March 2018 Volume 77

Fun at the Arboretum

Elphinstone Primary School grade five/six students visited the arboretum in December with Sue from ELMA. The
photo was featured in the Castlemaine Mail with an article about a funding boost for the local feature.

NEXT EDITION INFO

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Elpho Info Editorial
Well haven’t we been through the ringer the last few
months! Multiple wind storms with extensive damage
locally, particularly on the Taradale side. We’ve also
experienced a few fires with the problematic installation
of the wire barriers on the Calder proving a hot topic,
both in the news and social media. We’re extremely
lucky to have such exceptional emergency services in our
great town, notably the wonderful folk at the
Elphinstone Fire Brigade - thanks for keeping us safe!
This edition of the Elpho Info features a graph of last
year’s rain fall - fascinating stuff. Thanks again to Sylvia
Reeves for providing us with all the downpour statistics.
We also have a new column by naturopath Susan Lintott
on improving brain function naturally. Do let us know if
there’s a particular topic you’re interested in Susan
covering in future editions.
As always, please continue to send in your contributions
for the next edition to the Elpho Info email address, or if
you don’t have email, you can always submit a written
copy to Gill or Dave at the Elpho General Store.
If you’re on social media, remember to like our Facebook
page to stay informed in between editions:
www.facebook.com/ElphoInfo
I’ve recently shared a link on the Facebook page to an
ABC article about local fire spotter Paul Leishman which
has some interesting photographs to accompany the
article.
Amity Bradford,
Editor
elphoinfo@gmail.com

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2
Elphinstone Land Management
Association (ELMA) Update
You will have noticed the claret ash trees in town doing
well despite a very dry spell over summer. Claret ash or
Fraxinus oxycarpa 'Raywoodii' is a fast growing species
which is both frost and drought tolerant and fortunately,
we’ve had a couple of decent downpours which has
meant we haven’t had to water them often over the last
couple of months. Garden maintenance is ongoing in
town with weeding and pruning of our garden beds taking
place when required.
As reported on the front page, we took some Elphinstone
Primary School students to the arboretum late last year
for a visit and surprisingly, many of the students didn’t
know the arboretum existed! It was a great way to
introduce many of the students to ELMA and give them an
opportunity to be involved with our latest project.
We did an exercise back in the classroom where the
students were asked to identify plants from photos and
descriptions given in the signs. There are seven signs in
total with a summary of 26 different indigenous species
featured at the arboretum including the plants’ habit,
flowering and cultivation. We hope that with signs in
place, the arboretum will provide not only great natural
habitat, but also deliver an educational experience for the
local community as well as visitors to the area. Signs will
be installed in the coming weeks with an official launch to
follow. Look out for details on the noticeboard.
ELMA has been successful in obtaining a grant through
the Mount Alexander Shire Council as part of their
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Roadside Weeds & Pest Management program for the
sixth consecutive year. It is through this investment and
our consistent approach to weed management that we
will succeed in our bid to eradicate weeds from our
roadsides. Our weed contractor, Marty Hyland will re-
target weeds of national significance including cape
broom along the southern side of Diggers Way and gorse,
blackberry and hawthorn through other areas of
Elphinstone. We have also applied for funding through
Landcare Victoria for weed management along the
northern (railway) side of Diggers Way which is owned by
VicTrack and if successful, we will target the huge
infestation of cape broom running the stretch of this
roadside.
Membership is $20 per year per household so if you’re
thinking of becoming a member, forms are available at
the Post Office. ELMA membership allows you to gain
access and information to various landcare projects in the
area (including work on private properties) such as
revegetation, weed and pest control, citizen science
(helping to develop information and reference
brochures).
More information on ELMA can be found on our Facebook
page – Elphinstone Land Management Association.
Sue McLennan
Secretary
Elphinstone Progress Association Inc. (EPA) Update
Last year we put together a 2018 calendar made up of
photographs submitted by Elphinstone residents. We
had such a great response to the calendar. Thank you to
everyone who submitted photos, booked an advertising
spot, and/or bought the calendars. It has been so
successful we have decided to do it again for 2019.
Included in the cost of the calendar was the option for
an annual membership to the EPA. We managed to
increase out membership by 400%. Great stuff! Thank
you to Mount Alexander Shire Council for the grant that
allowed us to trial the calendar risk free to the group.
In 2018 our main goals are:
• To run an even more fun Karaoke Night in Sep/Oct
again
• To do a second Elphinstone calendar
• To get the bus shelter upgraded (PTV, Castlemaine
bus lines and Council agree – we just have to push
for funding!)
• To get the area around the train crossing tidied up
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• To continue to advocate to Council to have the
kerb and pathway rejuvenated around the bus
shelter area (a submission to include it in the next
budget has been made; the result will be known in
late 2018)
• To have the signage around town upgraded (this
has been approved by VicRoads and Council and is
scheduled to be done soon)
• To explore the opportunity to have the old
Avenue of Honour in Wright Street re-planted in a
joint effort with the Elphinstone Land
Management Association (ELMA)
• To remain open to other opportunities or
concerns of residents if and when they arise!
Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday 19 April at
10:00am. Please come along if you have any ideas.
 Improving Brain Function… Naturally
The causes of decreased memory and concentration are
many and varied and differ throughout life stages. Factors
that may influence cognition include diet, lifestyle, sleep
patterns and inflammation levels.
There are some fabulous evidence-based complementary
medicines that are great options for keeping your brain
health optimal, including:
Bacopa monnieri is considered the primary nerve tonic in
ancient Indian medicine and it has been traditionally used
to improve memory and mental capacities, as a tonic to
revitalise brain cells, to decrease anxiety and increase
longevity! In clinical trials in Australia, Bacopa has been
shown to significantly enhance memory performance in
seniors and to improve cognitive and behavioral
parameters in children with ADHD including restlessness,
self-control and attention-deficit symptoms all being
substantially improved.
Ginkgo Biloba has been the subject of over 400 scientific
studies over the past 30 years, making it one of the most
studied herbal medicines. Therapeutic uses of Ginkgo
include: improvement of cognitive impairment (especially
age-associated), enhancement of cognitive performance
in adults and symptomatic treatment of various forms of
dementia.
Phosphatidylserine (PS) is an important phospholipid
found in brain tissues and supplementation of it has
shown improvement in attention, verbal fluency and
memory in those with age-related cognitive decline.
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Coffee and cocoa (yes mochas may be a good for you!).
Talk to your naturopath about whether or not this is a
good option for you as everyone is different, however
generally speaking both coffee and cocoa have shown to
be excellent cognitive enhancers.
Rosemary increases memory and cognition both taken
orally (due to its anti-oxidants) and also through smelling
it. Try using the essential oil or picking fresh rosemary to
have in your house or workplace.
Yoga poses such as downward dog and warrior pose build
a strong, healthy prefrontal cortex and can protect your
brain against age-associated cognitive decline.
Talk to your naturopath or other experienced health
professional about support for your memory or your
child’s attention disorder and don’t forget ;) to ask about
lifestyle and diet advice to assist your nervous system,
decrease inflammation and to help create good sleep
patterns.
Written by Susan Lintott who works from Healing Well in
Castlemaine and her home in Elphinstone. Ph 0401 764
050, email s.a.lintott@gmail.com - All enquiries welcome.
Get to know your shire
School’s back so now is the perfect time for students
(and grownups!) to learn a bit more about Mount
Alexander Shire.
Mount Alexander Shire Council now has an interactive
online profile where you can learn everything you ever
wanted to know about the shire.
You can find out things like:
• What location has the highest percentage of shire
residents born in the Netherlands?
• How many people have a Bachelor Degree
qualification or higher?
• How many families have six or more kids?
• What township has the highest percentage of
households with four or more vehicles?
The answers to these questions (and many more!) can
be found in Council’s interactive online REMPLAN
community and economic profiles.
Understand the unique characteristics of our community
and economy and how they are changing over time with
Australian Bureau of Statistics data from 2006-2016. This
data can be displayed as graphs, tables or thematic maps
and can be easily printed, added to a document or
shared via social media.
The profiles are not only great for students, they’re also
invaluable if you’re looking to make decisions on
investment, starting or expanding a business, or just
need to better understand who’s in your community.
And by the way, Muckleford South has the highest Dutch
population, 25.3 percent of workers in the shire have a
bachelor degree and higher, 0.12 percent of households
have six or more kids and Tarilta has the highest
percentage of households with four vehicles (with a
whopping 78.26 percent), followed by Barfold (63.64
percent).
Find out more at the Economic Development section of
Council’s website at www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/
Economic_Development.

