RURAL communities across central and northern Victoria have been shocked by the sudden passing this week of popular livestock agent Chris Nevins.
A director of the century-old family business FP Nevins and Co based in Inglewood, Mr Nevins had also been president of the Bendigo Associated Stock Agents. He had joined the family business in 1979 and was well known across the region and at weekly stock sales in Bendigo auctioning sheep.
Mr Nevins’ passing came as a shock to the industry where he was respected for his experience and insights on stock and market trends.
A long-time volunteer with Inglewood Football Club, Mr Nevins had served as president of the Blues and in recent years had been vice-president. The home match gatekeeper had been awarded life membership of the club in 2007.
Mr Nevins is survived by son Jack, a regular senior player with Inglewood. Funeral details will be announced later.
Survivor recalls tragedy of
‘horrible day’ 60 years ago
TEMPERATURES rapidly soared into the 40s and strong winds swirled on what has been described as the Loddon’s darkest fire day 60 years ago tomorrow.
Two lives were lost in the Kingower fire that stretched from Inglewood to Rheola, among them volunteer fireman Alan McKean
Four other firemen were injured when the flames came over a hill near Arnold.
One was Kevin Poyser who had rushed from his job at the Bridgewater flour mill to jump on the brigade’s truck as sirens summonsed firefighters to action soon after lunch.
“I can’t remember a day as bad with the heat and an immense wind from early in the morning,”
Kevin recalled this week. “The siren was still going when we left the station on an Austin tanker
- Don Jenkins was the driver, Charlie Lumber, Jack Jenkins and myself were on the back.”
Kevin said: “We weren’t there long ... in a paddock that had not been stripped at Arnold West, the truck became immobile when a wall of fire came over the top of us.
“Don, who was a mechanic, tried to get the truck moving ... it just wouldn’t move.
“Within minutes, it might have been seconds. It all happened so quickly ... the truck tyres were well alight.
“We then walked, side by side, probably half a kilometre to a
farmhouse where there were people, the four of us were put in the back of a ute and taken to Inglewood hospital.
“It was a horrific drive and painful, especially with the wind.”
For Jack and Kevin, it would be the start of six months of care at Bendigo and Melbourne’s Preston and Northcote Community Hospital for skin grafts and later plastic surgery as they recovered from burns in the fire.
Kevin said it was only last year that he returned to that Arnold West paddock where the Bridgewater tanker crew was injured on January 17, 1965.
“It was a shocking day and a savage fire.” CONTINUED PAGE
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Chris Nevins ... selling sheep at market in 2024. LH PHOTO
Kevin Poyser ... wall of flame came over the hill. LH PHOTO
Banner headlines of the Wedderburn Express in 1965
Loddon HERALD
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WEEKEND FORECAST
Hundreds to say farewell to Carter
BOORT’s Uniting Church is expected to be overflowing tomorrow when the community farewells the toddler who died in a tragic New Year fire.
Funeral directors William Farmer say pews in the church will be for family members of Carter Keeble, 3, with additional marques erected in the church grounds for mourners.
A public appeal to support Carter’s parents Ben Lori has now raised more than $71,000.
“They are now facing the reality of finding the strength, and finances to organise a funeral, whilst trying to find a way to continue with their every day lives,” said Luci Mayer who started the appeal with the family’s blessing.
In releasing a photograph of Carter, the funeral notice from William Farmer asks people attending the funeral to honour the youngster by wearing bright colours with cowboy hat, cowboy boots or crocs to the service.
Toddler Carter Keeble will be remembered in Boort tomorrow.
Mourners have been asked to make donations to Boort District Health.
Carter died in a caravan fire in Lake View Street on January 2 where he had been staying with family over the New Year break.
Local fire brigade volunteers who responded to the blaze about 5.50pm have since been helped by the CFA’s wellbeing peer support team and BDH has been assisting the wider community. Police have said the fire was not suspicious and they are preparing a report for the coroner.
Communities gear up to celebrate our national day
YOUNG Loddon achievers Elias Lanyon and Louis Holt will be among guest speakers at Australia Day celebrations in the shire.
Elias, who rocked to national stardom on The Voice last year, will share his experiences at the Boort celebrations on January 26.
Sportsman Louis will speak at Wedderburn’s community event the same morning.
Dementia Australia advocate Heather Cooper, who lives at Bealiba, will speak at the Newbridge ceremony.
She has been part of Dementia Australia’s seven-episode podcast Hold the Moment launched last August.
Loddon Mayor Dan Straub will be guest speaker at Pyramid Hill with Viv Ohlsen the guest at
Bridgewater and Brian Hodge at Inglewood.
Top Australian viticulturalist, Helen Waite, of Llanelly, will be guest speaker at Tarnagulla’s celebrations.
The shire’s citizen and young citizen of the year will be announced next week, ahead of the Sunday celebrations in nine communities.
IN BRIEF
Change workshops
AUSTRALIAN Rural Leadership Foundation will bring its changemaker workshops to the region this year. The two-day leadership development workshops are designed for people who want to play a more active role in the Wedderburn, Maryborough and Rochester communities and contribute to positive change. The March workshops are part of the Federal Government-backed Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative.
Treaty focus
THE VICTORIAN Government and First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria this week said the first focus of talks for a statewide treaty will include evolving the First Peoples’ Assembly into an ongoing representative body, the role of a representative body in decision-making relating to Government programs and services for First Peoples, work to support ongoing truth-telling, education, healing and reconciliation, dispute resolution under a statewide treaty and processes for negotiating future iterations of a treaty Food on the move
KORONG Vale Food Share moves to a new location from next Wednesday. The fortnightly food share will operate from the former bowling club rooms.
Levy blame shift fears
VETERAN Loddon Shire council-
lor Gavan Holt fears council will be blamed for the State Government’s latest tax grab.
Councils will be forced to collect the new emergency services levy that will double the hit of the tax replacing the fire services levy.
“All people see is the bottom line on their rate notices,” Cr Holt has said.
The new levy will fund government agencies including core services of OOO, the State Control Centre, Emergency Management Victoria, Forest Fire Management Victoria and Emergency Recovery Victoria. The old fire service levy had been used for the Country Fire Authority and Fire Rescue Victoria.
State Emergency Service will
Popular book back in print
buffs have snapped up copies of an Inglewood history book now back in print.
The latest release of A Brief History of Inglewood by Ian J. Wemyss, first published in 1993, hit the shelves at Inglewood Emporium at the weekend and owner Denise Gartside said there had been immediate sales.
Denise said the book published by the town’s historical society had maintained its popularity with people looking to expand knowledge of Inglewood’s history.
“It’s a good read and over the years has been much soughtafter by locals and visitors. It’s good to have this book back in print,” she said.
“Once people knew it was back in print, there was instant demand.”
also be funded through the new levy. The SES and CFA are the only volunteer-based groups to be funded through the new levy.
Cr Holt has told a Loddon Shire Council meeting he was concerned about the increased cost to Loddon communities. “This increased levy will appear on our rate notices,” he said.
“People only read the bottom ... the detail doesn’t seem to matter. To some extent we wear the criticism and that is a concern for us.”
Rural councils are under increasing financial pressure and have experienced year-on-year decline in resident satisfaction surveys.
A State Parliament inquiry late last year handed down its report on cost shifting by the Government which is yet to respond to findings and recommendations that called for an audit of councils picking up the tab for government services. Councillors
have told the Loddon Herald that the emergency services levy hike from 8.7 per cent to 17.3 per cent and adding $2.1 billion to state coffers risked ratepayers blaming council for the jump in rates. The emergency services levy was announced by Tim Pallas days before he quit as treasurer and resigned from Parliament last month.
Northern Victoria Region MP Jaclyn Symes, now Victoria’s treasurer, said the levy overhaul would better support the state’s emergency services as they faced more demand
New Local Government Minister Nick Staikos, appointed in a reshuffle after Mr Pallas’s departure, capped the 2025-2026 council rate rise at three per cent.
Town and school reunions are being planned
THREE reunions for Loddon communities will be held in early 2025.
Former students of the closed Newbridge Primary School are being invited to a luncheon at the town’s hotel on March 1.
The school opened in 1861 when Newbridge had a population of 5000 and boasted up to seven hotels, a flour mill, a cheese factory,
two breweries, five churches. Newbridge school was closed in 1993.
The same weekend, the annual Pyramid Hill reunion will be held in Bendigo with a Saturday night dinner and social afternoon the next day.
Wedderburn’s annual reunion will be held the previous week, moved from Melbourne to
Bendigo this year for the 100th anniversary of the event first being held.
“We have purposely moved it to Bendigo from this year on, as the numbers were dwindling and we needed to refresh it. There are many ex-Wedderburn residents now living in Bendigo and with the ‘Burn only half an hour away,” said an organiser Doug Steel.
IN BRIEF
‘Active enforcement’
AT LEAST one investigation into the Newbridge farm at the centre of animal management claims remains active a year after concerns were first raised. Loddon Shire chief executive officer Lincoln Fitzgerald said the probe into native vegetation clearance claims at Avicenna Farms “remains open and ongoing. As it is an active enforcement action Council is unable to provide comment.” Agriculture Victoria did not respond to inquiries on the progress of its investigations. A large section of the farm was purchased last April by Coliban Water for a future biosolids base. Sheep and cattle are still being grazed on another paddock facing the Wimmera Highway.
Home health partners
BOORT District Health has partnered with the Better@ Home and Bendigo Health to launch Remote Patient Monitoring Program (Virtual Care) to bring smarter healthcare to Boort and surrounding communities and enhance the reach and serviceability of its community nursing service. BDH says the program provides suitable clients with easy-to-use monitoring devices. Health data is captured from home through a mobile app and reviewed by our clinical team. “This program enhances confidence and convenience, empowers our clients to take control of their health—all from the comfort of their own homes,” it said.
Final fortnight
LOCAL school students are into the final fortnight of holidays. Classes for 2025 start from January 29 with term one finishing on April 4. Other term dates - Term 2 April 22 to July 4, Term 3 July 21 to September 19 and Term 4 October 6 to December 19.
Diesel haul
THE first heritage train trip of 2025 to the region by Steamrail Victoria will see a vintage diesel-hauled travel from Melbourme to Dunolly next month. Steamrail runs regular diesel and stream engine trips into the region.
Gavan Holt
HISTORY
Debbie Pittman and Denise Gartside ... happy to see the book back in print. LH PHOTO
Super health network to set new priorities
HOSPITAL chiefs will be called to a meeting within weeks after the State Government on Friday announced the creation of the Loddon Mallee Health Network.
Inglewood and Boort are among 13 health services in the new network, including Bendigo.
The Government says 12 networks “will support improved cooperation between local services, ensure doctors and specialists are available to care for patients closer to where they live, deliver clearer pathways in and out of hospital, and support better waitlist management across a region”.
Workshops early this year with service chief executive officers and their board chairs will focus on the priorities as well as governance for networks.
“After the workshops, the department and health services will take these insights and test them with local workforces and com-
munities to understand their priorities,” the Government said.
‘The department will then bring this information back to each network to help inform short, medium and long-term goals and activities.
“Throughout each stage of planning, health service CEOs and board chairs will have the opportunity to work closely with their workforces and communities to ensure they are consulted on the priorities ahead of establishment from July 1.
“This consultation does not affect individual strategic plans already in place.”
Boort District Health last month launched its latest strategic plan with CEO Donna Doyle saying she believed it would allow the service to meet new Government service requirements.
