Protest banner wraps tree

A NEW resident hopes to reverse community agreement on removal of a tree as Pyramid Hill’s new streetscape takes shape.

Kathryn Weeks and partner Al Keely last week draped a banner around the Kelly Street tree and started a petition to have it retained.

Ms Weeks, who said they were long-term ratepayers about to move to town, claimed local people had been in the dark about the tree’s fate.

“We only got here yesterday ... we came out of the shop and saw a big cross on the tree,” Ms Weeks said last Wednesday.

“I was then up all night making a ‘save the tree’ banner.

“The tree provides beautiful shade and the (new) crossing could be changed to make it closer to the toilets. There could be a beautiful seat at the side of the tree where people can rest.

“People have no idea the tree is going to be removed.

“The tree is so majestic ... we have to keep these trees alive,” Ms Weeks said.

She said the two-person protest was “sticking up for the next generation ... trees keep up alive”.

Loddon Shire Council consulted with the Pyramid Hill community before final designs for the $1.58 million project.

The tree with branches overhanging shop verandahs was marked for removal as it is inconsistent with other tree species in the street.

Work is continuing in Lions Park and Kelly Park that will be linked by a new pedestrian crossing.

Council director 0perations, Steven Phillips said: “The tall pine tree near the shops in Pyramid Hill has long been the subject of requests for its removal. The streetscape renewal project will see it replaced with a more appropriate tree for the location.”

Community consultation started in December 2020 and continued through 2021.

A community meeting recorded there was consensus the pine tree “had to go and had quite a lot of support amongst the town as the works have been previously requested”.

Early car enthusiasts set Calder course north Road rebuilding

A 3KM section of PrairieRochester will be rebuilt under what the State Government has dubbed the third round of its emergency road repair blitz.

The road was damaged in October’s floods and the Government has allocated $3 million for work.

VINTAGE cars will hit the Calder Highway on Sunday when their motoring enthusiast owners set travel for Inglewood.

Members of three Victorian clubs will be taking part in their inaugural pre-World War Two motoring weekend when they arrive at Inglewood Recreation Reserve at lunchtime Sunday.

The rally by Vintage Drivers Club, Vintage Sports Car Club of Victoria and Veteran Car Club of Australia (Victoria) is part of three days of activities in central Victoria coinciding with national motoring heritage day on Saturday.

Vehicles on Saturday will be driven to Australia’s first notable

Safety grant bid on talk radar

TALKS will be held about Inglewood community putting in an application for a share of $600,000 in new road safety funding.

Inglewood Development and Tourism president Peter Moore said the committee would discuss whether to seek State Government funding to install speed check signs in Brooke Street.

Mr Moore and other community leaders have been campaigning for a reduced 40kmh speed limit through town since a B-Double rollover closed the Calder Highway on New Year’s Eve.

town Maldon while they will depart Inglewood the next day from Bendigo for the 41km drive along the Calder Highway to Bendigo.

Deb Roberts, of Cousin Jack’s Bakery, has been engaged to cater for drivers and passengers with locally-made pies, pasties and slices before they make the return trip.

The State Government last week announced the opening of its 2023 TAC road safety grants program giving “community groups the opportunity to identity road safety issues in their area and implement solutions, by coming up with a project to overcome them”. Transport Accident Commission CEO Joe Calafiore said: “Local road safety issues are often best dealt with at a local level, and community-based road safety programs are important in reducing road trauma.”