Weekly update - Friday 13 December 2024

Published on 13 December 2024

COUNCIL MEETING

The December Council Meeting will be held on Tuesday 17 December at 6pm. 

The agenda is available to view at: 

www.centralgoldfields.vic.gov.au/councilmeetings

The meeting will be held in-person at the Maryborough Town Hall and is open to the community to attend. 

The meeting will also be livestreamed to our website at: www.centralgoldfields.vic.gov.au/councilmeetings

HOLIDAY SERVICES

Our Customer Service Centre will close at 2pm on Tuesday 24 December and will re-open at 9am on Thursday 2 January, 2025.

• Urgent after-hours issues that relate to Council infrastructure can be reported on 0419 005 577
• Urgent after-hours issues relating to animal control can be reported on 0407 508 448 (dog attacks, stock on roads and contained dogs only)
• Visitor Centre at Maryborough Railway Station – closed Christmas Day only
• The Nest and the Central Kindergarten Registration Office will close on Friday 20 December and reopen Monday 13 January 
• Libraries, Maternal & Child Health and VicRoads  – closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day
• Please note VicRoads is closed every Friday.

Waste Service Changes

• Waste collection moves forward one day to avoid Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, which fall on Wednesdays this season. Wednesday collections will occur on Thursday instead, while Thursday collections will occur on Friday instead.
• Talbot and Dunolly transfer stations (normally open on Wednesdays) will be closed for Christmas and New Year’s days. Carisbrook is not open Wednesdays.  Bealiba will close on Boxing Day, and open instead on Friday 27 December*.

  *this was misprinted last week, Friday 13 December. We can confirm that Bealiba will open instead on Friday 27 December instead of Boxing Day, 26 December. We apologise for any confusion with that printing error.

For a full list of modified hours visit: www.centralgoldfields.vic.gov.au/holidayhours2024

FREE SUMMER MAGAZINE

Summer has arrived, so you should have received your latest edition of our Community Update, hot off the press.

Every household was mailed a copy - including Santa's, but if you have not received yours, they are available free at our Customer Service Centre, our libraries, the Goldfields Family Centre and our Visitor Centre.

In our latest edition we introduce you to our new Council and share how they can support you over the next four years.

We are also celebrating summer and all the things you can see and do across our Shire during the warm weather - including ways to keep safe.

You can also read our Community Update online at: 

www.centralgoldfields.vic.gov.au/communityupdate

SUMMER FUN

Our summer fun has already started, with a growing list of things to do and places to go for young people thanks to Maryborough Regional Library, Central Goldfields Art Gallery, our Visit Maryborough & Surrounds team and our free outdoor pools. 

To keep up to date visit: 

www.centralgoldfields.vic.gov.au/SummerFun2025

NEILL STREET WORKS

Neill Street, Maryborough (between Clarendon and Campbell streets) will be closed all day today, Friday 13 December from 6.30am to 5.30pm.

As part of the construction of the new hospital, the area must be cleared to allow crane lifting of materials onto the site.

Please follow directions from traffic controllers with patience and courtesy, for everyone’s safety. 

AUSTRALIA DAY MEDALLIONS AND BOOKS

As part of our free, family-friendly Australia Day event in Maryborough, to be held at Station Domain on Sunday 26 January 2025 from 8.30am there will be:

• Medallions presented to all of our new babies born during 2024 
• Kinder books presented to all three and four-year-old children starting kindergarten in 2025.

To register your children for medallions and books visit: www.centralgoldfields.vic.gov.au/australiaday2025

CHRISTMAS PARKING

One thing you don’t want for Christmas is a parking infringement fine. With shopping centres now at their busiest, we’ve employed additional compliance officers to check that drivers are sharing the available parking spaces fairly. 

By enforcing time limits we support local businesses, by ensuring regular availability of convenient parking near their stores. Over-staying the time limit incurs a fine of $65. Penalties for other offences, such as parking illegally or in a disabled space without an approved parking sticker, can be much higher.

Parking Infringement Notices are now reported electronically and then issued by mail. For further information visit:

www.centralgoldfields.vic.gov.au/ParkedOver

FIRE PREVENTION

Our Municipal Fire Prevention Officers (MFPOs) are now returning to inspect properties issued with Fire Prevention Notices over recent weeks.

Landowners were required to carry out specific fuel reduction works by a date on their notice. If they have not complied, we will appoint contractors to complete the works at the landowner’s expense, on top of possible fines.

Our MFPOs are reporting improved compliance this year, with fewer notices issued and some parts of our Shire – such as Talbot and surrounds, in excellent condition.

We encourage all districts to follow Talbot’s example and complete fire reduction work, when safe to do so. If you know of a property that still needs attention, contact our MFPOs on 5461 0610 or ‘Report a Problem’ online by visiting:

www.centralgoldfields.vic.gov.au/Report-a-problem

SLASHING PROGRESS REPORT

This week slashing has continued into Cotswold, Mount Cameron, Craigie and Moolort, with a second crew now working down from the north around Bealiba, Dunluce and Moliagul.

The progress map shows:

• GREEN areas – completed
• YELLOW areas – to be slashed 3 metres either side
• BLUE areas – to be slashed from fence line to fence line, as per advice from CFA and Forest Fire Management Victoria.
• PINK areas – in progress at time of information capture (Wednesday 11 December)