Yea Tueday 9th February 9.50am

Mayor’s Comment

Since the February 2009 fires this community has been under intense scrutiny from government and the media, ranging from reasons as to why the fires occurred and how we responded, to the sense of loss we have all suffered. The media coverage has been constant with the standard of coverage ranging from intrusive to compassionate. During the last week this coverage has been so intense that every waking moment, the memories of that day have been brought to the surface and projected into the public arena.

The community events of remembrance held in our community ranged from private to public community gatherings. For me the surprise was not the respect the media paid to the events, but the number of people who had been previous residents of the shire who had returned  for the day. This desire to reconnect with their former acquaintances and friends was so strong, but they had previously felt unease at coming back. The number of faces of new residents was also noticeable.  We will never forget the loss of family and friends and we will all move forward at the pace we choose, but in one sense a line has been drawn by the community.

As individuals and a community we can see the physical re-growth in our areas. The next year will see the completion of rebuilding our upgraded infrastructure. Like all of us I look forward to a bright future for our Shire and all its residents.

Yea Monday 8th February 9.00am

AFL Football Comes to Yea

The AFL has announced the potential contenders of the first NAB Challenge match in regional Victoria for 2010, to be played at the Yea Recreation Reserve on Saturday 27th February.

The following losers of the opening round of the NAB Cup will be heading into the countryside for the benefit of local supporters and footy fans in the Murrindindi Shire.

Geelong/North Melbourne vs Hawthorn/Richmond

For more information, click here.

Yea Friday 5th February 2.50pm

Play Putt Putt

This will drive you crazy; You will become addicted.

Click here to play.

Thanks Elky

Yea Thursday 4th February 12.30pm

BLACK SATURDAY: ONE YEAR ON

|Fran Bailey| One year on from Black Saturday, bushfire-affected communities are entitled to rate the Brumby Government’s response as high on spin and “events” but sadly low on action.

One year on, there is no effective and ongoing fuel reduction program to provide communities with any degree of comfort.

One year on, there are no safe havens at schools in fire-prone areas.

One year on, many local communities do not have designated Neighbourhood Safer Places.

One year on, the CFA website continues to provide inaccurate and out-of-date information on fires.

One year on, Victoria remains without an adequate and efficient telephone warning system when West Australia’s already-tested technology could be introduced.

One year on, the Government’s Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority has morphed into yet another bureaucracy that has become an obstacle to rebuilding, delaying and thwarting community plans for their towns.

One year on, promised new schools at Marysville and Strathewen have not materialised from the pretty pictures trotted out by the Premier.

One year on, barely 10 per cent of homes in Marysville are beginning to be rebuilt.

One year on, residents cannot buy petrol in Kinglake.

One year on, the Government  and VBRRA have no incentive for investment in business and economic development of bushfire-affected communities and the creation of local jobs.

One year on, there are insufficient health support services in the communities.

 “The majority of progress in the bushfire-affected communities is due to the persistence and determination of local people,” member for McEwen Fran Bailey said.

 “The best way forward is for the Government-imposed bureaucracy to be replaced with skilled local people on boards independent of government.

 “Otherwise, two years on from Black Saturday,  the anger and frustration in our communities will be greater.”

Yea Wednesday 3rd February 1.20pm

Yea Tuesday 2nd February 3.55pm

Yea Tennis Club 2010 Summer Competition Fixture

You can view or print the Yea Tennis Club 2010 Summer Competition Teams and Fixtures from here or under "SPORT" on the left menu.

Yea Monday 1st February 3.30pm

Mayor’s Chair

Council held its first formal meeting for 2010 on 27 January with considerable public input during the Open Forum session. It is very pleasing to see the start of the year commence in this fashion.

At it’s meeting, the council resolved to approve a planning permit for the Kinglake West General store after giving consideration to objections. Council also resolved to extend the hours of certain Council facilities such as libraries and swimming pools on days of significant fire danger. The intention is not to make these facilities available for refuge but to extend the availability of recreational services for those who have chosen to come to a larger town on these days.

Council also considered the CFA Township Protection Plan for Eildon and agreed to append it to Council’s Emergency Management Plan, Council also plan to undertake further communication with the Eildon Community over the issue of identifying ‘safer places of last resort’ in Eildon.

