enda Kenny: ‘After the Interval’ Album Launch Tour 
Sat 8 & Sun 9 June | Castlemaine Jazz Festival
Friday 14 June | Áine Tyrrell: People Like Me & You Tour
Saturday 22 June | Ade Ishs Trio live at The Coolroom
Sunday 23 June 5.30pm | Duos Concert Fundraiser for Castlemaine Graffiti Busters
Saturday 29 June | Peter & the Wolves: Hibernation Hootenanny
FILM
Sunday 26 May 2.30pm | Free Secret Movie Matinee
Sunday 2 June 2.30pm | Film of the Concert in Support of Yes
Monday 3 June 6pm | Workshop: Towards Collective Self Sufficiency
SPOKEN WORD & REGULAR GROUPS
Thursday 23 May 4pm | Maine-Ly Ukes
Saturday 25 May 2.30pm | PoetiCas with Shari Kocher 
NORTHERN ARTS HOTEL
Tuesday 28 May | Open Potluck Dinner at 7pm

Food Growing, Farming and Food Security

Community Apple Juicing Day

When: Sunday 2nd June, 10am – 3pm

Where: Harcourt Organic Food Cooperative, 69 Danns Rd, Harcourt

We’re so thrilled to be hosting our annual and much-loved Apple Juicing Day this year at Harcourt Organic Farming Coop amongst the foothills of Leanganook. Bring along bottles for juice, a knife, chopping board, tea towels, and a cup for tea! Learn how to crush and press apples for juice to take home and drink fresh, or turn into cider vinegar.

This will be a family-friendly event in partnership with Food Links Mount Alexander, and will be facilitated by Joel Meadows.

NOTE:

• We will be using non-organic apples for this juicing day, and it is important that we respect the requirements of the Coop’s Organic certification. No pulp or juice is to be left on the property, and this will all be taken away on the day in food-grade tubs. If you’d like to take some home for your compost or animals, please bring a clean vessel.
• Please carpool whereverpossible as parking is limited at the site. Send us a message if you have a spare car space or need some help finding a ride.

Apple Harvest

When: Thursday 30th May from 9.30am

Where: Meet at Hub Plot Garden on Templeton St, Castlemaine

Join us for the last apple harvest of the season TOMORROW in Harcourt. These apples will go towards our Community Apple Juicing day, but there will be plenty to take home, of course. Please bring a bag or box for your share.

Meet at the Hub Plot Garden on Templeton Street at 9.30am and we’ll convoy from there. Send us a message on Facebook or via email for directions if you’re arriving a little later. We’ll be out picking until around 1pm on both days

Tea and light snacks provided, please bring something to share if you’re able!

Harcourt Organic Farming Coop

Discover the Unique Charm of Hard-to-Find Multigraft Apple Trees

If you’ve been following Carr’s Organic Fruit Tree Nursery for a while you’ll know we’re passionate about preserving and promoting heritage varieties. You’ve probably twigged to the fact that new things are happening around the farm, and the nursery is no exception.

This year, we’re excited to introduce you to a truly innovative and versatile addition to your garden: multigraft apple trees.

As members of the Harcourt Organic Farming Co-op (and the only certified organic nursery in Victoria), we focus on building healthy soil for our trees to give them the best possible start in life.We also specialise in hard-to-find varieties and multigrafts. However, it can be hard to persuade people to take a risk on a variety they’ve never heard of.

In a light-bulb moment last spring, we came up with a solution! 

Our brand-new range of multigrafts combines modern varieties like Gala, Fuji, and Pink Lady with the heritage varieties that desperately need to be preserved for the future.We’re hoping the security of planting a known variety will help people overcome the perceived risk of planting a variety they’ve never heard of. Plus, we had SO much fun creating this beautiful range of delicious multigrafts.

Join Us for Two Special Events: Co-op Relaunch & Small Farm Enterprise Planning

We are excited to invite you to two upcoming events designed to celebrate the relaunch of the Harcourt Organic Farming Co-op and to support aspiring and current small farmers. Whether you’re interested in joining our co-operative community, developing your own farm enterprise, or a keen eater who cares about your local food system, we hope these events will provide some valuable insight into what we’ve been working on, opportunities and ‘what’s next’ for the Co-op.

All of these events are made possible thanks to our Innovate to Regenerate Grant from WWF-Australia.

Event 1: Co-op Relaunch & Recruitment Webinar

Date: Thursday, June 6th, Time: 7-8pm

Join us for a celebration of the HOFC Co-op relaunch! This webinar will include:

Screening of Our New Short Film: Get an inside look at our cooperative’s journey and achievements. We’ve been working with Mitch at MDP Photography & Video and are excited to share the results!

Sharing of New Collaborative Farming Resources: Discover tools and guides to support sustainable farming practices. Interactive Q&A Session: Engage with our team and get your questions answered.

This event is perfect for anyone interested in learning more about our cooperative and how you can get involved. Register here.

Event 2: Small Farm Enterprise Planning Webinar & Ideas Jam

Date: Tuesday 11th June, Time: 7-8pm

For those seriously considering joining our Co-op or refining their farm enterprise plans, we are hosting a more focused session. This event will feature:

Interactive Q&A: Ask detailed questions about the Co-op and membership benefits.

Enterprise Proposal Shaping: Receive guidance on developing and refining your small-farm enterprise idea, and support with submitting an EOI to join the Co-op.

Personalized Feedback: Get constructive critiques and suggestions from our crew.

This session is ideal for those who want a deeper understanding of the Co-op and personalized support in shaping their farming ideas. Register your interest here. You can also read more about the opportunities to join the Co-op currently available here.

Ecology and Environment

Natural Newstead and Thornbills

Find out more about the varieties of Thornbills in our area:  https://geoffpark.wordpress.com/2024/05/25/three-thornbills-2/

Predictably the Brown Thornbills were foraging in the mid layer of shrubs, Buff-rumped Thornbills on the ground, with occasional forays into low shrubs, while the Striated Thornbills chased insects amongst the foliage of a sapling Red Box.

