News
Page 8 The Moorabool News – 22 February, 2022
Email - news@themooraboolnews.com.au
More than just a pub feed By Lachlan Ellis Like the rest of the hotel hospitality industry, Ballan’s Great Western Hotel has taken a huge hit during the pandemic – but the pub is bouncing back, with a revamped menu and a new head chef. The local pub was closed for five months during COVID with lockdowns and unworkable density limits, but is back better than ever with a new, updated menu that focuses both on quality and value for money. Owner Mitch Duncan said the Great Western was focusing on providing a great dining experience the whole community can enjoy. “I’d call our menu ‘bistro food, with pub influences’…we have pub classics like fish and chips, schnitzel, and lamb shoulder…it’s just beautiful food,” Mr Duncan told the Moorabool News. “There’s a lot more on our new menu in the $25 - $35 range. If you want to come down for a great night out, you can. If you want to nick down for a pub classic, you can do that t00. We’re accessible for everyone.” New head chef Clive Kirby – who ran Buninyong’s Pig & Goose for seven years – said a new lunch menu would include lighter and cheaper options, with plans for weekend breakfasts also in the works, depending on staff availability.
Find out if you need a permit (L-R) Proprietor Mitch Duncan with Great Western Ballan chef Clive Kirby. Photo – Helen Tatchell “It’s more of a bistro menu, with a fine dining aspect in this environment. Our food is modern Australian, which covers everything. Australia, Melbourne especially, is very eclectic, it’s the merging of flavours from lots of cultures. That’s the type of food we serve,” Mr Kirby said. “Wherever we can we source food locally, and I bake sourdough every day. Our food is fresh, it’s clean, it’s tasty. We’ve got Italian nights, bingo, and Sunday roasts. It’s about bringing the whole family together.
“We’re making the lunch menu accessible for people price-wise, but we’re also making it snackier … you might have an open steak sandwich, fish and chips, poached chicken salad … something quick and easy, while the dinner menu will be more substantial.” The Great Western is open for lunch Wednesday to Sunday, and for dinner Wednesday to Saturday. For more information, visit www. greatwesternhotelballan.com.au.
Sent – 15th Feb
How are you?
Council launched the ‘Do I need a permit?’ page in January, which helps residents figure out some of the trickier topics such as planning zones, overlays, and the difference between building and planning permits. You should check your title and any restrictions or other conditions on your property before using the page, but it offers a useful guide. For example, you could check if you were allowed to remove a tree on your property on the page by answering whether the tree is a native species, whether Bushfire Management Overlay is listed on your property, and if your property is on the Heritage Overlay. Depending on your answers, the site would then give you an idea of whether you will need a permit. To give it a try, visit www.moorabool.vic.gov.au and search ‘Do I need a permit?’.
Sent – 23rd Feb
Getting there.
Eliza (work) – 1st Feb
You used to have to call the Building and Planning team to work out if your DIY plans needed a permit from Council – but a new webpage now makes finding out easier than ever.
Glad I’m back!
Eliza (work) – 20th Feb
See you soon.
The sooner you get in touch after an injury, the better the return to work journey. If you’re recovering from a psychological or physical workplace injury, or if you are an employer supporting an injured worker, make contact as soon as possible. It just takes a few simple words to make a big difference. The sooner, the better. worksafe.vic.gov.au/thesoonerthebetter