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proudly serving Sunbury and Macedon Ranges
5 MARCH, 2024
Show time! Mount Macedon’s annual Autumn Flower and Produce Show will return from March 16 to 17, boasting more than a century of horticultural history. The free show is open to all residents in the Macedon Ranges, with no charge for entries, and entries from children especially welcome. Mount Macedon and District Horticultural Society president Stephen Ryan still remembers attending the annual show and the excitement that lingered after submitting an entry as a young child. “It’s very nostalgic because some of my earliest memories was entering as a young child… it was highly exciting,” he said. “I guess it sort of hooked me to being a part of a horticultural society in the first place.” And hooked Stephen was. He became president of the society when he was 19 and attended both milestone celebrations. “I was at the 50th birthday party as a 10 year old. For me to have been there at that one and the 100th one, there has to be some record there,” he said laughing. “[The show] is like an old fashioned country fair. It’s unashamedly slightly daggy… [but] a great way for children to become engaged in horticulture.” Visitors are welcome on Saturday afternoon, and on Sunday when Devonshire teas will be available. It will be held in the society’s hall at 583 Mount Macedon Road, Mount Macedon. Details: https://www. mountmacedonhorticulture.org.au/ Zoe Moffatt
Mount Macedon and District Horticultural Society president Stephen Ryan. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 390552_03
Power battle in motion By Zoe Moffatt Hume councillors debated the importance of who gets to raise issues at council meetings, following a push and pull to lead the advocacy for a Jacksons Hill Master plan update. Councillor Jarrod Bell raised a notice of motion that council write to both Sunbury MP Josh Bull and and the Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny, seeking an update on progress on the implementation of the Jacksons Hill Master plan.
This follows councillor Trevor Dance’s notice of motion on February 12, which failed to attract as seconder, that “council write to Josh Bull asking why Jacksons Hill has seen no improvement or works done to open this majestic site that is rotting away since the master plan was approved”. In “the spirit of cooperation and collaboration,” Cr Bell offered Cr Dance the opportunity to move the officer recommendation in the meeting’s agenda. Cr Dance accepted the offer and said
public pressure has been applied “which was good to see”. “Everyone knew I obviously raised a similar notice of motion… and for the first time ever this term no councillors in the chamber even bothered to second it,” he said. “Obviously there’s been a lot of public pressure out there in the last weeks… but Cr Bell has gone a bit of a way to amend that tonight… so I thank him for that.” Cr Bell said he understood why there may have been some confusion across the
chamber and community as to why he submitted this notice of motion that was so similar to Cr Dance’s previous notice. “I disagreed with some of the underlying functions and the claims and I was planning on seeking a number of amendments in line with the content of my notice of motion being put forward to us tonight,” he said. “I do not think it correct or proper to second a motion that I fully agreed to amending.” ■ Continued: Page 3.
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