Health Minister Mary-Ann Thomas said during her an-
nouncement last Friday: “These networks will mean stronger referral pathways between health services – freeing up beds in busier hospitals, taking pressure off our dedicated workforce, and ensuring Victorians get care sooner, closer to home.
“At the centre of our health system reform is Victorian patients and staff – this is about expanding access to frontline services, particularly in regional and rural Victoria.”
The networks will aim to deliver:
A system that is easier to navigate, with more consistent pathways between hospitals
Better and more consistent support for our precious health workforce
Less duplication of administration, so that our hospitals can focus on what they do best - caring for patients
Code for merger? Coalition raises concerns
THE State Government has ruled out health service mergers but the Coalition claims the new health service networks are code for cuts.
Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh says Premier Allan’s “under the holiday radar” announcement last week of its new local health service networks is the first step to force mergers on regional health services. He says under the new scheme,
Echuca, Rochester, Kerang, Cohuna, Boort and Swan Hill are now all part of the Loddon Mallee Health Network, which will be headquartered in Bendigo.
Kyabram has been pushed in to the new Hume network.
“If you don’t think Premier Allan wants to merge our health systems into a centralised model, with all decisions made elsewhere, why the hell would you have Mildura in the same district
as Bendigo – they are more than 400km apart for heaven’s sake,” Mr Walsh says.
“That’s so obviously ridiculous to you and me, just as it is ridiculous to assume any of the major health hubs in my electorate will be better off with the big decisions being made in Bendigo, initially, but let’s not kid ourselves, under Labor this control is all moving to Melbourne,” Mr Walsh said this week.
More flavour favourites for lake fiesta return
FLAVOURS of Loddon will unleash more taste-tempting fare when the year’s first gastronomy gathering is expected to see hundreds in Boort’s Nolen’s Park.
The collective of local food trucks and producers, award winning wineries and craft beverage makers from across the Loddon Shire will be on the banks of Little Lake Boort on Australia Day Eve.
Organiser Ann-Marie Davis said Flavours of Loddon and Boort-based food businesses would be bringing their very best to the table.
“So prepare yourself for a treat and feast on the very best our region has to offer,” she enthused this week,
“We are looking forward to building on a very successful first year of Flavours of Lod-
don that attracted hundreds of people to the park 12 months ago. The event was a wonderful success last year at Boort, and we received fantastic feedback from locals and visitors.
“This year we have even more of our local Loddon businesses joining us, offering more options and new things to try, and we are very excited to also be promoting local live music.”
Ann-Marie said the regional food and drink flavour would be enhanced with regional musicians.
“The Voice Australia star Elias Lanyon. who will be joined by Trent MacIntosh on drums, and both are looking forward to playing to a big home town crowd,” she said.
Northern District Community Health will also be offering free activities for children.
Karina Johnston and Sue Hellsten at last year’s Booort event. LH PHOTO
Pillars point to growth in visitor experience
FIVE pillars will underpin a new Loddon tourism and visitors economy strategy.
The draft Loddon Shire plan for the next six years has been put out for consultation listing nature, outdoors and adventure as the primary pillars.
Consultants Sparrowly Group says the pillars will connect visitors with the unique natural environment, diverse geography, waterways, lakes and rivers and enabling them to engage with the landscape through activities and experiences from birdwatching to bushwalking, canoeing to stargazing.
Pyramid Hill has pitched the town to stargazers over the past 12 months with members of one Melbourne university astronomy club making regular visits.
The draft strategy says first nations and food and drink are emerging pillars for tourism in the Loddon Shire.
Sparrowly proposes “bringing the culture and history of the traditional owners and first peoples to the forefront by supporting opportunities for all to connect, learn, and engage with their heritage”.
“The aspiration is to expand these opportunities and deepen cultural understanding by incorporating first nations stories at all touch points,” the draft strategy says.
The strategy says celebrating
the local food and beverage industry can by done by showcasing foraged and farm produce, wineries and the emerging native foods sector.
Arts, culture, history and heritage have been listed as secondary pillars in the new strategy.
Research by Sparrowly Group says local people are the catalyst for inviting, welcoming and hosting family to the Loddon Shire.
“Influencing locals to engage and explore their own backyards can turn them into an ‘unofficial’ ambassador on the frontline visitor servicing team,” the strategy proposed.
And it says the Bendigo region is a key source market for day trips. “With a strong visitor base in place there is an opportunity to increase day trips from the market base of residents and visitors to Bendigo.”
“With its location in major arterial roads, Loddon Shire is known as a transit route, a stopover point enroute to another destination. Encourage visitors to stop, spend and inspire them to come back and stay,” the report says about growing visitation from Melbourne and other areas.
Projects described as “enhanced priority” in the strategy include an audit of tourist signs that has already started, links with the Goldfields World Heritage bid and the UNESCO Bendigo and Region Gastronomy, the planned
Inglewood streetscape overhaul, collaboration with Dja Dja Wurrung and advocacy for the Lake Boort Scarred Tree Master Plan and expansion of Dumawul cultural tours at Mount Kooyoora.
The strategy proposes “long term development of gamechanger projects” including a Bridgewater-Inglewood rail trail, Orana Park, cycling trails in Boort, Inglewood and Bridgewater, and product and experience development showcasing local flora, fauna, landscape and environment.
Challenges listed in the draft strategy include:
Large number of free camping options which limits economic returns;
Permanent long-term campers at camp sites impacting on visitor experience;
Multiple towns and villages, all with distinct voices, stories and priorities (no central hub);
Restricted and inconsistent operating hours for many business which do not reflect the needs of all visitors.
“With a small population of under 8000, this strategy is grounded in a grassroots framework, empowering local residents, businesses and community associations to lead and shape the shire’s tourism development,” Sparrowly says.
Consultation on the draft strategy closes this month.
60th anniversary of tragic fires
FROM PAGE 1
Reports in the Wedderburn Express described the blaze as the largest to ever hit the Korong Shire on that Sunday afternoon when the “shade temperature” was 42 degrees.
Alan McKean, 30, a member of the Inglewood brigade, became separated from his crew on the Sunday evening. Volunteers found his body the next evening. An appeal was quickly started to support his widow and three children.
Valentino Mancini, 70, was the second fatality in the fire at Arnold West.
On a “mongrel of a day,” as Kevin Poyser recalls, more than nine homes were consumed by flames as fire brigades from across the region, Korong Shire water tankers, Forestry Commission and dozens of private units took on the fire front.
The Wedderburn Express estimated more than 2000 people were part of the
firefighting effort while women of the district provided refreshments.
It took more than 24 hours to contain the fire that at one stage stretched from Murphys Creek to near Inglewood.
Damage was not limited to homes and fences. The bridge at Arnold West was destroyed with Kevin saying the mercy dash to Inglewood hospital for the injured Bridgewater fireman took the long route around Kingower. The damage bill was estimated at $1 million, more than $10 million in today’s money.
The Wedderburn Express wrote: “It is a tragedy which we can all hope will never be repeated.”
Kevin Poyser, who recovered from severe burns when flames engulfed the Bridgewater brigade truck, said it remains a day etched in memory and one he also hopes is not repeated.
- CHRIS EARL
Starting New Year in great way
PYRAMID Hill’s Hannah Kimathi had the best present in the lead up to Christmas - her application for permanent residency in Australia was approved. Hannah has been in Pyramid Hill for the past three years with husband Kirubi and is pictured with children Kanyi and Ngemi at the town’s street party last month. LH PHOTO
Vulnerable ‘target of energy developers’
RENEWABLE energy projects
should not be on irrigated land used for intensive food production, an inquiry shaping Victoria’s transmission plan guidelines has been told.
The final engagement report says feedback included negative experiences with renewable energy developers with bad impacts on community.
“Some community members said they felt developers had taken advantage of vulnerable landholders after a past flood event when they weren’t in a state of mind to ‘think clearly’,” according to the report released late last month.
The VicGrid report’s section on the Loddon Campaspe region, which includes Loddon Shire where the controversial VNI West renewable energy transmission line will pass and companies made approaches to farmers in 2024 for talks on hosting wind farms, there was feedback about impacts on social cohesion of their communities.
“Questions were raised about whether subsidies were being paid to generation companies, and whether communities hosting infrastructure would receive any tangible benefits,” the report said. Agriculture and land use, biodiversity and natural environment and impact of renewable energy
projects on region’s emerged as major touch points during the VicGrid study.
The report said: “This final report provides an update to the interim engagement report, and contains more detailed information about the study area, including regional insights reflecting the place-based engagement that has taken place over the 10-week consultation period.
“Impact is felt differently across regions depending on experience with previous generation and transmission projects.
“Feedback from communities associated with the Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) and the Western Renewables Link (WRL) is very focused on specific experiences related to those projects.
“Other communities experiencing strong interest from generation developers focused feedback on those interactions and associated impacts.
“Some people voiced strong concerns that hosting more renewable generation would significantly impact their sense of place and community, wellbeing, culture, ways of living and connection to country because of transmission and generation infrastructure dominating the landscape.
“While other themes tend to show a greater degree of regional
nuance, this theme is consistent across the state and expresses a sense that regions are shouldering the burden of the transition and are feeling that their region already has its share of projects.”
A draft of the first Victorian Transmission Plan will be published early this year.
Vic Grid said: “It will ensure Victoria has the right infrastructure in the right place at the right time to support the transition to renewable energy. It will also ensure we are not building more than Victoria needs – so we can maximise the benefits of the transition to renewables, while minimising the impacts to communities and minimising costs to energy users.
“The planning and development of renewable energy zones will enable a co-ordinated approach, beyond the constraints of traditional network planning, that will help enable Victoria’s strong pipeline of new power supply to be built and operating in time to provide reliable power when large ageing coal-fired power stations retire.”
The report said feedback about regional opportunity included both support for the benefits communities could receive from hosting generation and transmission “as well as doubts about whether benefits would truly be delivered”.
Region pollies get key roles in shake-ups
VICTORIA’S political landscape had a shake-up over the holiday break with two MPs representing Loddon areas given key roles.
Northern Victoria Region’s Jaclyn Symes has been made treasurer in Premier Jacinta Allan’s cabinet following the retirement of Tim Pallas.
The Labor MP was previously the emergency services minister,
And following the dumping of John Pesutto as Liberal leader for Brad Battin, Western Victoria Region’s Bev McArthur has been made shadow minister for local government and scrutiny of government.
Mrs McArthur, 75, has been in Parliament since 2018.
Another Liberal for Western Victoria Region, Joe McCracken, has been made shadow cabinet secretary in the Battin team.
Murray Plains MP Peter Walsh, who stepped down
as Nationals’ leader late last year, claimed Ms Symes would continue the current Government’s moves to increase taxes.
Mr Walsh said regional and rural Victoria, which represented 26 per cent of the state’s population, had seen the Government’s infrastructure spend gutted to just 13 per cent of the state’s budget.
“Under Labor and Jacinta Allan spending has been halved –you only have to drive on the regional road network to get that message bone jarringly and tyre blowing clear,” Mr Walsh said.
“In the Allan Labor government’s reshuffling of its Cabinet chairs on the deck of the Titanic, Ms Symes has also been returned to the Regional Development portfolio – which means Labor has averaged a new minister every 20 months in this critical portfolio in the past four years.”
Bev McArtrhur Jaclyn Symes
Shire election vanquished are still ...