When viewed close-up however the distinguishing features of the species in this group are evident. This blog post from 2021 provides a guide for sorting out our local thornbills.

North Central Catchment Management

June edition of the North Central Chat: https://www.nccma.vic.gov.au/resources/publications/north-central-chat-june-2024

First Nations

Reconciliation Week

The aim is to read books with a sustainability or First Nations knowledge focus. There are about 11 possible titles that have a set of 10 in the library’s current book club collection and we aim to alternate between those and other books that members recommend and share. Meetings will be Tuesday nights, monthly, at a venue (probably a pub) in Castlemaine and time to be agreed by the group.

Contact if interested: Helen: Helenmathwin@yahoo.co.uk  or Kath: Kathw@ncgrl.vic.gov.au at Goldfields Library.

Sustainable Living Resources

YIMBY composter wins award!

Grow It Local award-winner Mikaela Beckley (pictured) is one of 19 YIMBY composters in Mt Alexander shire.

She collects and composts kitchen scraps from 20 of her neighbours each week, and has processed nearly 5,000 kilos of organics in her backyard using the unique YIMBY hot-composting method.YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) is a unique composting project based in Castlemaine, building community, diverting organics from landfill and improving our soil.

Right now, there are 19 composters like Mikaela, collecting from over 250 households in the shire, and more are coming! To find out more, visit www.yimbycompost.com.

Castlemaine Free University and Degrowth Central Victoria- Essentials Workshop

Castlemaine Free University- Occupy Wall Street

When: Monday 3rd June at 6pm

Where: Northern Arts Hotel, 359 Barker St, Castlemaine

Come along to hear and chat with Marisa Holmes, occupier from day one of Occupy Wall Street, director of OWS film All day, All Week in conversation with Friends of the Earth Campaigns Co-ordinator Cam Walker. What lessons can we apply to climate action and social justice protests, blockades and social change today?

Free event. Drinks can be purchased at the bar.

Repair Cafes

Daylesford

When and Where: Sunday June 16th, 1-4pm at Victoria Park Pavillion, Ballan Rd, Daylesford

Castlemaine

When and Where: Last  Sunday of each month, June 30th, 10am to 1.00pm  at Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton St.  For further information join our Facebook group, visit our website or call Chris on 5470 5508.

Creswick Repair and Share

When and Where: Third Sunday of each month at Creswick Community House and hall.

Photo: Mara Ripani

Renewable Newstead

Are you interested in buying 100% green power from the Newstead Solar Farm? The retail offer from the company retailing the 100% green power from the Newstead Solar Farm, Flow Power, is now available.

To sign up as a customer, download the Flow Power app from either Google Play or the App Store. For information about the offer, go to the Flow Power website https://flowpower.com.au/residential/ or read the attached information sheet.

Here are three top reasons to sign up.

• You’ll be buying 100% green power which is better for the planet
• You’ll be supporting the Newstead Community Energy Project (solar farm and battery)
• You’ll be eligible for a $100 bonus which you can choose to contribute to a Newstead club or organisation or you can keep it for yourself. More details about this Local Community Benefit offer are coming soon.

While the Newstead Solar Farm is not yet generating electricity for commercial sale – construction is due for completion in June and commercial generation is expected to begin in July – here’s what happens in the meantime for households who sign up now as Flow Power customers. If you sign up now as a Flow Power customer and your electricity supply address is in or near Newstead, you will receive electricity via the grid that’s billed from one of Flow Power’s other renewable energy generation sites, at Karadoc near Ouyen, until such time as the Newstead Solar Farm comes online and begins to generate electricity. (Flow Power sources power from renewable energy sources – solar and wind – exclusively.)

For Newstead Solar Farm news and project updates, subscribe to RN’s e-newsletter at https://renewablenewstead.com.au/news-resources/

For further information: Email at info@renewablenewstead.com.au or call m: 0403 801 147

Mt Alexander Sustainability Group

7 Star Energy Rating Requirements for Builders

When building a new home you must comply with the energy efficiency requirements of the National Construction Code Volume Two. These requirements aim to reduce the environmental impacts of buildings by reducing the amount of energy consumed. There are several options forcomplying with the energy efficiency requirements with the most common option being anassessment under the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS).

From 1 May 2024, new homes will be required to achieve 7-stars and a whole-of-home rating not less than 60 under the NatHERS option. A higher star and whole-of-home rating means the building is more energy efficient. MASG’s Mick Lewin recently ran a workshop for members of the building industry in Mount Alexander Shire to explain what this means for home builders.

To learn more, head to the Victorian Building Authority website and watch the Nathers explanation video

Building Community

Castlemaine Community Co-op

At our FIRST EVER fundraising Working Bee members set a goal of raising $10,000 for due diligence on the Hub (for building inspections, valuation, legal checks, etc). We have since raised $5,240, but need your help to find the final $4,760.

There are two things you can do to help!

1. Ask a friend to join and become a founding member before June 30 (so we double our membership): If every current member recruits one more member, we will raise the money we need! Word of mouth has been proven to be the best way for the Co-op to grow. Membership is only $40/$20.To help you explain what we are about we have provided:
   – A 2-page information leaflet about the Co-op (PDF Link);
   – A script you can use when talking to people;
   – An example of a caption you can share on Facebook (give our page a ‘like’ while you’re there!). You can also share our last post or other content that you think your network might be interested in.
2. Donate: If you have some spare money sitting somewhere that was waiting to be put to a good use, please contact us at info@castlemaine.coop.

We are very close to being able to launch an offer to buy the Hub. Please help us get over the line – together we can put Castlemaine’s assets in the community’s hands.

