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21 NOVEMBER, 2023
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Lions fest set to roar The annual Lions Gisborne Festival will return on December 8, for another year of community activities and festival fun. Club member Russell Walker said the festival has been running for about 50 years and the night will conclude with a firework display to keep the colourful tradition alive. “Last year there were about 5000 people, [and we’re] hoping for similar numbers,” Mr Walker said, “we think with all the free activities it should still be a good attraction for families to attend. “[The festival will] consist of a street parade with local groups, floats, Santa of course, a monster truck and monster dragon. The Bendigo Chinese lions will also be in the parade and perform, and we have a stilt walker. On the ground there will be live music, and entertainment [and] free kids activities including face painting.” Live music from local musicians will include a performance by Gisborne country music artist Craig Lloyd. The free event will be held at Gardiner Reserve from 4.30pm to 9.30pm. Gisborne festival Lions Club president Russell Walker and member Marilyn Bryce. (Damjan Janevski) 371262_02
Development killing roos By Zoe Moffatt Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network volunteers have called on council and developers to take native wildlife into account when building estates, amid increasing reports of dead and injured kangaroos. Woodend resident Karl Dawson is part of a small group of volunteer rescuers and carers throughout and surrounding the Macedon Ranges. He used to live in Sunbury and said many Macedon Ranges towns are now experincing the same residential and commercial development as Sunbury, which is displacing native wildlife.
“I watched over the years as developers started and you could see there wasn’t planning for the movements of wildlife,” Mr Dawson said. “You end up with the situation where you have new estates built that kangaroos previously had as their home, they then try to cross busy roads and end up getting hit. “It’s not that there’s been a large increase, they are just now finding themselves in estates that used to be their home. “That was back in Sunbury, it’s now in Woodend, Gisborne, New Gisborne [and] Romsey.” Wildlife Victoria said it has recorded a 30 per cent increase in kangaroo cases reported
Mary-Anne Thomas MP Member for Macedon 12589601-HC35-23
to its Emergency Response Service since 2021 in the Macedon Ranges. “At least 50 per cent of all kangaroo cases reported in the past three years were the result of vehicle collisions,” the spokesperson said. “Wildlife Victoria has been working with Macedon Ranges council as part of a Road Toll Reduction Pilot Project since mid-year and will be involved in a council-led community forum on the issue in 2024.” Mr Dawson said the Gisborne area is one of the major hotspots at the moment based on the calls to Wildlife Victoria, and he would like to see more action from council and Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas. “I would think it’s probably a council
problem, and something that Mary-Anne should instruct developers and council on,” he said. “The developers need to be instructed and lead on how they should accommodate our native wildlife. [We] would like to see councils plan for wildlife corridors. “We’ve seen kangaroos break jaws and legs by trying to go through fences… especially if they get spooked by cars, dogs or people. We get a lot of dog attacks as well. “It’s the volunteers that are now having to try and go and take care of it… We’re trying to do this in our spare time as most of us also have full time jobs.” Continued page 7