Sit ting in the shadows
By CHRIS EARL
THE spectre of defeated Loddon Shire councillors is lurking in the shadows almost three months after voters opted for change.
Linda Jungwirth and Wendy Murphy have kept their online presence alive.
Mrs Murphy’s Facebook page on Tuesday was still badged as being the Loddon Shire’s Inglewood Ward councillor while Ms Jungwirth continues to promote herself as an advocate for Tarnagulla Ward.
Ms Jungwirth’s candidate profile has continued making posts to other online pages across the shire
Her public figure page badged Linda Jungwirth - Tarnagulla Ward says she is “a strong advocate for Tarnagulla and the surrounding area” and tells 560 followers that aggressive, sexist, racist, homophobic or “otherwise discriminatory or negative communication” will be deleted.
Posts since the election have included the announcement of half-price season tickets to the shire’s swimming pools and a graphic titled 10 Symptons of Woke Mind Virus.
“These sound like good behaviours and attributes for decision makers. We could do with more ‘woke’ in leadership,” Ms Jungwirth wrote.
A post by Ms Jungwirth congratulating new Tarnagulla Ward councillor Nick Angelo has been
deleted. While Wendy Murphy has ruled out a future bid at a local government comeback, her Facebook page remains live.
On the Cr Wendy Murphy, Inglewood Ward, Loddon Shire Council, Mrs Murphy told supporters on November 7 the page would “close as of midnight tonight. It’s been a fun journey. Let the next journey begin”.
The two one-term former councillors increasingly clashed with colleagues at the council table in the 12 months before October’s election.
A bid by Ms Jungwirth to have
Mrs Murphy installed as mayor in November 2023 failed and they later refused to back continued opposition to Federal Government water buybacks and a recommendation by chief executive officer Lincoln Fitzgerald to support the Murray River Group of Council’s fight supporting local irrigators.
During the campaign, there was controversy in Inglewood Ward when Mrs Murphy highlighted the omission of a street number in successful candidate Miki Wilson’s election material. “Sometimes it’s the small details
The Railway Hotel
FORMER Inglewood Ward representative Wendy Murphy should immediately change the name of her candidate Facebook page, according to the Victorian Local Government Inspectorate.
“There is no grace period, and any reference to (former councillors) holding the position of councillor, via social media or any other means, must immediately be removed,” the inspectorate’s business and communications adviser Michelle Bowran told the Loddon Herald.
According to the inspectorate, a person must not act as a councillor if the person reasonably knows, or should reasonably know that they have ceased to hold the office of councillor.
that are important,” Mrs Murphy posted.
In a parting swipe after the election, Mrs Murphy said: ““Unfortunately, it seems two independently thinking women cannot independently reach a common position or support each other the way men do without being accused of conspiring in some way.”
Mrs Murphy was contacted by the Loddon Herald asking whether she intends to rename the social media page, keeping it as a historical record of her term on council as the ward representative.
Victorian Local Governance Association chief executive officer Kathryn Arndt said: “Under the Local Government Act 2020, a sitting councillor ceases being a councillor at 6am on election day. In relation to the recent 2024 local council elections all councillors from the 2020-2024 council term ceased being councillors at 6am on Saturday, October 26.”
“If re-elected, councillors commence their new term as a councillor once they are sworn in, shortly after the election results are declared.”
A Loddon Shire spokesperson said council did not monitor the private social media accounts of councillors and no request has been made of former councillors. Council’s media and social media policy is due for review in August.
YOUR VOICE IN PARLIAMENT
New call to be alert during fire season
LODDON residents have been urged to stay alert and report suspicious activity after a fourth fire in seven days at Mount Moliagul.
Quick responses from district fire brigades and Forest Fire Management Victoria contained the fire to 1.1 hectares on Saturday night.
More than 10 FFMV and brigade firefighters had the fire extinguished within 30 minutes. A bulldozer was also called in to build a break around the fire area.
FFMV manager operational capability and training Suzie Deason said the cause of Saturday’s fire in O’Brien’s Dam Road was not known.
She said the spate of recent fires in the district was a concern and repeated requests for people to report suspicious be-
haviour to police. The Maryborough-based Goldfiields Criminal Investigation unit is probing three fires the previous week on the opposite side of Mount Moliagul and three early morning fires near Logan last month.
Police said detectives were investigating the fires and had not made any links with the Logan outbreaks to the first of the Mount Moliagul fires.
Detectives want to speak to any witnesses or anyone that may have seen any suspicious activity in the area at the time. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Bridgewater brigade was called to a series of small spot fires on the Loddon Valley Highway, Yarraberb, on Saturday night. Police also attended.
VICTORIA HOTEL
PYRAMID HILL EST. 1874
End of era for renowned riverside gallery, garden
Love our local!
Trading hours
Monday – Open 3.00pm Dinner from 6.00pm
The friendly pub open for meals every day with Friday happy hour, trivia, raffles and a chance to win $1,000
Tuesday – Open 2.00pm Dinner from 6.00pm
Wednesday – Open Midday
A POPULAR Loddon arts studio and native garden has been put on the market.
Bridgewater’s Mulwarrie Studios will be auctioned on Saturday by Greg Fathers of PropertyPlus Real Estate and will mark the end of an era for Robert Scholes at the riverside property.
Robert said he purchased the property with direct Loddon River frontage 25 years ago
“During its period of operation a range of high profile exhibitions, featuring works by local artists were held,” Robert said.
“There were regular photographic, art and craft displays and workshops in the Studio as well as garden art outdoors.
“Garden tours and workshops featuring the wide range of Indigenous food and fibre plants were combined with sales and information. The studio also hosted a range of private functions, and several weddings were held beside the river.”
Lunch from 12.00pm
Trading hours
Dinner from 6.00pm
Monday – Open 3.00pm
Pot’n’Parma Night
“It was originally bought and owned as a family home for the first decade after its purchase.
Dinner from 6.00pm Social Darts Night
Thursday – Open Midday
Dinner from 5.30pm
Tuesday – Open 2.00pm
Steak’n’Pot Night
“During the latter part of the first decade of this century, work was commenced on the establishment of extensive native gardens in conjunction with the development of an arts and resource centre,” he said.
He said the COVID period saw the close of the studios due to the public movement restrictions. “Its main display area was then converted to the administration centre for the local environmental group, Friends of Kooyoora.
Dinner from 6.00pm Trivia Night
Friday – Open Midday
Lunch from 12.00pm
Wednesday – Open Midday
Dinner from 5.30pm
Lunch from 12.00pm Dinner from 6.00pm
Until the start of 2024 Mulwarrie Studios was managed and operated by Robert Scholes and his business partner Roberta Foster.
Happy Hour 5.00pm – 6.30pm
“With the eventual relocation of the Friends group to the Landcare office in Inglewood, the studios have not been utilised for the past 12 months,” Robert said.
Pot’n’Parma Night
With Hot Bar Snacks, Meat Raffle
Thursday – Open Midday
Saturday – Open Midday
Dinner from 5.30pm
Lunch from 12.00pm
Steak’n’Pot Night
Dinner from 5.30pm
Friday –
Sunday – Open Midday All Day Pizza Menu Close 11.00pm
Change means container depot closes
BOORT is without a container deposit scheme depot after Monday’s change of operators at the Lakeside Service Station and Cafe.
The nearest container return depots are now at Pyramid Hill’s Victoria Hotel and Wedderburn while returns are also accepted at Inglewood Motel and Caravan Park and Charlton Newsagency.
The State Government said this week that since the launch of CDS Vic in 2023, there had been 1.27 billion containers deposited, putting $127 million back in the pocket of Victorians, with a 10-cent refund for every eligible can, carton and bottle returned.
Visy has been contacted about any plans for a new depot in Boort.
Peter Walsh MP 496
The blackened landscape after firefighters extinguished Saturday’s fire at Mount Moliagul.
Cobram Estate aims to double US stake
COBRAM Estate Olives is close to sealing a deal that could see it double the company’s grove footprint in the United States.
Owners of the 3508-hectare grove at Boort with 1.24 million trees say the US deal would see more than 1500 hectares of groves owned in California.
Joint CEOs Leandro Ravetti and Sam Beaton said: “The company is in the process of purchasing 1534 hectares of land, within close proximity of our existing Californian groves.
“This will support another 1065 hectares of plantable grove area - 970 hectares of new plantings and a 95-hectare mature olive grove.
“This will enable Cobram Estate to fast track the planned development of company-owned olive groves, increasing olive oil supply over the medium term.
“Of the combined 1534 hectares, 385 hectares have settled, with the balance under contract and in the final stages of due dili-
gence. Once developed, this will more than double the Company owned grove area in the USA.
“The acquisition is being funded partially by the company’s free cashflow and partially by debt.”
Meanwhile, the company has told shareholders that flowering for the 2025 crop commenced from late-October on its Australian groves, with full bloom at the Boundary Bend grove occurring during the last week of October and during the first week of November at the Boort grove.
“This was in line with longterm average. Climatic conditions were favourable during the flowering period leading to normal levels of fruit set,” Mr Ravetti and Mr Beaton said.
“It is important to remember that 2025 is a higher yielding crop year on many of our Australian groves and that final yields are subject to the normal risks associated with agricultural production.
“The 2024 Californian harvest
led to the production of three million litres of olive oil. This volume is just 6.4 per cent lower than 2023 and 77.1 per cent higher than 2022, the previous ‘off’ year.
“This growth in production comparing to the last ‘off’ year is driven by the larger area under supply contract from third party olive growers and the maturing profile of our groves in California. The production from our own groves was in line with expectations and represented 23 per cent of the total oil this year in comparison with 11 per cent in 2023.
“It is important to highlight that currently only 11 per cent of our USA groves are mature, 30 per cent are immature, and 59 per cent are yet to come into production.”
They said sales in Australia and USA were performing strongly with packaged goods sales well ahead of budget for the five months to November.
Storage sits at 40 per cent after dry months
GOULBURN Murray Water is predicting healthy supply availability despite the dry weather.
Laanecoorie Reservoir is at 40 per cent capacity, holding 3260ML compared with 6790ML a year ago.
Water distribution services
Stock flies out door at eucy museum, by gum
A STEADY stream of visitors has visited Inglewood’s Eucalyptus Distillery Museum over the Christmas-New Year break.
products from many local makers.”
general manager Warren Blyth said dry conditions had diminished the amount of water in storage but there are still large volumes available for entitlement.
“It has been a very dry winter and spring across northern Victoria,” he said. “From July to October none of our major water storages received even half of the long term average over this period.”
Volunteers have stepped in to run the museum with committee president Jeff Hooley placing additional orders of stock to keep shelves filled.
“We’re opening longer and people are coming ... so much so we’ve had to place two extra orders in a week,” he said,
Mr Hooley said the extension of opening hours and days since last month pointed to an exciting future for the distillery museum.
The tourist attraction’s committee of management has called for expressions of interest from people wanting to run the museum,
He said wet year water storage meant a healthy prediction for availability in 2025.
“The museum is certainly proving popular with visitors and very keen buyers of eucy
“While we put new arrangements in place, we have amazing volunteers opening the doors,” Mr Hooley said.
Cr Dan Straub - Mayor
Volunteers Jeff Hooley and Ian Collie re-stock the distillery museum shelves as visitor numbers rise. LH PHOTO
Visitors just rave about our river
THE banks of the Loddon River have been lined with fans new and old lapping up fun in the water over the holiday season.
Nadine Gray brought family and friends to Newbridge Recreation Reserve last weekend for birthday celebrations.