Castlemaine Johannine Community aka the Grail Community

The Castlemaine Johannine Community practises ‘pagan Christianity’, a spirituality based in the mystical tradition of St John, Mary Magdalene and the Rosicrucians, and grounded in deep reverence for the sacredness of the Earth and the wisdom of the ancient Celtic, Aboriginal and Native American spiritual traditions. Through both inner and outer work, we seek to collaborate with the impulse of Christ and Sophia to create bring healing and renewal to our communities and the Earth. We meet monthly for Eucharist services and other special events shaped by the sacred calendar of the seasonal Christian and Celtic festivals.

This month’s events include a St John’s Tide Eucharist on Sunday 23rd June from 11am followed by a shared lunch. St John’s Tide (or St John’s Day) celebrates the life of John the Apostle who, along with Mary Magdalene, was considered the disciple who most understood the esoteric wisdom of Christ Jesus’ teachings

Where: the Grail Chapel, 75 McMillans Rd, Green Gully

Cost: all events are free, donations are welcome. Enquiries: contact Ken Killeen on 0423 194 878 or email: johannine@hotmail.com

Yandoit Faith Community

A faith community is evolving at the old Uniting Church in Yandoit. A community where we can explore the sacred and the spirit in our lives. At our next gathering we will be reflecting on the inspiring life of  Theresa of Avila, a 16th century mystic in Spain , who created the silent order of Carmelites.

Supported by Castlemaine Uniting Church Minister, Rev Sarah Tomilson, and Church Council, and Yandoit Cultural.  

Our next gathering is Saturday June 22nd, 2pm at Yandoit Cultural- the old church in the bush, Uniting Church Rd, off High St Yandoit. All welcome.

For more information: nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au or mobile – 0432 232 073

Goldfields Libraries

https://mailchi.mp/ncgrl/may_24_enews-780738?e=900e58157a

World Localisation Day

World Localization Day is an annual celebration convened by the international NGO Local Futures. On June 21 and throughout the month of June, Local Futures and an array of amazing Global Partners host in-person and online events to highlight localization as a strategy for change. And not least, to celebrate the many efforts and initiatives that foster ecological economies, thriving communities and healthy local food systems.

Take part in World Localization Day as a group or individual and join the growing movement of people building a better world, from the ground up.

Register your WLD event

Watch the introductory video:

Local Government News

Future Hepburn- Rural Hepburn strategy- Community Feedback Required

Hepburn Shire Council has released its Draft Rural Strategy for community feedback. There are some significant changes proposed to Farm Zones in this draft plan. Download the Rural Hepburn Strategy at the website link below.

Hepburn Life Newsletter

https://mailchi.mp/hepburn/april-2024?e=2accd18fe3

Upcoming Council Elections – One-on-one information sessions for Councillor candidates

Are you thinking about running for Council this year? Mt Alexander Shire is offering one-on-one information sessions with our CEO, Mayor and Deputy Mayor to learn what it means to be a Councillor.

Sign up for a session

Have your say with Shape Mount Alexander

We’re lucky to have a knowledgeable and passionate community. We use your valuable feedback to inform our projects and general decision-making.

Let’s keep talking
Find out how to talk to us, or leave your ideas and feedback on any topic, and at any time!

Customer First Strategy
We want to make it easier for you to connect with and use our services, so we need your stories, feedback and suggestions to help us understand which areas to focus on.

Visit Shape Mount Alexander for details

Workshops and Courses

Work That Reconnects Workshop

Growing our connection with all that lives, From The Work That Reconnects

Date Saturday June 8 Time 1pm-5pm
Venue: Green Gully Victoria
A Community Event
The workshops provide a safe space for a deep connection with all life and the opportunity to share that with fellow travellers.
Processes include Loving Kindness Meditation, a Mandala activity and The Milling- an experience of shifting from overload to simply being present.
It is led by experienced WTR facilitators to serve a cultural shift towards reconnection with all beings and the planet.
Inquiries Shana 0457 496 864 or Diane 0421 510 017

Booking essential via Email: dianethompson61@gmail.com
Cost: By Donation

Systemic Family Constellations – EXPLORE YOUR INNER DYNAMICS

This workshop explores the dynamics within yourself and your family system. Counsellor and Art Therapist Amy Jones lives locally and has been a part of the constellations community since 2019.  For more information: amyjonesroberts@yahoo.com.au

SUN JUNE 2nd – 9.30 – 4.30pm @RADIUS Gallery, 76 Main Rd Hepburn Springs 

For more information about Radius Gallery : www.radiusart.com.au

Make a Change online workshops

Chi Gong and Tai Chi on Wednesdays at Radius Gallery

Letters

Earlier this month the local group, Central Vic Climate Action held a “Funeral for Fossil Fuels” in Bendigo to get the message across to our MP, Lisa Chesters that all extraction of coal oil and gas must end if we are to avoid catastrophic global heating greater than 1.5 degrees C.  A coffin full of “smouldering coal” was delivered to her door by veiled pall bearers dressed in black, and there were some songs, chants and speeches. This is an extract from a speech given on the day by Trevor Scott during a short funeral procession through the city.

“All the storms, floods and fires that we see all-to-often on national television – they’re getting more serious and more frequent every day, not only here in Australia but also around the world. A lot of the people who lived in the path of the cyclone, or were downwind of the bushfire, have already lost their loved ones, their homes, their pets and all the things they held dear. Some unlucky ones have even lost their lives, not to mention the forests and the millions of wild creatures that have already perished. We can’t “fix” the climate by ourselves but because it’s Humans who have caused the Earth to overheat, I believe and so do many others, that Humans can fix it, but only if we act straightaway. We should have started decades ago so we are running out of time. The way I see it, stopping the juggernaut of climate change is firstly in the hands of the giant fossil fuel companies, secondly in the banks who lend them the money, and thirdly in the hands of our federal government members. All of them have shown that they have no will to do so, and, unfortunately for us, there are new fossil fuel projects on the table today in Canberra.

