JUNE 6, 2017 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
(Damjan Janevski)
Online hope for lost pets Lost pets from Macedon Ranges and Hobsons Bay are the first to be posted online by the Lost Dogs Home under a new intiative aimed at reuniting more cats and dogs with their owners. The home’s general manager of animal welfare, Dr David Cunliffe, said Strays Online was about increasing pets’ chances of returning home. “When anyone loses their pet … we’re aware that it can be extremely distressing,” he said. “We know that everyone would want to do everything they can to ensure that they get their pet back. It is definitely our aim to expand the service to include all our partner councils and I have agreement from probably about 80 per cent of them to be included as we grow the service.” Dr Cunliffe said Hobsons Bay and Macedon Ranges councils directly reunited registered and micropchipped lost animals with owners where possible. “They’ve got a system where if you are picked up by the ranger and you are registered, you score a free ride home which I think’s brilliant,” he said. But pets that aren’t registered or chipped, or whose chips have not been updated, may end up at the North Melbourne pound. Last year, 384 cats and 282 dogs were brought to the home from Hobsons Bay and Macedon Ranges. ADOPTIONS ATTENDANT CRAIG MEGGS WITH MICKEY
Goya Dmytryshchak
Airfield safety takes off By Serena Seyfort Aircraft safety concerns at Kyneton airfield have prompted Macedon Ranges council to fast-track plans to maintain the airfield and its surroundings. The council has moved to accelerate the completion of its Kyneton Airfield Master Plan for the airfield’s long-term management and to investigate obstacles, including large trees, that could pose safety threats. Kyneton Aeroclub vice-president Warren Canning told Star Weekly action needed to be taken. “It’s got to the stage where the situation can no longer be ignored,” he said.
He said a large tree plantation on the airfield’s northern border was of “immediate concern”. He said that if they did not already, the height of the trees would soon exceed national safety guidelines. “There’s a risk of aircraft impacting the trees, particularly on landing but also on take-off,” he said. The trees could also affect wind-shear at the airfield, he said. At its May meeting, the council passed a motion to protect the airspace at the airfield and ensure obstacles are maintained in line with required standards. Cr Mandi Mees said a “regulatory gap” in the
current council planning scheme meant it only concerned the airfield, not the airspace around it. She said the council needed to promptly address this issue. “We really need to look at dealing with this now,” she said. Council assets and operations director Dale Thornton said he would commission an investigation into the airfield’s obstacles, but predicted the results would not come back before August. A second part to the motion sought the prompt completion of the master plan for the airfield’s long-term management. Cr Mees said it was time for the airfield issues to be resolved.
“It’s time to bring it to a close – so the Kyneton community can have closure,” she said. The airfield master plan process has been under way since September, 2014, when the council decided Kyneton Airfield would remain at the current site. Kyneton Airfield is not a certified or registered aerodrome, therefore pilots are obligated to determine if it is suitable for their use. The council owns the airfield, which is leased by Kyneton Aeroclub. Mr Canning said correspondence with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority had concluded that the airfield’s maintenance fell on the local council.