From Geelong, Nadine says her family is regular visitors to both Newbridge and Bridgewater. “We come up this way every summer ... we love the river for fishing, swimming and the bread and pubs are good too.”
Nadine’s family, including some from Bendigo, had high praise for the presentation of the Newbridge camp ground. “The local volunteers do a great job,” they said.
Fishing is the constant attraction for Sunbury’s Silvio Nativo. He says the waters near Bridgewater Caravan Park have been happy angling grounds over the years with Murray cod catches up to 95kg.
“This weekend they just don’t seem to be biting. Perhaps next time,” he said.
At the historic Bridgewater swimming hole, local families were joined by groups from Bendigo. The Frost family said children enjoyed the river setting and with the bakery nearby, Bridgewater was a great destination out of Bendigo.
Downstream at Laanecoorie, canoeing enthusiasts James and Rose Gregg were having their first experience on the Loddon River. “I went upstream about 3km, we’ve walked to the weir and back ... it was a bit of hike,” said James.
He has been canoeing since aged nine when his first vessel was a stretched-canvas kayak.
“We had four spots on the map and chose Laanecoorie for the weekend,” said James of Ballarat. Laanecoorie Reservoir was also popular at the weekend with water skiers.
Ruby Watkins paddles on the Loddon River at Bridgewater, L;H PHOTO
Nadine Gray celebrates with friends at Newbridge
Angler Silvio Nativo
The Tate family from Melton on holidays at Bridgewater
Riley and Bella Frost, of Bendigo, dive off the Bridgewater swimming hole pontoon
James and Rose Gregg relax at Laanecoorie
Mackenzie Rowan tries her hand fishing the Loddon at Newbridge
Champion of land, birds
Judith Anne Crocker 18/10/1941 - 03/12/2024
JUDY grew up in Boort, daughter of Herbert and Merle Cable. Judy’s parents owned a farm west of Boort and Cables Garage at the intersection of Godfrey and Victoria Street.
Judy started her education at the Boort State School and completed her education at Swan Hill.
She went to work in Melbourne where she met her husband Jim Crocker. They both decided to move back to Boort where Jim joined Cables Garage and ran a very successful business selling cars and motor bikes.
Judy started a shop in Godfrey Street which was known as Judy’s Shop having a reputation as the best shop around selling toys, wool, hobby items and even fireworks.
Jim and Judy decided to retire in the 1990s and moved to Lockwood near Bendigo. Judy immersed herself into the environment after realising the good work that the previous owner had succeeded in by carrying out environmental protection on their new acquired property.
Judy soon joined the Upper Spring Creek Landcare group becoming the secretary-treasurer for more than 25 years.
Judy’s enthusiasm, knowledge and hard working abilities made her a trailblazer in the Landcare and the environmental worlds.
Judy was soon involved with the Ravenswood interchange project on the Calder Highway especially seeing the need and importance of protecting remnant vegetation with the old growth trees.
She visited the VicRoads office and local politicians regularly. Due to Judy’s hard bargaining it is estimated that 250 old growth trees were saved, the trees that were cut down were sawn up and made into furniture for parks and gardens in Bendigo.
Judy was also facilitator for a network of Landcare Groups including West Marong Landcare Group, Upper Spring Landcare Group, Ravenswood Valley Landcare Group, Nuggetty Landcare Protection Group, Eddington Landcare Group, Baringhup Landcare Group, Mid Loddon Conservation Management
Theatre group wants to make new star
TALENT scouts are looking for the Loddon’s latest undiscovered stage star.
BBAC Productions, the Boort, Buckrabanyule and Community amateur company billing itself as a group of crazy amateur actors, wants a man for a small but key role in its 2025 production.
Leader Bradley Haw said Phil Olson’s 2023 penning of Love ... Or Best Offer would be the ideal way for a new star to make his Loddon debut.
“This is a charming four-hander, a romantic comedy about the trials and tribulations of online dating in the over 50 generation, including overcoming heartbreak and rejection—all to find love ... or best offer,” he said.
“The extra actor needed for the play won’t have a lot of lines to learn and in fact there will be more laughs at rehearsal and in the performances than lines.
“As anyone who has been to our performances before know, it’s that fun element that covers for any amateur mishaps on the stage.”
Bradley said the first performance of the group’s 2025 production would be planned after rehearsals start in March.
“We hope to again go on tour and we’d love to hear from Loddon communities inviting us to perform free of charge for local fundraisers,” he said.
“With a new star in the cast, we will be wanting to share him under the spotlights at as many Loddon halls as we can,” Bradley said.
OBITUARY
Network, Friends of Riley Street Natural Reserve and Marong Community Action Group.
Judy oversaw the projects from the Central Victorian Box Ironbark Forest across the Mid-Loddon Sub Catchment to the Loddon River. The main aim was the protection of remnant vegetation, waterways and wetlands.
She strongly supported sustainable farming projects concentrating on healthy soils above and below ground bio-diversity, which included threatened and endangered species habit, restoration programs supporting the bush stone-curlew, swift
parrot and brush-tail phascogale. Judy remembered as a child the curlews singing out at night on the farm and around Boort realising that this enthralling song has now di1sappeared.
Judy started a bush stone-curlew captive breading program known as ‘Save our Curlews Project’ and as a result many landholders now have curlews released onto their properties mainly in fenced off areas.
Jim was asked what he thought of Judy working all day towards Landcare activities, Jim’s reply was simply ‘Judy worked both day and night’.
As a facilitator. Judy was an outstanding contribution to the Mid Loddon Catchment area in many ways, people will remember her passion and drive which motivated all Landcare group members.
The late Judy Crocker
McKean McGregor director and livestock manager Alex Collins last week notched up 15 years with the regional stock and station agent that has just expanded operations into the Mallee and western New South Wales
20 years of grain trials
GRAINS Research and Development Corporation has entered its 20th year of running national variety trials.
Each year more than 640 trials are conducted across over 300 locations, encompassing 10 different crop species, and contributing to a database that includes more than 1.5 million plot points.
have included sites at Pyramid Hill. Managing Director Nigel Hart said the trials had been a transformative force, providing growers with credible insights into newly released varieties that drive the rapid adoption of superior genetics and was globally recognised.
SHEEP anD LaMBS
LAMB numbers remained similar to a week ago at 15,740 head, while sheep supply nearly doubled to 11,450 at Bendigo on Monday.
It was a softer lamb market again for all but the very best heavy export and trade lambs which retained their value on last Monday’s weaker levels.
The feedback from buyers was they had a lot of lamb numbers in the supply chain, which meant they were under less pressure to secure numbers from the auction system.
The very best heavy export lambs over 30kg cwt and any neat and shapely trade lambs held their value the best at an estimated 800c to 860c/kg cwt.
But there was a lot of processing lambs which sold under the 800c/kg threshold, particularly for anything under 24kg cwt.
The sheep market took a $20 to $30/head price hit as it lost a lot of the gains of a week ago amid higher numbers.
A few pens of heavy extra heavy export lambs around 30-34kg cwt sold from $245 to a top of $277/head, while the very neatest supermarket style shorn lambs reached $220.
The estimated cost of the better quality processing lambs was 800c to 860c/kg cwt. But underneath was the general run of lambs which trended between 750c to 800c/kg cwt, particularly for lambs which weighed less than 24kg cwt.
Lighter processing lambs and stores were generally in the 700c to 750c/kg cost range. In dollar per head the heavy 26-30kg cwt shorn lambs sold from $205 to $250 to average a ballpark $226/head; heavy trades 24-26kg cwt $194 to $220 to average $205; main run of 22-24kg cwt lambs $160 to $210; and the 20-22kg $160 to $168/head.
Store lamb prices were weaker at $115 to $130 for the main run of 16-18kg cwt types back to the paddock. Feeders did pay to $160 for lean tradeweight lambs with frame. The sheep market was considerably cheaper than a week ago, with the exception of a handful of pens of stand-out big Merino ewes in skins which sold to $177/head.
The heaviest crossbred ewes sold to $131.
Bendigo Sheep & Lamb Market Report
Lamb prices remained fully firm to slightly dearer, while sheep prices decreased by $4–$5.
To discuss the marketing opportunities available for your livestock, contact the McKean McGregor team. Monday, January 13th, 2025 - Bendigo Yarding: Lambs - 17,000 | Sheep - 9,000
The majority of sheep sold between $60 and $120/ head as rates slid below 400c/kg cwt over most of the yarding.
WOOLY SUCKERS
AB & KB Broom Neereman (92) $205. SHORN LAMBS
DL & TM Jensen Diggora West (108) $270. DJ & ED Lees Rochester (82) $265. J, S & W Brown Colbinabbin (58) $250. G Holmfield & Co Bunnaloo (68) $249. W & P Johnson Myola East (28) $244. O & B Osborne Neilborough (66) $233. DI & CL Palmer Bamawm (40) $233. N&M Miller Pyramid Hill (21) $230. B&I Ladson Pyramid Hill (11) $230. FD&CM Nelson Hay (30) $215. Banyandah Pasteral Mt Fyans (209) $210. Sagar Barley Holdings Yea (34) $207. Goulburn Valley Water Shepparton (105) $203.
CROSSBRED LAMBS
Killara Pastoral Co Boort (110) $250. H & J Mountjoy Bagshot (77) $236. DJ Fatt & JA Gallagher Raywood (66) $234. MERINO WETHERS O’Sullivan Trading Elmore (268) $163. Brown Bros Kotupna (72) $150.
To orienteers Kooyoora, Wehla Hill, Mt Korong, Mt Egbert and Mt Tarrengower reserves have a special place in the sport and their hearts.
But for two orienteers, Julie Flynn and Neil Barr, errant cacti plants continue to appear on these reserves, threatening to overtake the landscape.
Preparations for the National Easter Orienteering Carnival to be held in the Loddon Shire are underway with a significant focus on controlling the invasive Wheel Cactus infestation to preserve the landscape.
Organisers Julie Flynn and Neil Barr said that in the lead up to the carnival, members of the organising committee have been attending monthly cactus killing sessions at Mount Egbert with staff of Parks Victoria.
:Previously the Bendigo Orienteering Club held some working bees with the Loddon Plains Landcare Network after discovering a significant infestation on Mt Kooyoora, to try to prevent the situation from getting out of hand. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 lockdowns put a stop to the activity,” they said.
“However, the club was able to discover that the orienteers had the physical capacity to get to locations beyond the reach of many other volunteers, making them an invaluable resource.
“The mapper for the Easter event mapped each cactus plant
TIMBER
he found, to a total of 1000. “Many would only have been found because of this mapping, as the reserve appeared cactus- free to the passing view from a vehicle.”
They say that in 2017 some members of Bendigo Orienteers were checking control sites on the north side of Mount Kooyoora.
“When these orienteers looked up to the northern slopes of the mountain, the colours were wrong. The alien grey- green was a large infestation of Opuntia robusta – Wheel Cactus. Opuntia is a native of central and northern Mexico where it grows on rocky slopes between 1500 and 3000 metres in altitude. It is valued for its fruits.
“Unfortunately, Opuntia is very well adapted to the lower altitude granite slopes of northern Victoria.
“An important landscape feature in the Loddon Shire is the series of modest peaks of scattered large granite boulders rising out of the flat riverine plains. Mt Kooyoora is a southern outcrop. Running in a line further north are Mt Korong, Little Mount, Mt Egbert, Mt Buckrabunyule, the Terricks, Pyramid Hill, and Mt Hope.”