Yes, it’s true that they have the lion’s share of the power and we have very little; but the big question for us is, how do we shift that power? You’ve all heard of Greta Thunberg. She alone recognised that there was a climate crisis and started striking every day outside the Swedish parliament until others joined her. In a relatively short time she had set up a global movement that is ongoing and is still growing. Another famous woman called Margaret Read once said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world. In fact it’s the only thing that ever has”.  After the procession the mourners gathered once more in front of Lisa Chesters’ office in Myers Street. Trevor Scott spoke again and said:

“Lisa Chesters, you recently said that the federal government was transitioning out of coal into renewable energy. “But we can’t put the cart before the horse” you said. “We have to make sure that we’re building the renewable energy grid, that we’re building those transmission lines to get more renewable energy into our system. It’s got to be a just transition and that’s what our government is working towards” you said. This is admirable, Lisa and I’m very happy to hear this news. But decades have gone by without any action at all. My question to you is how long will these transmission lines be carrying fossil fuel- generated electricity while this government continues to allow new coal mines to open, and fracking and gas pipeline projects to continue, and worst of all, continues to pay out huge sums of taxpayers money to fossil fuel corporations in the form of rebates? I would appreciate an answer to this question Lisa, even if its only an estimate.”The question was delivered to her office in the form of a letter.

Trevor Scott, 23 May 2024

Food for Thought

The Pollinators of Slovenia – an interactive documentary

https://emergencemagazine.org/feature/pollinators-of-slovenia/?utm_source=Emergence+Magazine&utm

Milkwood – Skills for Living like it Matters

https://mailchi.mp/c929c2592f16/all-the-mushrooms-ive-ever-loved

Practising Transition- Being Yourself in Action

https://practise.transitionmovement.org/be-yourself-in-action/?ref=doing-transition-newsletter&lng=en

Rasmus Nørgaard on building a sustainable future The Wisdom & Action Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/rasmus-n%C3%B8rgaard-on-building-a-sustainable-future/id1108741194?i=1000654349863

Simon Michaux: Industrial transformation away from fossil fuels will not go as planned

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqjsPa8bUaA

Earthworker practice, vision and strategy-  “Weathering the Coming Storm”.

A series of four in-person talks in June.  The Earthworker ecosystem –  Sunday June 2nd 3pm: A discussion with members of the various worker-owned cooperatives in the Earthworker network, including Earthworker Smart Energy Cooperative, Hope Cooperative, Earthworker Construction Cooperative and Earthworker Energy Manufacturing Cooperative

Rocking the Foundations – Saturday June 8th 3pm: Discussion and film screening on the history of the BLF and green bans and how it informs Earthworker vision and strategy

Reflections on Redgum – Sunday June 16th 3pm: A presentation by Redgum Cooperative co-founders about the successes and failures and lessons of Redgum Cleaning Cooperative (followed by a bushdance with the Earthworker Bushband)

History and politics of Earthworker – Saturday June 22nd 3pm: An exploration of the economic and political analysis out of which Earthworker emerged

All talks will be held in Naarm at Black Spark Cultural Centre on Gladstone Avenue in Northcote. If possible please RSVP using the Facebook links above.

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When: Sunday 5 May, 10am-4pm

Where: Riddells Creek Neighbourhood House

A great way to recycle old clothes and fabric. This braiding technique weaves in as we go so there is no stitching up required afterward. Bring your own material to recycle and find out what riches can come from rags…

Info and Bookings:https://www.ilkawhite.com.au/allclasses/braided-rag-rugs-riddells

Yandoit Cultural Open Mic

Yandoit Cultural’s Open  Mic events are an excellent way for those living around central Victoria to share, and listen to locals as they share,  a story, a poem, a song or a tune.  Our May Open Mic has a theme of Autumn. Everyone can have their 5-10 minutes and the afternoon promises to be a joyful potluck, followed by country hospitality and a cuppa at the end.

When: Saturday May 11^th, 3-5pm

Where: Uniting Church Rd, off High st, Yandoit

Entry by donation. Contact Nikki or Katy if you’re interested-  0432 232 073/0430 530 868 or email:  ycfcpg@gmail.com

Radius Arts Space Hepburn Springs

Radius Gallery showcases and promotes local artists through curated exhibitions, events and an online store.

We foster creative learning with workshops, classes and the exchange of skills and expertise. We encourage the curious mind within us all. We understand that art is subjective and not all art is beautiful. Art may challenge us, confound us and make us think.

We are inspired by the artists, ideas and creative possibilities that flourish in our amazing community.

HOURS: Thursday – Saturday 10 – 4pm

Website: https://www.radiusart.com.au/

The Bedridden Band Play at Yandoit

When: Saturday May 25^th, 7.30pm 

Where: Yandoit Cultural -Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit

The Bedridden were formed in Canberra in 1989. Five albums and several line-up changes later, they are now based in Central Victoria and are the undisputed kings and queens of acoustic psycho muppet punk.

Listen via youtube  and spotify:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuRldykgWi8

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0zLUdu0JTDHiXFCjT3hIB0?si=TppzCI3XQX66vFOEYX78yA

Newstead Arts Hub- Writing and Clay Hand Building

Hub Writers Group

Come along to the Hub Writers Group and be part of our informal monthly ‘shut up and write’ sessions on the 4th Friday of every month at the Newstead Arts Hub. From March 2024 onwards, the group will hold an afternoon writing session from 1-5pm, and then an evening session from 6.30-8.30pm. Between the two sessions, there will be a chance to talk about writing (including sharing some of your own writing if you wish). Please bring along whatever food you’d like to eat: the Hub has a well-equipped kitchen. Next session is 24 May.

No need to book: just turn up (at 1pm or whenever you can get there) with your writing gear – notebook, tablet, laptop – and get going. There are tables and chairs ready to go at the Hub plus coffee, tea and herbals available.

Quirky Clay: Hand-building for beginners

Create three quirky pots that will be glazed and fired, guided by ceramicist and teacher Gerry McDonald.