Recently I spent time with a parliamentary delegation from Aichi Prefecture in Japan who have a sister relationship with Victoria. Although Aichi Prefecture bases their disaster planning around earthquakes, the information supplied by our local brigades and community members was found to be very valuable.

On 28 January Cr. John Walsh and I met with the Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Fergusson and State Minister Tim Holding in Narbethong along with recreation and tourism leaders to announce commitments to Mitchell and Murrindindi Shires. It was a good opportunity for local leaders to talk to the ministers on a one on one basis.

Kinglake Ranges Community radio was officially launched on 29 January and I suggest that everyone who is traveling through the area tune into 94.5FM for local news and comment.

In the lead up to the anniversary of the February 2009 bushfires I co-launched a book on the fires in the Kinglake Ranges and surrounds with Barry Jones. The book was written by Senior Age Journalist Karen Kissane who was in Kinglake during the first week after the fires. The book tells the stories of individuals and their actions but relates them also to the evidence given at the Royal Commission as to what was happening behind the scenes. Whilst I have not been able to bring myself to read the many newspaper articles printed during the time of the fires, I found that I could read this book even though it brought back many emotional memories.

Leading up to the anniversary of the fires I know that many communities have arranged low key events and I know that everyone will respect the communities and individuals involved. Personally I plan to begin my day with my brigade then will attend two local events, not as Mayor but as a community member. The rest on the day will be spent with family and friends.

While we can all see the physical scars of the fire and how the recovery is taking place, it’s the emotional scars that will take much longer to heal. The first anniversary will bring these issues closer to the surface for all of us and we need to look after one other.

Yea Friday 29th January 10.45am

Mayor’s Comment

I guess it will be no surprise to anyone that the community event of the week was the visit of Prince William to Kinglake West and his community BBQ at Flowerdale. The prince visited a local business burnt out during the fires then attended a community gathering at Flowerdale. He helped with the cooking of the lunch and then mixed with the crowd. What was very noticeable was that whilst security was very visible outside the event it was very low during his time with the community. Anyone could approach him and talk and most did. He sat and ate with the locals and spent almost two hours in Flowerdale. After seeing his cricket skills I cannot see how we lost the ashes, but his endeavour was good.

I have previously been at events where his parents were present and the participants showed the same enthusiasm and joy then as they did in Flowerdale. The response to celebrity rock stars etc is different and unless you are there you cannot explain it. In talking to people his visit certainly lifted their spirits and it is just unfortunate that he could not visit other parts of the shire.

It was great to see so many out and about enjoying the numerous Australia Day events held across the shire. I would like to say thank you to our Australia Day Ambassadors and the community groups that helped organise and run the events. Congratulations to our award winners. I’m not sure at this time whether the Kinglake Ambassador, Master Chef Marcus Moore, was surprised by the breakfast we provided or our attempts to convince him to return next year to upgrade our efforts. I will work on that one.

Councillors have been involved in numerous meetings over the past weeks including planning inspections and general discussions with residents and various arms of government. I hope these discussions will lead to a more collective approach to the shire’s and communities issues.

I would also like to invite anyone who lives or drives through the Kinglake ranges to tune into Kinglakes Community Radio(94.5FM) which will be officially launched on 29 January at 5pm.

Finally, what do you get when you place a Prince, a politician and a local Flowerdale identity in charge of a BBQ. Answer: Burnt sausages.

Cr Peter Beales
Mayor

Yea Thursday 28th January 3.45pm

Poker Machines for Yea?

|Karen Anstey| It has been brought to our attention by a yea.com.au reader that an announcement relating to the application of a licence to operate 10 poker machines in Yea was published recently in the Melbourne Sun.

An excerpt from the notice reads..."If this application is successful it is proposed to operate 10 gaming machines between 11 a.m and 11 p.m, 7 days per week at the Royal Mail Hotel, 88 High Street Yea."

If you wish to read the announcement in full, go here and in the keyword search box enter "Royal Mail".

Yea Wednesday 27th January 11.15am

Black Saturday Anniversary

Reflections from Hon Fran Bailey MP

Our flag flutters from letterboxes, fenceposts and trees along our roads – an enduring and binding tribute to the resilience of our communities in the 12 months since that fateful February day we now call Black Saturday.

Their resilience was tested like never before on February 7, 2009. And it has been severely challenged many times since as they struggle to slowly rebuild lives, homes and entire towns.

