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Inspired ideas on Maldon's Main Street!
Media release 10 September 2019
Musicians, performers and inspired ideas on Maldon’s Main Street
Join the Carnivale on Maldon’s Main Street on Sunday 22 September for a fun afternoon of music, performance and inspiration for a safer, healthier and cleaner environment.
From 12pm to 3pm, the heritage shopping and café strip will be car-free, transforming into a festival of ideas for sustainable living, with innovative exhibitors, children’s activities and live performances all on offer, including:
For music and fun: DJ Wind-up – grooving to the gramophone; The Zucchini Clan’s Miss Lily Green – flaunting her blend of acoustic sounds and contemporary electronica; The Royal Jelly Roller – getting on her roller-skates!; Castlemaine Circus’ Amazing Mr Fish – making the most of Maldon’s car-free ambience to roam free; Dodgem trikes – offering up tricycles for peddling amid the hay bales; and Games in the Street – ping pong or giant chess anyone?
For inspiration: Maldon Bicycles – helping you back on your bike or find the perfect reconditioned one; Maldon Cherry Farm – inviting you to plant up some "good bug mix" for your gardens; The EnviroShop – answering your questions on everything from solar and battery storage systems to energy and water conservation; Newstead Natives – offering up their wealth of knowledge on local indigenous plants; Castlemaine Repair Cafe – promoting their fantastic landfill-fighting household goods repair service; and Boomerang Bags – for a great plastic-free shopping alternative.
For Maldon: Maldon businesses will be showcasing their sustainable wares, among them vintage merchants Tansley & Co – who note that buying a new chest of drawers has a carbon footprint 16 times higher than an antique equivalent – and Portia and Co., whose handmade and locally sourced gifts and homewares are a gorgeous alternative to emissions from mass production and global freight.
For climate action: Find out how you can help to create a safer, healthier and cleaner environment with Maldon Climate Action Network, Mount Alexander Climate Emergency Team, Plastic Bag Free Castlemaine, Climate Flags, Farmers For Climate Action and Coliban Water.
Visitors are encouraged to walk, cycle, catch the bus or train, or car pool to the event, with prizes on offer for those making it to Main Street in creative and sustainable ways. Baringhup-Maldon Community Bus will also be offering free transport for local residents – phone 5475 2093 to book. Visitors from further afield can catch Castlemaine Bus Lines’ Castlemaine–Maldon bus (Route 4), walk or cycle the 17.7km scenic trail linking Castlemaine and Maldon, or catch the Victorian Goldfield’s historic steam train, which is offering a 10% discount for pre-booked online tickets (promo code CARFREE).
Held to coincide with World Car Free Day, the Car-free Carnivale is an initiative of Maldon Climate Action Network (CAN) in partnership with Maldon Neighbourhood Centre. Both thank Maree Edwards MP – State Member for Bendigo West – for sponsoring the event, which will be carbon offset through the Carbon Neutral Charitable Fund.
For more information: facebook.com/maldoncan
Media enquiries: Melanie Scaife, Maldon Climate Action Network, Mobile 0439 088 458
From the committee
So much has happened at the Maldon Neighbourhood Centre (MNC) over the past year that it’s hard to know quite where to start. I have taken on the role of President when Jenny Merkus retired after six years on the Committee. The Neighbourhood Centre owes a great debt of gratitude to Jenny for the depth and breadth of experience she brought to its governance and to strengthening its position as a welcoming place of learning and gathering in Maldon.
One of the major things we achieved in the second half of 2018 was to develop a new Strategic Plan for the Centre. The old plan guided development of the Centre until the end of 2018. It was wonderful to have so many people join us for a packed day of planning, dreaming, wishing and hoping about what the Neighbourhood Centre could be and could offer the community over the next two and a half years. It became clear from that process, that happy, healthy, productive communities need a healthy environment if they are to flourish. Our resulting Strategic Plan has an emphasis on the importance of recognising and adapting to changes in our environment as we further develop connections between the various groups of people in Maldon and its surrounds. The Strategic Plan is available on the Maldon Neighbourhood Centre website.
The extra programs and services that the Centre would like to deliver in line with the new Strategic Plan will require some additional staffing hours to provide assistance for our tireless Coordinator, Amy. It is exciting to announce that Kir Larwill will join us as a Program Support Worker from mid June. Kir brings experience of Neighbourhood Houses and community development that she has gained over a number of years. She will be working twelve hours a week in the first instance. Please make her welcome when you next visit.
Remember, you are always welcome to drop in to Maldon Neighbourhood Centre – maybe for no other reason than just because it’s warm and there is a coffee machine.
Pam Millwood
President, Maldon Neighbourhood Centre Committee of Management
Caring for local children
The Occasional Childcare service at the Maldon Neighbourhood Centre has been caring for the children of Maldon, Baringhup, Castlemaine and surrounds for many years. It is lovely to see the connections and friendships that start so young and continue throughout childhood as children head to pre-school, primary school and beyond. Occasional childcare is unique as families can book their children in as needed - there is no requirement to book every week and once enrolled, we accept children with only 1 week notice.
This year we transitioned to a new funding model and eligible families can now access the Childcare Subsidy (CCS) from the Federal government meaning that our service is now much more affordable with low to middle income families paying no more than $25 per day – and in some instances as little as $7.50 per day! Come and meet with us today to discuss how to enroll your child(ren) and to meet our friendly, qualified staff.
We are lucky in Maldon to have the Occasional Childcare service operating every Monday from 9.30am – 2.30pm and now we go through the school holidays too! We close for just 4 weeks over Christmas and January. During school holidays in Autumn, Winter and Spring we are able to take up to 6 primary school aged children which can just take the pressure off!
Many families rely on our service to provide them with an opportunity to pursue study, work or just a break for a few hours. Children love coming to the Occasional Childcare service where there are so many activities, a great play space and of course, friends!
Find out more about our Occasional Childcare service from our website: http://www.maldonnc.org.au/childrensactivities/occasional-child-care Or get in touch today on 5475 2093 or info@maldonnc.org.au
Choosing Tarrangower’s Future
The 2015 Tarrangower Community Plan has been wildly successful; not only did it highlight the most important things for people living in Tarrangower but it identified projects for making Tarrangower even better.
Many community groups have used the Plan to guide their own work as well as to advocate to funding bodies and governments the community need for project support, helping to bring dollars into our community.
But what is a Community Plan? It’s an opportunity for US to define what are the most important priorities for developing OUR district; focussing on the local economy, environment, community groups, heritage and more.
Now it is time for another 5 year community plan and to take a look at what is important to Maldon, Baringhup, Walmer, Muckleford, Nuggettys and the surrounding localities so we can work towards making our community an even better place to live and visit.
The Tarrangower Community Forum Steering Committee is calling for passionate locals to lead the development of another Tarrangower Community Plan. Please email tarrangowercommunityforum@gmail.com if you are interested in being part of the community plan leadership team or feel free to speak with current community members Peter Strang (phone 0408 181 114), Pam Millwood or Amy Atkinson, MNC representative (phone 5475 2093).