The orienteering club believes the problems with Opuntia first became apparent on Mt Buckrabunyule. The initial infestation there was brought under control
TRAINING CRESWICK LTD
Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Code No 4168 presents AusChem (Vic.)
AGVET (FARM)
by group of local residents who worked on this every week for years.
“By 2005 the mountain appeared free of cactus, however this was deceptive. The mature plants produce fruit which contain very hard seeds. Some birds love the fruit and are effective seed spreaders, resulting in a bank of seeds in the cactus-free landscape. Fifteen years later the cactus had again taken over the landscape,” say Julie and Neil.
Cactus control across the region has been a hit and miss affair. Some private landholders control their infestations, some don’t.
“For some decades a community group has been working to protect Mt Tarrengower near Maldon, but the cactus is still appearing on the mountain,” they say.
The Mt Korong Eco-Watch Group has been working to protect Mt Korong, but age is gradually impacting the group.
“The Djarra Corporation has greater access to funds and is recovering Buckrabunyule, using drone mapping to locate plants and contractors to spray.
“The Loddon Shire has been funding some cactus control along roadsides, while further to the east the Bendigo Field Naturalists have been working on an infestation in the Kamarooka forest.
“At the most recent orienteer-
CHEMICAL USERS’ COURSE
Bridgewater Bowling Club Main Street (near Bakery), Calder Highway Bridgewater-on-Loddon
Monday, 3rd February 2025
8.30am to 4.30pm
This course attends the relevant Update ‘Refresher Course’ training required to maintain Quality Assurance (QA) principles and standards.
*Cost $100.00 ‘Refresher’ (one-day) course
$150.00 ‘Full’ (two-day) course
Enrolments limited to 18 places
This course is subsidised under Victorian Government funding for approved applicants.
Agricultural Chemicals Skill Set (AHCSS00074) Units of Competency
A copy of your Medicare Card is required.
Those completing Update training should supply their previously obtained AusChem or similar registration number.
‘Full Course’ completion may also can be arranged by additional, flexible online, mail out correspondence or on-farm tuition.
Completion of the ‘Full Course’ enables participants to apply for an Agricultural Chemical User Permit (ACUP) in Victoria. Karl Liffman. Mob: 0428 507 610
ing event on Mt Kooyoora, more cactus plants that will need attention were found. Plants are also being mapped on Mt Korong and these locations are being passed on to the Mt Korong EcoWatch group.
“The lesson from Mt Buckrabunyule is clear. If future generations of orienteers want to enjoy their sport in this region, then someone will need to control the cactus that is spreading south.”
Julie and Neil say It will take all the efforts of Parks Victoria, Loddon Shire, traditional owners, landcare groups, local farmers and land-owners as well as orienteers and others.
THE region’s major cattle market has started weekly sales.
The Echuca exchange moved from fortnightly sales when the sales started for the year yesterday.
Many Loddon farmers have used the Echuca saleyards since Bendigo stopped selling cattle almost three years ago. Echuca is selling more than 50,000 cattle a year and tips the number will rise.
RTO
Orienteers join the Loddon’s cactus fight
AUCTION - MEERING WEST DISTRICT
Exceptional Mallee Cropping Country 815.3ha/2014.6ac
Auction via the AuctionsPlus online platform on Wednesday February 19, 2025 commencing at 11.00am.
‘Moresi’ 325 Meering West Road Meering West Vic 3579.
Lot 1 - C.A. 70 Parish of Leaghur. 274.8ha/679ac.
Improvements: BV residence, sheds, 2 silos, fuel tank, 2 pressure pumps, 4 water tanks and all troughs. GMW pipeline water.
Barley stubble.
Lot 2 – C.A.’s 62 and 63 Parish of Leaghur. 259ha/640ac
Barley stubble. Option of GWM pipeline connection.
Lot 3 - C.A. 64 Parish of Leaghur. 129.5ha/320ac.
Barley stubble. Option of GWM pipeline connection.
Lots 1 to 3 - ‘22 lentils, ’23 wheat and ’24 barley.
‘Livingston’ 496 Meran Road Meering West Vic 3579.
Lot 4 - C.A. 24 Parish of Meering West. 152ha/375.6ac.
Lots 1 to 4 have potential passive income streams from the proposed Meering West Wind Farm project. 5kms between ‘Moresis’ and ‘Livingston’
Terms for Auctioned Lots: 10% deposit and working access on signing of Contract of Sale. Settlement 60 days.
eldersrealestate.com.au/300P175692
Elders Barham 03 54 533377
Jason Telford 0447 533313
Peter Robertson 0417 636 348
FOR
SALE
BY EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
- MITIAMO – CALIVIL 118.575 Hectares – 293 Acres in One Title
Established irrigation allotment – 95% arable 1.99 delivery shares
Laid out in 8 paddocks with good fencing quality established pasture along with 2 paddocks of previous crop (2024)
Strong Mologa and Fernihurst loam soil in tremendous hear, under sown to Lucerne and Rye. Water from one dam and tank to trough Bounded by 3 Roads Expression of Interest Commences 9th January 2025 Closes 14th February 2025 @ 4pm sharp
Further Particulars/Inspections: Contact Selling Agents Inspection by appointment
James Nevins 0407 302 900 Luke Nevins: 0418 510 166 Chris Nevins: 0408 510 626 Email: inglewood@fpnevins.com.au
AUCTION
BURKES FLAT - CENTRAL VICTORIA
“Perry’s House” 148.35 Hectares / 366.59 Acres. Thursday 13th February 2025 at 11am Sharp Onsite
A/C Estate of Mrs Eileen Marie Perry
273 Burkes Flat-Wedderburn Road Burkes Flat
To be offered as a whole:
Sub- divided 3 Paddocks, 3 Dams
GWM Pipeline out front, not connected
85% Arable, gently undulating Mallee loams to clay base, some stone/ shale on rises
Excellent fencing
Suitable for all forms of agribusiness
Improvements:
1880’s Circa 3 B/Rm Miners Cottage
Machinery Shed 15m X 11m power connected
Shearing Shed with power (needs repair)
Sundry Shedding
Terms: 10% Deposit on signing, Balance 30/60 Days
Immediate working condition (T’s &; C’s Apply)
Further Particulars / Inspections: Contact Selling Agents
Farm Machinery, Hay equipment, Vehicles Friday 17th January 2025 @ 10am Sharp on site A/C GD & SG Ray (Property sold) 699 Tandarra Serpentine Road Tandarra
HAY MACHINERY “JD” 956 mower conditioner, NHBB 9080 Baler (4x3x8 – 19786 bales), NHBB 960 Baler (4x3x8 55000 bales), “MF” RK3877 Twin Rotor Rake, “Sitrix” 9-wheel inline rake “NH” Super 56 Rolarbar hay rake, “NH” 471 bale loader, Big Bale twine – 32 balls VEHICLES & BIKES 1970 “Toyota” Land Cruiser” (Ute unreg), 1983 UD tray truck (386500 km 22’ x 8’2) 2 x sheep stock crate, truck grain bin, “Gorski 3 Axle dog trailer with grain top/ 1940’s Chev Lend Lease truck WUB Hoist & grain bin, “Kawaski” Ag 175 motorbike, “Honda” 90 Motorbike
MACHINERY “JD” 610 38’ Air seeder 42 tyne W “JD” 777 Air cart “shearer” 28’ Cultivator & Harrows, “Shearer” 170 29 tyne scarifier, “INT” 6-2 20 run combine & SSB “Goldacres” 21m boom spray w 3000l tank, “Lely” Centreline spreader (1 tonne), 1200L fuel trailer w elec pump, Jacki bin – 1 tonne, “Kubota” 2m Flail slasher, 4.6m Malway mulcher (needs repairs) Grain feed out trailer, 2m Golden scoop (copy), 9 tyne Agroplough (needs repair), FEL stick rake, “Colac” windmill w Gal stand, “Hardi” boom spray 400L, 2 x Ute crates
GRAIN EQUIPMENT “Westfield” MK 100 – 61 Swingaway PTO Auger, “Mobilco” 30’ x 8” Auger w 13hp motor, 12’ pencil auger w “Kohler” motor, “Hannaford” seed cleaner
TOOLS & SUNDRIES “Mascot” lathe 4 ft bed, drill press (antique), “Goldacres” tray mate spot sprayer 120L,spot sprayer trailer TT saw bench w Robin Motor Rover R21ls log spliter, ATV trailer w crate Ascot McKay gates
SHEEP/SHEARING EQUIPMENT “TPW” Slimline hyd wool press, 2 x “Sunbeam” super pro shearing plants, “Sunbeam” twin box wool press, round woold table, “Thornton” 24 panel 2 race port sheep yards, 4 Unit lamb marking cradle, foot bath, small load ramp suite trailer, “Cowra” lick sheep feeder
SUNDRIES Assorted tools, household items too numerous to particularise
TERMS Cash, Cheque, EFTPOS on day of sale. GST applies, light luncheon available Number system operating, ID required
DIRECTIONS From the North 6km south of East Loddon P/12 college on Pyramid Yarraberb Road turn left into Tandarra-Serpentine Road 1.5km on the right, From Serpentine head South on Loddon Valley Highway 1 km, turn left into Rothacker’s Road 15km turn left then right into Tandarra-Serpentine Road 1.5 Km on the right PHOTOS www.fpnevins.com.au
Sands of time can lift population
Mining benefits younger generation wanting to stay in area, writes James Soharan
REGIONAL communities need to make the most of all our resources – our people, farming and mining.
We are blessed to have closeknit communities and a strong farming heritage.
Much of north western Victoria is also fortunate to sit on an ancient seabed rich in mineral sands and rare earths. In fact, the Murray Basin has the world’s largest known deposits of mineral sands but unlike our neighbouring states New South Wales and South Australia, Victoria has not had a mineral sands mine in operation for years.
This looks set to change and it will be overwhelmingly positive for rural communities, including Loddon Shire.
This year will be a big year for new mineral sands and rare earths mines planned near Kerang, Donald and Horsham to the benefit of rural Victorian communities.
The recent environmental assessments by the Department of Planning for two of the proposed mines are a significant milestone and an important sign that along with agriculture and tourism, mining is a valuable and growing industry in regional Victoria.
Mining is already supporting regions with a local mine such as Bendigo, Stawell, Ballarat and Heathcote.
These gold mining towns benefit from highly paid local employees, support for local small businesses and support for community.
It’s time these benefits were expanded to new areas to help tackle population decline, provide new job and apprenticeship opportunities for young people and bring much needed infrastructure and support to local communities.
Mining jobs are just the sort of jobs we need in our regional communities. Overwhelmingly full-time, these are high paying and skilled jobs with training opportunities in a global industry. These skills are transferable to agriculture, and trades locally.
Regional areas need more industries to give our young people a chance at an apprenticeship, locals who want to stay in town more job options, and newcomers the chance the settle in our
regions. That’s why we need to be wary of arguments painting a ‘farming versus mining’ narrative because for the regions to thrive, Victoria needs to make the most of all our resources –both agricultural and mineral resources.
It is critical that the community has the facts on mining and be able to benefit from new developments.
Mining in Victoria holds itself to the highest standards because we are locals genuinely invested in our communities. Victorian mining employs locals and has buy local polices. The Mineral Council of Australia’s Economic Contribution Survey shows that mining employs over 1000 people in Central Victoria, spends millions every year with local businesses and supports dozens of community organisations to address health, homelessness, youth and housing issues.