The progress has been slow, painfully so, for many communities. A year on Kinglake is still without a petrol station, Marysville still waits for a school and new shops. And people in each community have had to battle ever increasing bureaucracy and building permits based on new building standards that still can’t deliver the required roofing and window materials.

Many people want to stay and rebuild but it simply shouldn’t be so difficult and for many, they need employment that can only come with the return of businesses and tourists.

Some have decided that life for them is no longer in the areas devastated by the fury of Black Saturday. Their decision to move on is made with the knowledge their place in the community had earned them respect and forever will they hold strong ties with those who remain.

This Sunday’s first anniversary of Black Saturday will be a moment of reflection – remembering those who perished in the inferno, recollecting stories of survival and giving thanks to the heroic efforts of our emergency service and relief volunteers who battled nature’s fury and provided aid while the fire raged and in those debilitating days  and weeks afterwards.

This Sunday, our communities will be at the forefront for all Australians, not just by family and friends but by the same from right across our nation people who rallied like never before to support our communities in time of need.

But it will also be a time to respect the privacy of people in our communities after a year in the spotlight. It is important they be allowed to remember, grieve and unite at this time in ways they feel appropriate.

The anniversary also provides the moment for a change in approach to the reconstruction of our communities, a task that has been too painfully slow and presented with unnecessary obstacles to recovery through the centralised bureaucracy of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority.

Our communities desperately need a new body, independent of government, comprising local people with the skills to drive their community’s recovery and reconstruction in the direction and manner their communities want for their future. Only such a body, independent of government, has the ability to ensure funding is delivered and targeted to community needs.

VBRRA is an arm of government, an extra layer of increasing bureaucracy, operating at a frustratingly slow pace and dismissive of community ideas and visions for the future. Communities must be allowed to drive reconstruction of their towns.

We must finally learn the lessons that will be at the forefront of our minds over the coming days. The graphic descriptions of Black Saturday 2009 were so similar to the recorded observations of massive fires that engulfed Victoria in 1851 and 1939,

The most disastrous fires in Australia’s history have been in Victoria, and particularly communities in my electorate of McEwen. Tragically, more than half those who have perished in those fires since 1851, including Ash Wednesday in 1983, were from our local communities.

We must be more vigilant in better protecting our people. Since February 7, those with practical local knowledge and bushfire behaviour experts have constantly raised the failure of government agencies to reduce fuel loads along our roads and on forest floors.

Victoria’s current one-dimensional approach to fuel reduction – burn-offs – is at odds with proactive overseas programs and the primary responsibility we all share to keep people safe, a non-negotiable priority already identified by the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.

Our communities should be allowed take charge of reducing highly-combustible fuel loads by forming local armies of volunteers.

Governments and fire-fighting agencies need to broaden attitudes by embracing world-class fire detection technology. My studies overseas last year on fuel reduction and fire detection have achieved trials of this technology in Australia over the summer.

But there remains a distinct reluctance of fire agency bureaucrats to install the technology that can detect fires quicker and have our amazing local brigade volunteers better equipped with information and resources to beat the summer peril.

The Black Saturday anniversary will allow our communities to reflect on a day that tested our people like never before, a year of challenges we hope future generations will never face.

We can all draw infinite strength from the past 12 months and apply the wisdom of those experiences for the future protection and safety of our people.

Hon Fran Bailey MP

Federal member for McEwen

Yea Monday 25th January 3.55pm

Impressive Card Trick

Yea Friday 22nd January 1.10pm

Definition of Love - As Told by Children

“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.” Mary Ann – age 4

“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” Terri – age 4

“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,” Nikka – age 6

You can read more here.

Yea Thursday 21st January 8.40am

New Item For Sale

You can view it here.

Yea Tuesday 19th January 11.00am

The Most Useless Machine Ever

You can view The Most Useless Machine Ever here.

Yea Monday 18th January 1.15pm

Yea Camera Club Photo of the Month

Photo by Alan Cole

Photo of the month this month was voted best picture in The Camera Club's recent Scavenger Hunt Competition.

Photographer Alan Cole entered this photo under the subject "Insects".

Yea Thursday 14th January 1.10pm

Daffy Duck Parachute Jump

Addictive Daffy Duck Game - Try not to spend all day at it....

