Mansfield Courier
In my role as a journalist at the Mansfield Courier, I'm tasked with planning, pitching, writing and editing a wide variety of stories (arts, politics, sport, tourism) for the newspaper and other North East Media publications. This involved writing national and state stories with a local perspective including local, state and national budgets as well as building up contacts. I wrote both long and short form stories as well as advertorial content and also helped drive traffic to tourism publications both online and in print by developing a distribution strategy and through my stories. Below are a some highlights of my work.
New gallery to bring a unique perspective on High Country art
Charles Wilcox didn’t necessarily expect to be a highly-successful artist.
“It’s a funny story,” he remarks.
The artist was working in Yackandandah and would collect driftwood on his days off work.
One day he made a driftwood fish.
“Someone said, ‘I really liked that, would you be interested in selling it?’” he said.
From there, Charles has never really looked back.
Sixty years is a long time by any measure.
For Trevor and Jan Wright however, it feels like yesterday when they got married.
The Goughs Bay couple met in the schoolyards of Coburg, tying the knot in their early twenties.
Proposed Delatite Valley Progress Association moves forward
The Delatite Valley Association is one step closer to formation after some 53 people met to discuss associating as a formal organisation earlier this month.
The meeting, held at the Sebel Pinnacle Valley on November 1, discussed the process to incorporate the group and the direction that prospective members want it to go in.
The Grollo Group’s recent announcement of a 73-year sublease of 27 homes from AGL at the Bogong Village site near Falls Creek, has shed more light on plans for worker accommodation on Mt Buller, Mt Hotham and Falls Creek as the ski industry struggles to keep up with demand.
The company, which also owns Buller Ski Lifts (BSL) and bought the Mt Hotham Airport earlier this year, has made its intentions with the new investment clear, planning to address concerns raised by ski resorts and tourist towns in the North East about worker accommodation and capacity.
Shirley Valentine shines after dual Georgy Award nominations
Karen Pirie and Meredith Newman are no strangers to a challenge.
Both the director and actor have taken on a wide variety of projects over the years that have expanded their technical and theatrical expertise.
So when it came to putting on Shirley Valentine – the one woman show about a working class Liverpool housewife before and after a transforming holiday abroad – they both felt prepared.
Although the final curtain closed months ago, the MMuDS staging of this thought-provoking play has received attention again, with the 50th annual Georgy Awards listing them as one of their nominees for Achievement in Direction (Karen Pirie) and Best Performance in a Play (Meredith Newman).
As the stalls closed up, the bouncy castle was deflated and the doors to the studios were closed, the Mansfield Shire breathed a sigh of satisfaction after an impressive week displaying the best it had to offer.
The High Country Festival, featuring the torchlight parade, fireworks, markets, open studio trail, grand parade and much, much more was a success in every sense of the word, with crowds flocking to events over the Melbourne Cup weekend.
Halloween brings Mansfield’s streets alive
Last Tuesday afternoon, the front yards and fences of homes across Mansfield were decorated with their best spooky attire as families celebrated Halloween.
Children dressed up in a variety of costumes roaming the streets, knocking on friendly doors and admiring the decorations in gardens and backyards.
The Castle2, the self-described “sequel to the prequel” is hard to capture in words.
It’s a springboard from the original movie "The Castle" from 1997 and tells Kerrigan family’s battle against bureaucracy to save their home but now with a clear Bonnie Doon flavour that all audience members who have spent time in the Mansfield Shire can appreciate.
Energy complaints spike in Mansfield
The Energy and Water Ombudsman (EWOV) office has released its annual report, with Mansfield and the North East seeing spikes in case numbers despite state-wide trends.
The EWOV, who handles, investigates and resolves complaints from Victorians in the electricity, gas and water sector, reported a downtick in case numbers.
But the Mansfield Shire bucked this trend, reporting a 13 per cent hike in cases in the 2022-23 financial year.
Crime is continuing to fall in Mansfield Shire - down 4.2 percent in the year to June 2023.
The quarterly data released by the Crime Statistics Agency showed that the crime rate still remains below last year’s, while the statewide average continues to climb.
Amelie Walker wins Cadbury Volunteer award
Up-and-coming swimmer Amelie Walker is one of the 10 recipients of the Cadbury Volunteer Values Award for her work and dedication to the Mansfield Swimming Club.
The award recognises volunteers who best embody 10 sporting values: courage, inspiration, leadership, “legend,” mateship, respect, sportsmanship, purpose, team spirit and “cheer-and-a-half.”
On Saturday, a crowd of up to 2,000 watched Bonnie Doon take home their first premiership flag in the Ovens and King Football League, defeating Bright 6.2 (38) to 8.8 (56) in a thrilling display of skill and teamwork.
Bombers through to Grand Final
The air is buzzing in Bonnie Doon.
Over the weekend, the seniors football side won their game against rivals Greta 10.11 (71) to 10.6 (66), catapulting the team into the Grand Final in two weeks’ time.
The match was a tight one, with the Bombers and the Blues not able to build a solid lead against each other at any point during the game.
Preserving newspapers is a complicated process.
It involves restoring old sheets of paper, scanning them and making sure the writing is legible enough for a computer to be able to scan it.
There are many different groups that work to preserve history through newspapers, including local historical societies, State Libraries and the National Archives.
In Mansfield, the Mansfield Historical Society has records reaching as far back as 1869, with most of the physical collection digitised and available for local historians to search.
Caravan park insurance “impossible” after floods
Caravan Park owners across the state have been left without flood coverage on their insurance after last year’s floods made significant damage.