In this workshop for beginners, Gerry will teach you the basics of pottery in a fun and inspiring way. He will expertly guide you, step by step, to make 3 quirky pieces over two weekends,  a pinch bowl with curly legs, a coil pot and a gorgeous little cylindrical birdhouse! As well as learning great new skills, you will get to take home three wonderful works of art made by you!

Day 1 – Sat 18 May 10am-3pm -Working with clay, learning techniques and building your pieces.

Day 2 – Sat 25 May 10am-12.30pm – Glaze your pots, learn & play with glazes and explore the wild and wonderful colours Gerry uses in his work.

Join us for this wonderful clay workshop. No previous experience necessary!! All welcome

Booking link here

Northern Arts Hotel

THE COOLROOM DIARY [Click on links for event details]
MUSIC GIGS  [Usually at 7.30pm, Sunday 2.30pm]
Friday 26 April | Kaiyah Mercedes + Candice Alisha
Saturday 27 April | The Anticlinal Fold 
Friday 10 May | Double Shot of Roots: Ben Jansz + Simon Phillips
Saturday 18 May | Dave Graney & Clare Moore
Friday 24 May | Sally Ford and the Idiomatics
Saturday 25 May | Kris Mizzi and Mandy Connell
Sat 8 & Sun 9 June | Castlemaine Jazz Festival
Friday 14 June | Áine Tyrrell: People Like Me & You Tour
SPECIAL
Sunday 28 April 2.30pm | Free Secret Movie Matinee
Tuesday 30 April 12.30pm | International Jazz Day: Virtual Tour of National Portrait Gallery
Sunday 2 June 2.30pm | Film of the Concert in Support of Yes

Castlemaine Johannine Community aka the Grail Community

The Castlemaine Johannine Community practises ‘pagan Christianity’, a spirituality based in the mystical tradition of St John, Mary Magdalene and the Rosicrucians, and grounded in deep reverence for the sacredness of the Earth and the wisdom of the ancient Celtic, Aboriginal and Native American spiritual traditions. Through both inner and outer work, we seek to collaborate with the impulse of Christ and Sophia to create bring healing and renewal to our communities and the Earth. We meet monthly for Eucharist services and other special events shaped by the sacred calendar of the seasonal Christian and Celtic festivals.

This month’s events include a Samhain bonfire and healing service on Saturday 4th May from 6pm, a Mother’s Day Eucharist on 12th May at 11am followed by a shared lunch, and a Pentacost Eucharist on 19th May from 11am followed by a shared lunch.

Where: the Grail Chapel, 75 McMillans Rd, Green Gully

Cost: all events are free, donations are welcome.  Enquiries: contact Ken Killeen on 0423 194 878 or email: johannine@hotmail.com

Food Growing, Farming and Food Security

Photo by Damian Kelly

Central Vic Climate Action- Rise Up Event

When: Wednesday 8th May,12.30pm
Where: Lisa Chester’s office, Bendigo

To illustrate the need for an immediate end to fossil fuels, pall bearers dressed in black, along with our red rebels, will carry a coffin full of smouldering coal to Lisa Chesters door. Please join us for a seriously fun time.

For more information and to express your interest, contact Trevor Scott- 0412 250 392

Castlemaine Field Naturalists

Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club (CFNC) hold a meeting with a guest speaker on the second Friday of the month, followed by a group excursion or field trip the following day.

All are welcome to attend.

For more information on CFNC, visit their website – click here

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Love doesn’t just sit there like a stone. It has to be made like bread. Remade all the time. Made new. 

(Ursula LeGuin, cited in Milkwood Newsletter,  March 2024)

Welcome to the April edition of Localising Leanganook’s e-newsletter. There’s lots of local news and events as well as a thought-provoking feature article, in podcast format, on Cycles of Renewal – an interview with permaculture co-originator and Hepburn Springs resident David Holmgren.

Cheers, Nikki, Keppel, Laurel, and Samantha

Note to Contributors and Readers

As you can see, Localisising Leanganook’s e-news grows from strength to strength reaching more than 700 subscribers. The monthly newsletter  includes an ever expanding range of localising events, programs and creative initiatives  in  our central Victorian region.  If you’ve got items for inclusion in the May or future editions, let our editing team know – (nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au). To help our editing team please email through information you’d like included in the following format:

• program/project/event name plus date, time and location if relevant
• summary of event/issue/program, in word format,
• accompanying photo as a jpeg or png

April’s edition includes:

Feature Article: Reskillience Podcast

1. Arts and Culture
2. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security
3. Ecology and Environment
4. First Nations
5. History, Books and Libraries
6. Sustainable Living Resources
7. Building Community
8. Local Government News
9. Workshops and Courses

Letters – 

Food for Thought

Feature Article- Reskillience Podcast

Looking for fresh ear food? Reskillience is a podcast born and raised in Hepburn featuring lots of familiar voices. It explores the intersection between permaculture, rewilding and non-irksome self help, highlighting the hard and soft skills that’ll help us stay resilient into the future. Hosted by Catie Payne and released every Monday, Reskillience brings you provocative and peace-loving convos with people like David Holmgren, Meg Ulman, Suzy Muir, Su Dennett, Patrick Jones, Devon Harris and many, many more. David’s episode “Cycles of Renewal” is a great place to start. 🎧 Have a listen on iTunes, Spotify or wherever podcasts bloom.

Arts and Culture

CresFest- Creswick’s Folk  and Roots Festival

When: Friday April 5th to Sunday April 7th

Where: Assorted venues in Creswick

This CresFest World Podcast created by Neil Adam. What other festival goes to this much trouble to tell you the stories behind the music – ten episodes and more coming weekly, with in depth interviews with artists past and present.