Play it here.

Thanks Gail

Yea Wednesday 13th January 1.30pm

2 New Items For Sale

You can view them here.

Yea Tuesday 12th January 1.00pm

Animal Photography

28 Examples of Excellent Animal Photography Shots.

View them here.

Yea Monday 11th January 10.30am

Mayor’s Chair

What a way to end 2009 and start 2010 – with heavy rain in all parts of the Shire and extensive flooding in Alexandra. Sixty millimeters was reported to have fallen in twenty minutes in the Alexandra area and in some areas nearby there was a combined total of 170 millimeters.

The flood damage to Alexandra and surrounds has been extensive to private property, businesses and Council buildings such as the Alexandra library. The work to repair damage has been rapid and on Monday when I walked down the main street of Alexandra, the crowds of tourists would have been hard pressed to realise that the flood had occurred. I congratulate everyone on their efforts over the weekend to get most things back to as close to normal as could be expected.

In response to numerous requests, Council is extending the offer of free disposal of green waste and hard waste materials at its Resource Recovery Centres (Transfer Stations).

All residents and property owners in the Murrindindi Shire will now have the opportunity to dispose of green waste and hard waste materials free of charge until 31 January 2010. For full details on this offer please contact the council office or visit the website at www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au .

The end of 2009 finished in a flurry of meetings for Councillors in Melbourne and within the Shire, culminating in Council agreeing to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the State Government for financial assistance. The full impacts of this MOU should be worked through shortly and the financial implications for the Shire and its residents will then be known.

The New Year has started with Councillors spending most of their time addressing local issues with residents. The formal process of regular meetings starts at 10.30am on 13 January 2010 at Kinglake West with the first meeting of the Murrindindi Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery – Section 86 Committee, which is open to the public and welcomes public input.

I hope all residents of the Shire had a restful Christmas/New Year period and the chance to spend time with family and friends. I also hope that the New Year brings more visible signs of rebuilding and regrowth for our communities.

Yea Saturday 9th January 4.40pm

New Item For Sale

You can view it here.

Yea Thursday 7th January 9.00am

Highlands/Caveat Groundwater That Goes into Bottled Water!

|Stuart Reid| Never mind the North South pipeline, what about the litres of water that have been and continues to be extracted from the Highlands/Caveat groundwater and used for bottled water.

It is clear from anecdotal evidence from land owners around the district that creeks have less volume than 10 years ago, some springs have dried up and bores need to go deeper. Rainfall records taken over the last 10 to 15 years also indicate that the average annual rainfall in this area has fallen. Already this year, unless we received a much higher than average rainfall in the next few months, we could be facing yet another dry year. We also know that some landowners already have to buy in water during the summer months. The signs of less available water are all about us, as we watch mature trees suddenly die in the forest and by the roadside.

This district in the past, so well endowed with good rainfall and available ground and surface water, is now facing a serious water problem. A situation that is liable to get worse rather than better.

Despite all this around 80,000 litres (varying according to seasonal demand) of groundwater is extracted from the Caveat bore every week and transported to a distant factory.

(On another matter there have been frequent complaints of the aggressive road manners of the truck drivers who come each week to transport the water.)

The Highlands/Caveat groundwater is being exploited for the sake of a commercial fad, not to mention the environmental tragedy created by the plastic bottles.

What we can do about this as a community?

The owners of the property and the bore pay appropriately for the water rights and it is true that theirs is a legitimate commercial enterprise. The question is whether it is a moral enterprise given the pressure it places on the district’s groundwater in a time of reducing water availability. In our day and age is it right that one person or company has the right to exploit resources to the detriment of legitimate and basic community needs. Many would claim with good reason that bottled water is unnecessary and wasteful of resources.

Please contact me with your views Stuart Reid 5796 9358 kadumbla@mac.com

Yea Tuesday 5th January 11.20am

Water Drop Bounces

Yea Saturday 2nd January 8.30am

Yea Water Supply Outage

|Karen Anstey| For those town residence who may not have water this morning, I have been informed after speaking to Goulburn Valley Water that there is a burst water main in Lyons Street and technicians are working on fixing the problem within the next 3 hours (estimate only).

For further information, you can contact Goulburn Valley Water on their Service Faults & Difficulties Line on Freecall 1800 45 45 00.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

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