Mining returns land to its original use whether farmland, native bushland, wetlands or any other landform. It’s the law and the science that goes into environmental rehabilitation is part and parcel of what mining does and its why we are a big employer of environmental scientists.
The community benefits from the jobs and training a mine brings, while land is returned to farming. The fact is that there is nothing new to mining mineral sands. Australia has been mining this resource for decades – safely, and with environmental rehabilitation.
Good examples include former
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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OPINION PIECES
The Loddon Herald
1. The Holy Grail appears in which Indiana Jones movie?
2. What does a quiver hold?
3. What is the largest living species of marsupial?
4. A sommelier is an expert in what area?
5. Which Greek letter is shaped like a triangle?
6. HDL and LDL are types of what?
7. The white elephant is a symbol of royalty in which country?
8. A dermatologist treats which part of the human body?
9. How many species of venomous snakes does Australia have?
10. The cockney accent originated in which UK city?
11. Claustrophobia is the fear of what?
12. What is the name given to the art of stuffing animal remains?
14. What is Paris’ only official sister city?
15. Lion dancing is a traditional form of dance from which country?
16. What do matadors fight?
17. ‘James and the Giant Peach’ was written by which famous author?
18. Cashmere wool comes from which animal?
19. Superman comes from which planet?
20. A coxswain participates in which sport?
mineral sands mine in Wemen and multiple examples in south west Western Australia where farming and mining and tourism have coexisted for decades.
Despite being a temporary land use, the lasting legacy mining leaves is the skills and training that comes from giving country people a chance at working in this world class regional industry. For every mining job, six other jobs are supported across all industries.
It has been great to see many local kids from Loddon and nearby regions interested in getting a trade or in science to visit operating Victorian mines to learn about the opportunities and pathways to working in Australian mining.
The industry is also working with local TAFEs to deliver a mining pathways course to give local entry level training opportunities which will help relieve pressure on skills shortages in the region by training locals.
MCA Victoria is also advocating to state government that a bigger share of royalties generated from local mines be returned to the local community.
While mining operations may still be a couple of years away depending on final approvals and other factors, Loddon and surrounding regions can make the most of the opportunity mining will bring in coming years.
* James Soharan is executive director of Minerals Council of AustraliaVictoria.
13. Adam and Eve lived in a garden by what name?
WE all know the story about Puss in Boots - European fairy tale about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand in marriage of a princess for his penniless and low-born master. But what about our Loddon’s Poss in Pants?
The legendary Adam Postle has been the bane of banter for exploits far beyond his 300-plus games of football with Wedderburn Redbacks.
TOOK his “mates” a few weeks to cotton on, but the Big Poss’s choice of cultured attire at a function last month has now seen him the subject of much ribbing. Team mate Luke Holt’s lines “Big Possssss!!! What can’t he do!!! 300 game superstar!” were soon hijacked by Boort’s best man Kane Arnold, who chimed in with “Surely they aren’t his pants I can see?” OTF can confirm the stovepipe black and white check covering of legs (including a muchtorn hammie) were indeed those of Big Poss.
MEANWHILE, the man himself is open for praise from any quarter. Former coach Sam Barnes sought to deflect play from football to the legend’s fishing prowess.
“About time you got recognised for
your fishing exploits,” wrote Same who was never shy around the goals. Final words went to the man himself: “Sam Barnes the paper isn’t big enough.”
WITH fish stocked up on local rivers and taking the bait, OTF expects a few big fish that got away stories this summer.
ALFRED Dean’s 1959 record is by far the biggest fish ever caught - a 2664 pound white shark at Ceduna, South Australia, in 1959. The white shark is now a protected species so we doubt Poss and his fishing buddies would get a world record when they next head out in the tinnie.
OTF is not much into fishing. We prefer the Aussie bush prawns - yabbies smothered in salt and gallons of vinegar.
buShy taleS BY IAN JONES
Beans of FUN
GREAT coffee served with a smile is what Di Gordon-Cooke and her husband Paul hope people are thinking after purchasing a brew from their mobile van, Coffee to Di For.
Di’s current coffee van is not her first venture into mobile coffee, she opened her first coffee on the go business in northern New South Wales about 20 years ago.
When she moved to Victoria in 2010, she hung up her barista hat until she did a short stint at a café which reignited her love for coffee making.
Di and Paul run the coffee van together, while Di is a seasoned veteran, Paul was far more comfortable on a bulldozer than on a coffee machine when they opened the business.
A couple of years down the track and Paul is far more comfortable with coffee making and Di jokes that she can almost always read his receipts now.
Di credits her success to her customers and their support over the past few years, “we get so many people who have been recommended us by others, word of mouth has been our biggest show of support”.
“We travelled to Wooroonook Lakes over the holiday period and had a few groups of people travelling there to see us for a cup of coffee.” Di said.
“We’re all about the customer experience and looking after everyone, I spent a lot of time choosing the coffee we use because I wanted it to be something everyone could enjoy rather than just what is new or fancy.”
Making coffee on the go comes with its own unique set of challenges for Wedderburn’s Di.
“Last year’s North Central football grand final at Donald was a battle against the wind. I had to hold the cups as close to the coffee pour
By RUBY HYLAND
as I could otherwise it was coming out of the machine sideways,” she said.
Both summer and winter sports keep Di busy across the year.
The coffee van attends all Wedderburn football’s home games as well as some of Inglewood’s while she is also busy with iced coffee and other cold drinks during summer across various locations.
Despite the weather challenges, the mobility of the van comes in handy and allows them to set up in places that are normally not accessible for a coffee business,
Di says: “The van runs from a generator so if needed we could set up in the middle of a paddock, we don’t need to be near a power source to run.”
It was a busy 2024 filled with a wide variety of events including a wedding recovery breakfast, a first for them.
They also attended many community events throughout Victoria including the Wycheproof king of the mountain, shire meetings, the opening of a local park, a CFA farewell and school fetes and sports carnivals.
Already 2025 is shaping up to be a busy year for the coffee van with bookings for Anzac Day, Easter and the Labor Day long weekend already lined up.
The coffee van will also continue to participate in the Flavours of Loddon events throughout the year, which begins in Boort January 25.
Easter weekend is set to be a busy one for Di with the Australian National Three-Day Orienteering Carnival taking place in the Lddon. Coffee to Di For will be in attendance on the Saturday and Sunday with great coffee and a smile ... that’s proving as good as the brew.
Di and Paul brew up flavours of Loddon at local events
d E aTH NOTICE
NEVINS - Christopher Philippe (Boo Boo)
Passed away suddenly
Son of John (Jack) and Janet Nevins (both dec.).
Loving Father of Jack Nevins.
Brother to John, Fiona, Bernard and Vincent.
Funeral details to be confirmed.
KEEBLE - Carter Geoffrey
Family and friends of Ben and Lori are invited to attend the funeral service for their beautiful son Carter Geoffrey Keeble, to be held at the Boort Uniting Church, 8 King Street, Boort on FRIDAY (January 17) commencing at 12 noon. At the conclusion of the service, the funeral cortège will leave for the Boort Lawn Cemetery. The family ask that you allow them to move directly to their vehicles at the conclusion of the church and cemetery services.
In honour of Carter, please wear bright colours with your cowboy hat, cowboy boots or crocs to the service. Due to the number of mourners expected at Carter’s funeral, the church will be reserved for his family. Marquees will be available outside the church for friends and the wider community. No flowers by request, in lieu donations to the Boort Hospital would be appreciated. Their kindness, care and compassion will never be forgotten. Envelopes available at the service. If you’re unable to attend the service, a live stream will be available via www.williamfarmer.com.au/tribute-centre
DECLARATION OF BOATING ACTIVITY EXEMPTION
Loddon Shire Council as the declared waterway manager for Loddon River (at Bridgewater between Flour Mill Weir and Sweeneys Lane), makes the following declaration under section 203(3) of the Marine Safety Act 2010 (Vic).
For the purposes of boating activity conducted by Bridgewater Water Ski Club Inc, persons and vessels involved in the 2025 Australian Masters Waterski Championships are exempt from the following requirements:
State Rules made under the Marine Act 1988
1. Clause 2(a) – must not exceed 5 knots within 50 metres of a person in the water Waterway Rules made under the Marine Safety Act 2010 / Marine Act 1988
2. Clause 62.2 of Schedule 62 – 5 knot speed restriction within waters not speci ed as Exclusive Use and Special Purpose Areas between Flour Mill Weir and Sweeney’s Lane
3. Clause 62.6(a) of Schedule 62 – Exclusive Use and Special Purpose Area for Slalom and Ski Jumping - modi ed to allow for trick skiing
4. Clause 62.7(d) of Schedule 62 – operating times for the Exclusive Use and Special Purpose Area for ‘Water Skiing’ Marine Safety Regulations 2023
5. Regulation 66(3) – persons on vessels must wear a lifejacket of type speci ed at all times when underway on inland waters
6. Regulation 69 – a person being towed must wear a lifejacket.
7. Regulation 70 – master of vessel must ensure occupants wear a lifejacket and must not allow the vessel to be operated unless persons onboard when underway or being towed wear a lifejacket
Subject to the conditions detailed below:
Masters of towing and rescue vessels are only exempt from item 1 when undertaking a rescue operation to retrieve persons in distress, provide for their initial medical or other needs and deliver them to a place of safety on shore, and must adhere to speed and distance rules at all other times.
Masters of towing vessels are only exempt from items 2 to 4 for the duration of the events.
‘Trick’ skiers being towed are only exempt from items 5 & 6 provided they wear a bright coloured top.
Masters of towing vessels are only exempt from item 7 when towing water skiers who are participating in trick events and when retrieving water skiers who are participating in trick events and exempt from wearing a lifejacket.
All persons on vessels and skiers associated with the event must wear a lifejacket (unless vessel over 4.8 metres or exempt from items 5 or 6 in accordance with these conditions), and vessels must have all prescribed safety equipment, including rescue vessels.
Should vessels or persons not involved in the event enter the exclusion zone, the event must be stopped until the unauthorised vessel or person has moved outside of the zone.
These exemptions apply from 8:00am to 6:00pm on Saturday 25 to Monday 27 January 2025, to persons and vessels registered to participate in the 2025 Australian Masters Water Ski Championships, within the exclusion zone waters – Loddon River, between the Calder Highway Bridge and the boat ramp at Sweeney’s Lane.
Marine Safety Act 2010 Section 208(2) NOTICE OF BOATING ACTIVITY EXCLUSION ZONE
Loddon Shire Council as the declared waterway manager for Loddon River (at Bridgewater between Flour Mill Weir and Sweeneys Lane) hereby gives notice under section 208(2) of the Marine Safety Act 2010 (Vic) that all persons and vessels not registered to take part in the 2025 Australian Masters Waterski Championships are prohibited from entering and remaining in the following waters
Waters of Loddon River at Bridgewater – between the Calder Hwy Bridge and Sweeneys Lane Boat Ramp. The exclusion zone will be in e ect from 7:00am to 7:00pm on Saturday 25 to Monday 27 January 2025.
Loddon Shire Council
Dated: 6/01/2025
Yung Balug Keeping Place
The Museum is situated on the property of Paul & Cathie Haw.
Well worth a visit to see the amazing Artefacts collected from the Boort Region.
A recent addition is 34 photos taken by John Hunter Kerr in the 1850s. This was made possible by the State Library of Victoria.