This season has been a bumper one for the Bonnie Doon Bombers, who have managed to take all seven of their teams to the final rounds of the Ovens and King Football and Netball League (O&KFNL).
A new page for Friends of Mansfield Library
After much planning and preparation, the Little Shop of Good Reads will open its first permanent location today (August 30).
Run by the Friends of Mansfield Library, the shop has been around in various formats since May last year.
For the first time in its history, the Mogul Ski World Australian Interschools Championships have been cancelled due to lack of snow with Mt Buller determining that it could not maintain adequate conditions for the competition.
Snow Australia Interschools and Mt Buller issued a joint statement on Sunday, explaining that they had considered the options of running fewer events, shorter events, and all possible event site locations.
Barbie breaks records
The Mansfield Armchair Cinema (MAC) has been able to cash in on the runaway success of the new smash hit Barbie movie, which became the highest grossing film shown at the cinema after only one weekend of screenings.
Multiple reports last week have revealed that housing is becoming more unattainable in Mansfield, with increased Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) premiums, property taxes and rent affecting both homeowners and renters.
New data from Domain has revealed that house rentals in Mansfield have risen by 18.4 per cent year-on-year, now up 55.9 per cent over the past five years.
I spoke to a variety of stakeholders about what passing on these new charges on to renters means.
Goodbye to TARGA
After 13 highly successful years TARGA High Country will not return to Mansfield following the final event held under the current agreement, which ran in February earlier this year.
The event has had its fair share of troubles over the past few years, with COVID postponements and restrictions in the way the event could be run.
Plans for a 30-room expansion to the Bindaree Residential Aged Care Facility have been approved at the July Mansfield Shire Council meeting, allowing for a significant upgrade to the centre and an expansion of its capabilities.
The plans would involve a staged demolition of parts of the existing complex, including eight existing rooms, to facilitate for a staged building of 38 rooms and new back of house facilities.
The state of Mansfield’s regional roads has been a hot topic in the community over the past months, with numerous complaints about potholes, ruts and damaging conditions aired in community forums for some time.
As the wet weather continues to dump idealistic snow on the mountain, more roads are falling into disrepair, with mechanics recording an increase in the number of damaged vehicles taken in.
I spoke to a local tyre repair shop owner and members of parliament about the state of the roads in the North East.
Mansfield Shire council has voted to adopt its proposed budget for the next financial year after extensive consultation and an open submissions process, promising to deliver investments for a variety of projects as well as streamlining council’s operations.
Major items include $15.58 million for the region’s capital works program, $89,000 to extend operating hours for the Mansfield Library and streamlining a variety of charges to use council facilities.
Rates will also increase by under the 3.5 per cent cap set by the Victorian Government’s Fair Go Rates System; however household waste charges will increase by nine per cent.
The Delatite Winery has won the Commercial Architecture Award from the 2023 Victorian Architecture Awards for the design of its cellar door.
Opened in June 2021, the building was designed by Lucy Clemenger Architects and takes advantage of the stunning views over Mt Buller and the Alpine Range.
Buller chapel celebrates 30 years
As the snow season gets into full gear, religious services on the mountain are back up on Mt Buller.
It’s been 30 years since the Alpine Chapel opened, allowing visitors, workers and locals to attend religious services without going down the mountain.
The chapel was constructed over a period of more than 18 months with support from many sectors of the Mt Buller, Mansfield and Melbourne communities.
Last week, the Victorian State Budget was released, promising to "improve the state's financial position while assisting vulnerable people".
Notably though, there is no direct funding from the government for the Mansfield region.
Projects like the Emergency Services Precinct and potential expansions of capabilities at the Mansfield District Hospital received no money in the budget, effectively putting a stop to progression.
I spoke to local member for Eildon Cindy McLeish about the State Budget.
Native timber logging won't exist in 2024.
Last week's Victorian State Budget announced the acceleration of plans to scrap the industry, a decision that has received backlash and praise from a variety of stakeholders.
Instead of ceasing operations in 2030 as previously planned, the industry will now grind to a halt by January of 2024.
I spoke to politicians and stakeholders about the shock announcement.
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The Australian Federal Budget was released last week and promised support for all Australians who are struggling, however regional MPs have criticised it for its lack of support for the regions.
Indi MP Dr Helen Haines, in her submission to the federal treasurer which was drafted in consultation with nine local governments in the electorate, requested a Commonwealth contribution for the Mansfield Emergency Services Precinct and other key infrastructure among other proposals.
However, funding in these areas was lacking, with the independent member criticising the lack of new money for regional development.
I spoke to Dr Haines about the impacts of the federal budget for the local community.
Not your stereo-typical man – Peter Brown’s colourful career
Radio Mansfield’s Peter Brown is a man of many talents.
The president of the community radio station has had effectively two careers before settling in the High Country.
Australia's obsession with property hasn't escaped Mansfield, with many conversations devolving to commentary on the price of houses, interest rates and rent.
Complaints about rental affordability have highlighted the housing crisis in the shire, with Victorian Government statistics identifying that Mansfield had zero affordable rentals as of September 2022.
Mansfield is one of two regions in all of Victoria to have this statistic, with even inner–city Melbourne having a small proportion of affordable rentals on offer.
I spoke to a local real estate agent and community advocates about the issue.
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Concerns raised in western New South Wales last week have reinvigorated calls for fluoride treatment plants to be installed in regional centres around the country to improve oral health.
According to the Victorian Government's water fluoridation information page, Mansfield does not have fluoridated drinking water, increasing the risk of cavities and other oral health issues.
I spoke to local advocates and researchers about the issue.