For more information and to book: https://cresfest.com.au/

Home

Northern Arts Hotel

THE COOLROOM DIARY [Click on links for event details] MUSIC GIGS  [Usually at 7.30pm, Sunday 2.30pm]

Friday 29 March | The Cartwheels
Saturday 30 March | The Great Unknown
Friday 5 April | The Duck Downpickers
Saturday 6 April | Jack Pantazis Group
Friday 19 April | Michael Plater + Friends
Saturday 27 April | The Anticlinal Fold 
Saturday 18 May | Dave Graney & Clare Moore
FILM
Sunday 31 March | Secret Movie Matinee
SPOKEN WORD & REGULAR GROUPS
Thursday 28 March, 4pm | Maine-ly Ukes
CASTLEMAINE PRIDE
Sunday 21 April 2.30pm | Pride Secret Movie
Monday 22 April 7pm | Pride CFU: LBGTiQA + Asylum Seekers
Thursday 25 April 7pm | Best of BQFF Short Films
Friday 26 April 7.30pm | Kaiyah Mercedes + Candice Alisha

Newstead Arts Hub

Through My Eyes: Exhibition – Dawn Robinson 
Weekends Sat 6 – Sun 28 April, 10am-4pm
In this exhibition, sculptor and artist Dawn Robinson, explores the interplay of natural and urban environments. Her new series of limestone sculptures and abstract expressionist paintings are full of contrasts; movement & stillness, solidity & emptiness, negative & positive, light & dark. Dawns’ captivating works explore and test these dualities. Sat 6 April, 2.30pm: To celebrate the opening of Through My Eyes, Dawn has arranged some special treats for us.
There will be tastings of award winning Macedon Ranges gin from Travelling While Standing Still and gorgeous sounds by Smith & Appleby Duo Jazz

Slow Stitching: Workshop
Sat 14 April, 10am-3.30pm – $110 Full $100 Members 

Scrap Piecing in the ‘boro’ style with Liz Sardone. Boro stitching is an art form that grew out of necessity in medieval Japan. Using slow, meditative stitches, scraps are transformed into something beautiful and practical. In this workshop you will use  pre-loved fabric scraps to construct your own piece of cloth, then turn it into a small bag.  BOOK HERE After a brief outline of the history of Boro, you will select your fabric scraps and decide how they go together. Liz will teach you different stitching techniques and you’ll be on your way to creating a beautiful piece of fabric. This workshop will suit people who have done some stitching and who have access to a some old and used fabrics (or you could visit your local op shop!).The ultimate in upcycling and repurposing.

Finding your Creative Self Through Experimentation
Workshop:  Sat 27 April, 10am-3pm – $135 Full $120 Members

A fun, mixed media workshop for beginners, facilitated by the fabulous Julie Patey. Julie will guide you in exploring colour, texture & materials. Using wet and dry media to create abstract imagery which could lead to paintings, fabric design, cards or artworks. Come for the joy of playing with materials in a friendly environment. No pressure to create a finished piece. It’s all about enjoying the process. Ages 12-100! No experience necessary. BOOK HERE  Julie is a Central Victorian artist who exhibits regularly across the country.The love of paper and its potential to take stains, textures and colours is endlessly fascinating to her. She concentrates on mood and texture and the memory of the landscape. Natural pigments are combined with both collagraph and etching to create textual nuance.

Radius Art Gallery- Hepburn Springs

• Peter Sparkman’s Photographs delve into the lives, loves and interactions of our local queer community.  The images span the past 15 years of ChillOut Festival. MORE INFO UNTIL SAT 13TH APRIL
• Julian Assange Film – “The Trust Fall” at Radius.  27^th & 28^th April from 7pm  Tix will be $15 with some $ to Julien (also to Radius and the film company).  P.  Trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcYOv2SorgY
• Spoontastic – again some details below.  A quirky culinary exhibition as Radius is transformed by giant spoons hanging from walls & ceilings.  A long table will be laid out for a meal in the middle: set with hand crafted bowls, cups and plates. During the exhibition a number of dining-performances allow audience members to sit at the table and partake in a shared meal and story together. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST

76, Main Rd, Hepburn Springs

Food Growing, Farming and Food Security

The Orchard Keepers

Harcourt’s fruit is still available at market and online sales for a couple more months! The Farm Shop will still be open for collection of pre-ordered fruit. Please note, it will only be staffed until about 1pm Wed-Fri, but if you’ve ordered a box it will be in the black fridges (inside the door to the left) with your name on it. Thanks so much to everyone who has visited the farm this season.

Hepburn Wholefoods

Opening hours: Mondays 9.30-11.30am
Wednesdays 2-4pm
Thursdays 3-5pm
Saturdays 11am-1pm

Location:   11 Perrins Street · Daylesford.  Find us here,

Mt Franklin Organics

Give your garden beds a boost with green manure seeds – fava beans and oats&peas $8/500g. Also broad bean seeds.

A range of organically gown fruit and vegetables,  as well as trees and organic seeds.

Available at Daylesford’s Sunday Market or  PICKUP from farm on Saturday, (180 church Rd, Mt Franklin, come down the driveway and park at shed, your order will be there).   Please pre-order produce by FRIDAY EVENING.

Ecology and Environment

Support Local Climate Activists

Dean Bridgfoot, Laura Levetan and Bernie Tonkin, – 3 Castlemaine Climate Activists, who occupied the Bendigo NAB, were tried for trespass at the NAB bank in Bendigo during the first week of  March. They have  each been fined and welcome contributions from other concerned climate activists to help pay their fines

Please contact Bernard- bernard.tonkin@gmail.com if you can help out.

Wildlife Nest Boxes- Newstead Landcare

Newstead Landcare and Wildlife Nest Boxes are installing twenty new nest boxes. Meet us at Rotunda(less) Park from 9:30am on Sunday 7 April 2024 for a short on-site talk from Miles Geldard of Wildlife Nest Boxes. Miles will talk about the importance of nest boxes and hollows for our local wildlife, share some of his learnings from years of experience building and installing nest boxes, and answer questions from the audience. Hollow dependent fauna can be found throughout Australia, however, some of them are on the threatened species list. It’s generally understood that species decline is primarily driven by habitat loss. Installing a nest box helps restores this habitat – it is a form of emergency housing for wildlife.