Everyone is welcome. but please call or Email before visiting.
PERMANENT PART TIME POSITION (15 HRS PER FORTNIGHT)
An excellent opportunity exists for an Education O cer to work at a busy community house. e successful applicant will have experience in the Education eld, Certi cate IV in Training and Assessment or equivalent, will be pro cient in preparing education programs and lifestyle and leisure activities for the needs of the local community. e successful applicant will have good time-management and customer service skills, and will work well in a small team environment.
For a Position Description and Key Selection Criteria, please contact Louise Cook : admin@wedderburnch.org.au or phone 03 5494 3489.
To support your application, please address the Key Selection Criteria and include a current Resume.
Applications close Friday, January 31st, 2025 at 4.00pm.
Wanting
The exemptions apply provided the stated safety controls and undertakings detailed in the application form and associated documentation are adhered to.
Loddon Shire Council
Dated: 6 January 2025
WANTED TO BUY
Old bottles with town or company names.
Marble bottles, Ginger Beer, Milk Bottles, Soda Syphons
Any old bottles - single items or box lots CASH PAID ON
Jason Sampson: Auspac Media
Double ACL blows build a new fighting spirit
TWO TORN anterior cruciate ligaments in two years. Two major surgeries. Two long periods of rehab. Two sporting seasons ruined.
At just 15, multi-talented Allira James has faced double trouble.
But Allira, who was a nominee for the Loddon Herald Sports Star of the Year in 2024 for her cricketing feats, is resolutely positive and setting her sights on a return to the field.
In August 2022, when she was 13, Allira ruptured the ACL in her right knee playing netball.
Just over a year later she was playing with the Northern Rivers representative side in the Cricket Victoria Country Cup, where she starred with both bat and ball.
Then, in June last year Allira tore the ACL in her left knee, this time playing hockey.
For a second time, she has had to face 12 months or more of rehabilitation and hard work.
“It’s very good, actually,” Allira said of her recovering knee.
“I’m going to the gym in Bendigo three times a week and doing a lot of knee and leg-strength exercises to support the muscles around the knee.”
It’s a familiar routine for the
Serpentine youngster. “It’s pretty similar to last time – most things I’m doing now I did the first time.”
Allira’s mother, Nicky, is in awe of her daughter’s mental toughness.
“She’s very mature. She is a doer, and she just blows people away with her attitude.
“She’s got a really good head on her shoulders. She’s really switched on and looks at the silver lining in everything.”
Allira’s aim is to return to cricket training in June, with the intention of resuming premier league cricket in Melbourne next season.
She plays with Plenty Valley Cricket Club, making her debut in the thirds last January in a team with players aged from 14 to the mid-30s.
Since her second ACL injury,
Allira has continued to take part in the club’s high-performance program in the off-season, showing her commitment to her sport and her recovery.
A footballer, netballer and hockey player as well as a cricketer, Allira said cricket was now her focus.
“I’d love to play professionally, but if that doesn’t work out, I’ll keep playing cricket in Melbourne,” she said.
Strangely enough, experiencing the injuries and undergoing the arduous recovery has helped Allira choose her path in life, with a plan to study physiotherapy at university.
That’s if she doesn’t hit the cricket big time, which given her skill, drive and determination, no one would be brave enough to rule out.
Premiers pick up powerhouse midcourter
WEDDERBURN Redbacks are keeping it in the family in the North Central league.
Hot on the heels of the football team recruiting talented brothers Zach and Jake Pallpratt comes a pair of key netball signings for the reigning premiers.
Kelsey Pallpratt, sister of Zach and Jake, joins from Sandhurst in the powerful Bendigo league, where she played in midcourt in their A Grade team.
And the latest addition to the
PENNANT BOWLS RESULTS
BENDIGO
Monday - Monday pennant Division 1 White Hills 48-0 lost to Inglewood 65-16. M. Carter, D. Bambrough, H. Jansen, C. Jansen (s) lost to M. Chamberlain, H. Leech, D. Wilson, G. Wilson (s) 15-24. N. Thompson, E. Bell, J. Brennan, W. O’Connor (s) lost to S. Laird, D. Vanston, L. Kelly, L. Witham (s) 18-22. R. Sheen, W. McCurdy, D. Fiedler, J. Turley (s) lost to B. Smyth, B. Taig, B. McClymont, I. Chamberlain (s) 15-19. Eaglehawk 52-2 lost to Bendigo 68-14. Kangaroo Flat 55-2 lost to Golden Square 62-14. South Bendigo 59-14 d Bendigo East 47-2. Ladder: Bendigo 114, Kangaroo Flat 114, Eaglehawk 111, Bendigo East 104, South Bendigo 103, Golden Square 76, Inglewood 44, White Hills 38. Division 4 Bendigo 63-14 d Dingee 61-2. D. Penfold, B. Bell, G. Briggs, R. Matthews (s) d W. Wilson, N. Hocking, K. Murphy, L. Demeo (s) 26-22. J. Briggs, D. Bennet, P. Keil, B. Whiffin (s) d A. Hay, P. Plant, F. Grieves, M. Grieves (s) 21-15. H. Champion, M. Mitchell, L. Trahair, A. Champion (s) lost to K. Pollock, J. Hocking, B. West, L. Demeo (s) 16-24. Strathfieldsaye 81-16 d Calivil 43-0. L. Millard, R. Rogister, V. McLoughlin, T. Probert (s) d K. Richards, M. Boyd, L. Gronow, C. Mitchell (s) 20-19. K. Rogister, S. Preece, N. Dewhurst, S. Curnow (s) d W. Lourie, J. Clymo, L. Dennis, C. Maxted (s) 30-12. J. McGregor, S. Hendy, P. Jardine, P. Schultz (s) d H. Gronow, J. Wiltshire, S. Hope, M. Collett (s) 31-12. Golden Square 53-14 d Harcourt 50-2. South Bendigo 105-16 d East Bendigo 23-0. Ladder: South Bendigo 139, Strathfieldsaye 137, Bendigo 122, Harcourt 100, Golden Square 76, Dingee 65, Bendigo East 43, Calivil 24. Division 5 Inglewood 47-14 d Golden Square 340. B. Hopcott, D. Roberts, D. Garrett, A. Harrison (s) d G. Blease, D. Long, L. Watt, K. Watson (s) 2515. E. Patterson, P. McEwan, P. Lyndon, I. Bradley (s) d J. Watson, M. McKinstry, J. Holcombe, W. Stammers (s) 22-19. Woodbury 30-0 lost to Campbell’s Creek 48-14. White Hills 30-2 lost to South Bendigo 32-12. Marong 43-14 d Strathfieldsaye 25-0.
Redbacks squad is another Sandhurst player, Paige Ryan, who happens to be Zach’s partner.
She is another midcourt player, who has appeared for both the A Grade and A Reserve teams.
Last season she was joint runner-up in the League’s A Reserve best-and-fairest award, a feat she also achieved in 2019.
The important signings come as the league celebrates North Central Netball Association winning Netball Victoria’s Associa-
Ladder: Inglewood 118, Marong 114, South Bendigo 108, Campbell’s Creek 99, Strathfieldsaye 65, White Hills 53, Woodbury 36, Golden Square 23. Division 6 Golden Square 40-14 d Bridgewater 26-0. J. Rogers, T. McManus, T. Cantwell, L. Marshall (s) d R. O’Toole, V. Wilson, C. Mangan, M. Wright (s) 23-15. M. Bayliss, M. Barras, S. Rooke, T. Cope (s) d B. Catto, G. Harrison, P. Short, A. Harrison (s) 17-11. Castlemaine 50-13 d Eaglehawk 26-1. Harcourt 56-12 d White Hills 22-2. Strathfieldsaye 27-0 lost to South Bendigo 46-14. Ladder: South Bendigo 116, Castlemaine 100, Harcourt 91, Bridgewater 84, Golden Square 71, Strathfieldsaye 66, White Hills 46, Eaglehawk 42.
NORTH CENTRAL
Midweek- Wedderburn 77-10 d Donald 52-2. H. Stephenson, J. Matthews, C. Mills, A. Jackson (s) d J. Wood, M. McEwen, B. Brennan, B. Milne (s) 31-16. R. Little, I. Hall, A. Roberts, L. Witham (s) lost to D. Knight, M. Kelly, M. Hollis, L. Morgan (s) 20-21. R. Ashley, J. Murnane, R. Hall, A. Caserta (s) d M. Quick, A. McEwen, E. Adams, H. Wingfield (s) 26-15. Boort 76-12 d St Arnaud Country 58-0. Y. Cashen, T. Noles, D. Gibson, J. Gibson (s) d Y. Templar, K. Pole, H. Esmore, R. Pole (s) 23-21. G. Tweddle, P. Baker, C. Newsome, L. Maxted (s) d S. Atkinson, A. Marland, P. Goode, W. Rodger (s) 23-15. S. Polack, P. Gould, K. Birt, T. Moresi (s) d F. Rodger, S. Wright, L. Moulday, D. Moulday (s) 30-22. Donald Golf 82- d Charlton 57-. C. Stopps, W. Livingston, B. Dixon, S. O’Shea (s) d J. Cox, B. Laffin, D. McCallum, K. North (s) 22-19. S. Donnellon, M. Frank, J. Hollis, G. Rigby (s) d M. Hamley, E. Rosewall, J. Headon, K. Willey (s) 38-13. G. Wood, B. Jones, E. Brasier, P. Hibberd (s) lost G. Bateson, R. Porter, W. Southwell, L. Southwell (s) 22-25. St Arnaud 53-0 lost to Wycheproof 94-12. Ladder: Wycheproof, Donald Golf, Wedderburn 76, Boort 68, St Arnaud, Charlton, Donald 38, St Arnaud Country 35.
tion of the Year award. The NCNA was lauded for its progressive leadership, innovative programs and unwavering commitment to its members.
The successful transition to a formal Board of Management in 2023, the introduction of a C Reserve competition last season as a bridge between junior and senior players, and the NCNA’s umpire development program were among the reasons cited for the award.
FOOTY SHORTS
INGLEWOOD will play home practice matches against North Central league’s Wedderburn and Kyabram District league team Merrigum in the lead up to its firstround clash with Marong.
That opening match will celebrate Kaye’s Day, with the club raising money for the Cancer Council of Victoria in memory of late committee member and volunteer, Kaye Cohalan.
The day will feature a raffle, cupcake sales and kids’ activities, and A Grade netballers will wear special uniforms.
Medals will be awarded to the best player in all grades of football and netball.
Inglewood’s season launch will be held on Sunday, February 23 from 10.30-3pm at the Community Sports Centre, beginning with junior netball and football clinics for all ages.
Senior football and netball training will start at 12.30pm.
The practice match against Wedderburn will be at 5pm on March 6, and the game against Merrigum will be on March 15.
NEWBRIDGE will have a strong claim on the fittest football player in the Loddon Valley league in recruit Jed Zimmer. Signed from powerhouse club Sandhurst in the Bendigo league, Zimmer played in a winning reserves grand final last year against Gisborne.
Send your sports news to sportloddonherald@gmail. com
Notification by Buyer Intention to Apply for the Permanent Transfer of a Licence to Take and Use Surface Water
GMW Reference No: BPTWE0002-25
Sawers Farms Pty Ltd of Loddon River Road APPIN SOUTH VIC 3579
Refer to Vic Roads Map 29 E2
Intend to make application to Permanently Transfer Entitlement to our existing Licence to Take & Use
Water and increase the licensed volume from 315.0ML/Year to 411.0ML/Year.
The volume sought in the application is 96.0ML/Year
The water will be used for the purpose of: Irrigation
To be used on lands described as
Allira James
Kelsey Pallpratt
Gary Walsh talks to Loddon Valley’s new board members
Jumping junior hurdle
CONCERN about junior football and netball is among issues driving the three new members of the Loddon Football Netball League board.
Bridgewater legend Wayne Naughton, Inglewood netballer and administrator Shasta Maher and umpire and former junior interleague coach Glenn Catto have joined the board, with ambitions to boost junior sport and expand the league.
All three said strengthening the under 18 competition was a key to the league’s football future.
There are hopes that Maiden Gully, which did not field an under-18 team in the past three seasons and was originally docked 12 points in the senior competition last year as a result, would return with a junior team in 2025.
As well, Newbridge is trying to get the numbers for its own team.
Catto said: “The biggest hurdle is the junior football setup – netball is travelling okay”.
Last season saw just five junior teams playing in the Loddon Valley league.
Marong was undefeated during the home-and-away season but lost the second semi-final and grand final to East Loddon Rams – a team comprising junior players from Mitiamo, Calivil and Serpentine.
The combined team may serve as a template for other clubs, with speculation that Maiden Gully may align with Marong at a junior level.
“Hopefully Newbridge can get a team over the line,” Naughton
said. “Even if they can only get 16 players.”
He said Mitiamo, which was not in a position to field its own junior side, might get three or four senior players from the Rams’ premiership team, with the under 18 system a critical pipeline to the senior ranks.
Catto agreed that having a strong junior competition was a key to senior success, with the development of future senior footballers giving clubs such as Mitiamo “a glimmer of hope”.
On another key issue, Naughton said he would like to see Wedderburn and Boort leave the North Central league and join the Loddon Valley competition, given the fact that both towns were
part of Loddon Shire. Catto believed such a move was unlikely, with complications including the North Central league having a hockey competition.
“Wedderburn and Boort … yes, it could work, but it would be a fairly big upheaval in the North Central league for that to happen,” he said.
Macorna, which plays in the struggling Golden Rivers league, might be a more realistic option, Catto said, as speculation grows about that league’s future viability.
“It’s not a bad fit if you get Macorna in – you could get another Kerang-based team. Wandella is a possibility as well.”
Catto predicted “fairly big
changes in the next five to 10 years” in regional football, with an overall major restructuring of leagues in Victoria.
“I’m not sure what those changes will be, but not all clubs are happy campers.”
He said a strength of the Loddon Valley league was its compact size.
“The biggest plus is we don’t have to travel more than an hour in a car to get to a football or netball match.
“And the clubs are all generally sound, and most are going OK financially.”
Catto said Marong, which has made moves towards joining the Heathcopte league in recent years, might “outgrow” the Lod-
When
don Valley competition simply because of its burgeoning population as a virtual suburb of Bendigo.
This made a club like Macorna, based only 20km northwest of Pyramid Hill, a good potential fit for the Loddon Valley.
Maher said she nominated for the board as a means of giving something back to football and netball, and to help ensure the league was well run.
At 41, she still plays netball for Inglewood – well enough to finish third in the C Reserve league best-and-fairest award last season – and in 2025 will coach and play in C-Grade with her daughter Hollie.
She will also coach Inglewood’s 17 and under netball team next season, as well as joining Bendigo Thunder women’s football team as an assistant coach.
Maher conceded that netball was not as strong in the Loddon Valley as it was pre-COVID, especially at A Grade level.
However, she was confident things would turn around with a focus on developing junior netball and football and giving opportunities to younger players to develop and stay in their chosen sports. “I’m also keen in getting the football under 18s up again successfully,” Maher said.
What was needed generally, she said, was increasing volunteer participation in sport.
“Every club struggles to get enough volunteers, and getting families to help around clubs is really important.”
the cows moo, you have to call time
AT THE first drinks break in Arnold’s chase after Kingower’s imposing 2-234, opener Phil Scholes approached the scorers and said, “I’ve got a sore foot, so I’m retiring hurt”. It was a little white lie.
A more accurate description would have been “retired milking”.
As Scholes had admitted to the Loddon Herald at the change of innings, 150 cows weren’t going to milk themselves, and he would have to leave by 5pm whether or not he had been dismissed.
As it happened, he was still there with Heath Lock, with the Redbacks 0-68 off nine overs.
With Scholes’ departure on 33 from 36 balls, signing off with two mighty sixes, Arnold’s slim chances of running down Kingower’s towering score ended as well.
Scholes is an old-time crick-
By GARY WALSH
eter, a wicketkeeper who comes up to the stumps for medium-pacers and a hardhitting batsman who faces the opposition without a helmet.
At 43, he has been playing for Arnold for 15 years, most notably taking an astonishing nine catches in one innings in a successful grand final.
Standing up to medium-pace bowlers – he took a fine catch against Kingower off the faintest of nicks and did not give away a bye – comes naturally to Scholes.
“I’m happy to stand up most of the time depending on the situation of the game,” he said.
“It keeps the batsmen in their crease, and you get more LBWs and stumpings if they go down the wicket.”
If only the cows could milk themselves.
How Redbacks’ veteran milks his early exit from the crease
Glenn Catto, Shasta Maher and Wayne Naughton are the Loddon Valley board’s new faces
Phil Scholes and son Charlie at Arnold on Saturday. LH PHOTO
Hot bats score high
By GARY WALSH
ON A DAY heaven-sent for batsmen – searingly hot weather, with a bone dry and uneven outfield – Kingower and Arnold hitters played their part, racking up a staggering 420 runs between them in an afternoon.
Redbacks skipper Henry McCullough won the toss and surprisingly chose to bowl first.
Kingower’s openers Matt Rowe and Will Deason, who have forged a strong partnership this season, couldn’t believe their luck.
With technically correct Rowe playing the anchor role and Deason swinging the bat, they put together 128 runs before Deason was brilliantly caught behind for 72 by veteran Phil Scholes off the medium pace of Campbell Hancock.
That only brought to the crease the competition’s top run-scorer, ‘Gower captain Jayden Leach.
He thumped 26 runs from 11 balls before holing out at mid-on, with two sixes and three fours from just seven scoring shots.
The pain didn’t end there for the Redbacks, with Kyle Simpson flailing the bat to finish 48 not out from 25 balls.
Meanwhile, Rowe was going calmly about his business, carrying his bat for 81 off 96 balls as Kingower compiled a massive
2-234. It was a mountain too hard to climb for the Redbacks, but led by opener Heath Lock, who made 101 not out off an even 100 balls, they made a brave chase.
A 72-run opening partnership ended when Scholes retired on 33, with Arnold going at seven runs an over. McCullough started strongly
but fell for 13 runs to a blinder at slip from Nick Leach off Rowe, who was having a spectacular day.
Another wicket in the same over to Rowe, with Tim Wright trapped LBW for a duck, signalled the end of Arnold’s chances.
However, Lock persevered despite outstanding fielding from
Kingower, particularly Tynan Hywood and captain Leach, and tight bowling to bring up his century in the last over as the Redbacks battled to an impressive 5-186, a winning score in most circumstances.
Ben Rose took 2-7 off three tight overs as Kingower threatens for top spot.
Gallant Bulls come within an over of big upset
THE SEASON’S biggest upset was loomed until the final overs when Wedderburn held out against a gallant Bridgewater on Saturday.
The Bulls, anchored to the bottom rung of the ladder with just one win, gave the leaders an almighty scare, but in the end fell just 10 runs short of victory in the one-day encounter.
Wickets fell steadily for the Band – at one stage they were 6-64 and chasing the Bulls’ 110 –who relied on veteran Danny Benaim’s top score of 28 to struggle past the century mark.
The Bulls shared around the wickets, with Tom McKinley outstanding in taking 2-12 off his full allocation of seven overs.
Toby and Nic Naughton, and Chas Pickering also took two wickets apiece as the Wedderburn batsmen fell at regular intervals.
The Band’s highest partnership was just 21 runs as batsmen struggled against tight bowling
and good fielding from the young Bridgewater side.
The winning run came late in the 34th over with Wedderburn batting out the match.
The Bulls set a cracking pace in their innings and were cruising at 1-79 on the back of a 72-run second-wicket partnership between Harry McKinley (40) and Toby Naughton (33), but when they were dismissed three runs apart, mayhem ensued.
Bridgewater lost 8-27 and no other batsman made more than five runs, as Cameron Steel (3-11 off seven overs) and Finn Turnbull (2-13 off six) did most of the damage with the ball.
The Bulls had their strong side for the season with Saturday’s form showing the battle for fourth spot is far from over.
For Wedderburn, missing from the line-up in the first match back from the break were Will Holt, Adam Postle, Steve Giorlando and Jimmy Van de Wetering.
Bridgewater’s Jay Bowen. LH PHOTO
Kingower’s Matt Rowe
Loddon HERALD sport
JANUARY 16, 2025
ALL DAY LONG
Lock’s spectacular boundary blitz
THE TENSION was palpable as the final over began in the Arnold versus Kingower in the Upper Loddon cricket clash on Saturday.
Not because the score was close – the Redbacks were 56 runs behind Kingower’s massive 2-234 from its 35 overs.
The tension was down to two men and one over, with Arnold opener Heath Lock on 96 not out and facing opposing captain Jayden Leach, the competition’s top wicket taker for the season.
Redback captain Henry McCullough, who was umpiring at the bowler’s end, discreetly gestured to the pavilion to see how many runs Lock needed for his century. Hands were raised showing four fingers.
A dot ball to begin the over only increased the pressure, leaving Lock with a maximum of five balls to face.
Leach’s second ball was on the money and fizzed at a clearly tiring batsman.
It took the edge, and for a moment it seemed Lock’s dream might be over.
But it flew past the keeper and
By GARY WALSH
rolled to third man and over the boundary, handing the Redback opener a brilliant ton in a losing cause.
Barely able to raise his bat in salute, a weary Lock celebrated his milestone with little fanfare.
His knock began spectacularly, with six boundaries from his first eight scoring shots, and he belted four sixes in all, one landing on the pavilion roof.
Earlier, Kingower opener Matt Rowe also carried his bat, finishing with 81 not out from 96 balls faced.
His opening partner Will Deason made 72 of their 128-run stand as rock-solid Rowe batted calmly and with classical elegance throughout his innings.
His cover driving was a particular pleasure to watch, his right knee kissing the pitch as he followed through, the ball careening across the outfield, almost always on the ground.
It was a rare spectacle to see two players carry their bats in a 35-over contest – and perhaps one not appreciated by the toiling bowlers.
Woodies tighten their grip
INGLEWOOD has strengthened its hold on top spot in Division 5 of the Bendigo bowls competition as the sport resumed on Monday.
The Woodies beat bottom side Golden Square 47-14 to 34-0 to maintain their position ahead of Marong, which defeated Strathfieldsaye.
In Division 1, Inglewood had a rare win against White Hills, 6516 to 48-0, putting the Woodies ahead of their Monday opponent at the tail of the ladder.
Dingee lost narrowly to Bendigo in Division 4, 63-14 to 61-2, while Calivil was beaten heavily by Strathfieldsaye, 81-16 to 43-0. Calivil props up the ladder, while Dingee is third last.
Big day at the crease for Arnold’s Heath Lock. LH PHOTO