Food and organics collection starting in Hepburn Shire  

A weekly food and garden organics bin collection is coming for township households in Creswick, Trentham, Daylesford, Hepburn and Hepburn Springs, following on from the successful trial held in Clunes since 2021.  The new lime green-lidded bins and kitchen caddies will be delivered in mid-to-late-March, with the collection starting just after Easter on 8 April. Here’s a short video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01fO0jXNEP4

2024 Nest Box checks

Connecting Country is seeking volunteers to monitor the Brush-tailed Phascogale during April and May  2024. This nest box volunteer role involves: Travel within the Mount Alexander region, Following safety procedures, Carrying ladders and equipment to sites, Helping to navigate to sites, Writing observations and recording data, and Taking photos. For more information on our nest box monitoring – click here

If you are interested send a brief email to anna@connectingcountry.org.au

 Photo by Geoff Park

Safeguard Harcourt’s wildlife corridors: Petition

Harcourt Valley Landcare Group have been busy working on a campaign to protect Harcourt’s wildlife corridors and biodiversity assets from inappropriate development, for future generations. Harcourt is a special part of our region, and has significant vegetation that is critical habitat for threatened species such as the Brush-Tailed Phascogale, Brown Toadlet and Sun Moth Orchid, as well as many majestic large old trees and habitat corridors. The Harcourt Valley Landcare Group have started a petition on Change.org, to request the Mount Alexander Shire Council protect such natural assets from inappropriate development and ensure our wildlife and biodiversity thrive into the future.

Posted by Connecting Country:  https://connectingcountry.org.au/

Join Harcourt Valley Landcare Group’s call for Mt Alexander Shire Council to protect wildlife corridors that allow safe passage for our precious native species from Leanganook (Mt Alexander) to the Walmer Forest. These wildlife corridors include roadside vegetation corridors like Elys Lane, Douglas Lane, Shady Lane and Eagles Rd; and waterways such as Barkers Creek and Picnic Gully Creek. We call for strong protections for Large Old Trees, habitat for the Brush-tailed Phascogale, Brown Toadlet and Golden Sun Moth Orchid. Click hereto sign the petition and for more information.

Bird of the Month

Bird of the month is a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District.

Varied Sitella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera): The Varied Sitella is a small grey bird that is often hard to see, although it is widespread in our region. One distinguishable behaviour is that it often runs down a tree trunk or branch or hangs upside down as it searches for food. A gregarious species, it can usually can be seen in groups of 2 up to 20 when foraging in its preferred woodland haunts.

As the name implies, plumage can be quite variable within the species and there is extensive and complex variation in different geographical areas. DNA evidence supports a few distinct subspecies, and there is widespread hybridisation between these different subspecies – all in all a bit confusing!

It can be found across Australia (but not Tasmania) in a variety of habitats from southern Victoria all the way up to Cape York, in Western Australia and is also lightly spread throughout the inland.

At times it can be found foraging in mixed species flocks which include Buff-rumped and Striated Thornbills and occasionally Scarlet Robins. It is rarely seen on the ground, preferring to move along tree trunks and in the foliage. It tends to favour higher spots on trees compared to other bark-feeding species such as Treecreepers and Crested Shriketits and can be seen 8-14m above ground level, which of course makes observation that much more tricky.

The Varied Sittella is a small songbird native to Australia. Photo: Damian Kelly

Sustainable Living Resources

Repair Cafes

Castlemaine: Last  Sunday of each month, 10am to 1.00pm  at Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton St.  For further information join our Facebook group, visit our website or call Chris on 5470 5508.

Repair Cafés are about keeping things out of landfill, saving you money, and giving members of the community the opportunity to volunteer. Bring along broken household appliances, sewing repairs, toys, etc. Learn bicycle maintenance. Join the Mending Circle and swap tips on crochet, darning, knitting, hand sewing, etc. or learn to do these so your clothes continue to be usable. There’s also help with mobile phones, wiping information before recycling, settings etc.

Daylesford: Third Sunday of each month, 1pm-4pm _ Tner April Cafe will again be  at Radius Gallery,  76 Main Road, Hepburn Springs, For further information: Nikki 0432 232 073 or  https://www.facebook.com/daylesfordrepaircafe/

Gold Coin donation.

Creswick Repair and Share : Third Sunday of each month at Creswick Community House and hall

Degrowth Central Victoria

Degrowth Central Victoria has been meeting regularly over the past few months. Degrowth aims to achieve socio-political equity and ecological sustainability in our everyday practices. Degrowth addresses questions such as — How can we be more ecologically efficient? How can we care for one another and Earth more?

Castlemaine Community Investment Cooperative

The Castlemaine Community Investment Co-operative was launched on the 6 of March with about 60 founding members joining in singing and playing Big Yellow Taxi with Lena Mitchell and Meg Corson. There were community guardian sculptures by Eliza Jane Gilchrist. Directors – Warwick Smith and Angus Gratton – provided updates on the preparations for the the co-ops proposed first investment in the Hub, and the board answered questions from the audience.

Solar offer for Hepburn Shire locals

Have you heard about our Hepburn Solar and Battery Bulk Buy? We are working with long-term solar partners Solar Savers to offer a bulk buy on solar PV, and also batteries.

Get in touch on 1300 548 598 to discuss with one of the Solar Savers team or visit www.solarsavers.org.au

Free Mulch

Are you looking to give your garden some extra TLC? Hepburn Shire  transfer stations have mulch ready and waiting in Daylesford, Trentham and Creswick. And guess what? It’s absolutely FREE if you roll up your sleeves and load it by hand.

If you need assistance loading, our trusty front loader machine at the Daylesford site is on standby for just a small charge of $12 per load.  The mulch comes from the green waste you all shared during our free disposal period in November. Your contributions are coming back to help your gardens grow.

Building Community

Castlemaine Free University

For Palestine Fundraiser

Jumpleads- Programs to grow your community impact

FREE programs: For creatives, local leaders & regional communities.
A feast on offer! With lots of practical & supportive initiatives for you to: progress ideas, take care of yourself & others, grow your community impact.

All delivered by Jumpleads, Make a Change & Pop Up Art

Programs include local leadership, big weather, supercharging community energy, and climate conversations.

Local Government News

Community Grants

There are three grant opportunities currently open via Hepburn Shire for community groups.

Council’s Quick Response Grants – support community groups who may have experienced an unforeseen disruption, urgent issue or to facilitate small projects. Grants of up to $1,000 are available until the allocated budget is exhausted.

Biodiversity grants – for  community-based projects that enhance and protect the biodiversity of our Shire.

Sustainable Hepburn grants – for community-based projects and initiatives that aim to reduce future impacts of climate change.

Biodiversity and Sustainable Hepburn grants close on 8 April. More information on grants here. 

Workshops and Courses

Alexander Technique Workshops in Daylesford

Foot Workshop | Walk with Ease     + Smart Yoga Workshop

When: Sunday, 14th April, 2024

Where: Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre

Cost: $80 per workshop or $140 for both

Bookings:  https://www.alexanderschool.edu.au/daylesford

Highly engaging & interactive workshops.  David Moore is an Alexander Technique of 35 years experience,  Director of the School of FM Alexander Studies in Melbourne, and  an internationally renowned yoga teacher and author.  His book, Smart Yoga brings fresh and practical insights into how the Alexander Technique can contribute to yoga practice: https://www.alexanderschool.edu.au/smart-yoga-by-david-moore

Smart Yoga book will be available for sale ($45).  David is available for Introductory One Hour Lessons, $110 (GST Included). Lessons will be held in Hepburn Springs, on Saturday 13th April.

For all lesson bookings, contact Peter O’Mara 0439 761 150  Any enquiry/chat is welcomed.

Letters

NAB Climate Protesters on wrong side of law and right side of history.

 Three climate protesters fined in court in March maintain they are on the ‘right side of history’, even though found to be on the wrong side of the law. The magistrate said they had a moral not a legal case. Bernard Tonkin, a carpenter and domestic violence men’s counsellor; Laura Levetan, retired lecturer in carbon economics and senior corporate strategy advisor; and Dean Bridgfoot, a veterinarian, appeared in the Bendigo Magistrate Court this week charged with trespass.

Following a vigorously contested three-day trial – in which the 3 protesters represented themselves in court, without a lawyer – Magistrate Joanna Metcalfe today found the trio Guilty of trespass. Unusually for a charge like trespass, the Castlemaine residents all pleaded Not Guilty and employed a rarely used defence. In at-times emotional testimonies in court the protesters said they had had no choice but to escalate their campaign of non-violent direct action as all previous efforts – such as writing letters, to stop NAB bank’s financing of coal, accelerating climate change – had failed.

The trespass charges and trial stem from a protest at the Bendigo NAB branch on 31 March, 2023 – part of a wave of protest action at more than 60 NAB branches nationwide to ‘Move Beyond Coal’.  A group of Central Victorian citizens, including the three defendants, entered the Bendigo NAB branch asking to talk to a bank manager about their climate concerns. They also intended to show a film highlighting NAB’s ‘greenwashing’ while funding coal projects with billions of dollars. The group handed out popcorn to customers, and asked to speak to the bank’s senior management, a request which was refused. The Bendigo 3 defendants were arrested when they refused to leave the bank and were charged with trespass. Four months later NAB withdrew its planned financing of Whitehaven Coal.

The accused 3 sought to establish that their refusal to leave the NAB Bendigo bank branch during the March 2023 protest was reasonable and necessary conduct when faced with the threat of harm caused by climate change, and by NAB’s $1b financing of new coal projects in particular.

Magistrate Joanna Metcalfe permitted the 3 to use the defence of Duress never before used in an Australian environmental court case.

Contact Defendants: Laura Levetan, 0412 887 835; Dean Bridgfoot, 0403 160 091; Bernard Tonkin, 0459 472 558; bernard.tonkin@gmail.com

Food for Thought

Deep Time Diligence: Tyson Yunkaporta in conversation with Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee in Emergence Magazine-  https://emergencemagazine.org/interview/deep-time-diligence

North Central Chat- Information from North Central Catchment Management Authority:

North Central Chat March 2024 | North Central Catchment Management Authority (nccma.vic.gov.au)

Milkwood’s Recipe for growing green manures for our gardens: 

https://www.milkwood.net/2021/03/12/how-to-grow-green-manures/

Local Futures- lots to read and listen to about promoting localisation globally including Planet Local Voices- podcasts and video clips 

https://www.localfutures.org/

Transition Network Australia-Inspiring and supporting local communities as they build a sustainable future- You can subscribe to their newsletter.

Home

Ballarat Gold Mine put on notice after tunnel collapse

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-10/ballarat-gold-mine-put-on-notice-after-tunnel-collapse/100450092

Stories of Transition- Transition Australia

Online Stories of Transition for 2024, on the theme of exploring community land use. Monday 8 April 2024 8.00pm- 9.15pm AEST (6.00pm WA, 7.30pm SA) 

Read more and register here for zoom link

Agrariansim and the Relocalisation of farming – Chris Smaje

Chris Smaje is an author, small-scale farmer, social scientist, and food system analyst. In this episode, Chris explains how the organization of food systems is ultimately an energetic question; one that, in the modern era, has been answered by an over-reliance on cheap fossil fuels. He argues that, in a future of lesser energy abundance and mounting crises, localized food systems will be vital for survival. Listen to the podcast or  Watch the video

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