YOGA
A great way to reconnect and reboot
your mind & body, classes will
combine relaxation with a strong focus on building
strength & flexibility.

Tuesday evenings 7pm – 8.30pm at Elphinstone Primary

School during school terms - all levels welcome, from
beginners to advanced.

Please contact Sue on 0417 553 296 for more details.

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A message from our Councillor
It’s been a long hot summer
this year, as predicted.
Although it’s always
tempting fate to speak of
such things, the level of fire
activity has not matched
predictions, and hopefully
this will remain the case for
the remainder of the fire
danger period. Most fires
that have occurred locally
have been the result of
sparks from machinery use,
with operators failing to follow the expected precautions
of having plenty of water on hand. It’s no good running to
turn on a hose if a spark starts a fire in dry grass. Water is
needed by the bucket load, immediately.
What have been beyond all expectations are the two
storms which hit Taradale and Elphinstone, Metcalfe and
Barfold on December 19 and February 10. I earnestly hope
that by the time this article is published we haven’t had
storm number three! Local residents are all too aware of
the level and extent of the damage: hundreds of trees and
limbs down across roads and fences, in private gardens,
paddocks and public reserves. Rooves damaged and in
some cases blown off the house. At least two cottages
crushed by falling trees. Miraculously no one was injured.
The most urgent responses to the storm came from the
police, who guarded downed power lines, protecting the
public from accidently walking or driving across them, and
council and emergency services using heavy equipment to
clear trees off the roads. The SES acted quickly to clear
trees from house rooves and driveways while residents
talked to their insurance companies to find out what they
would, and wouldn’t acknowledge as their responsibility.
Locals swapped stories of exasperation at their insurers’
interpretations of their policies, the complications of
having damage assessments done. It could be an
interesting exercise in six months’ time to conduct a
survey of peoples’ experiences with their insurers. Would
any one company stand out as being the most helpful,
understanding, generous? I suspect not.
Meanwhile, contractors engaged by the council, worked
for many days to clear up the roadsides, cutting down
dangerous ‘hangers’ and whole trees too damaged to be
safe, mulching roadside tree debris. Their work received
many compliments and voices of approval. VicRoads were
less enthusiastic about clearing up the old highway, parts
of which looked like a war zone immediately after the first
storm. I’m hopeful that arrangements can be made to
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restore the roadside to a more respectable, peaceful
environment.
On the more orderly end of the scale of council and
community activities, Elphinstone and Taradale
community groups have been talking to council staff about
improving the streetscape of their respective town
centres. Elphinstone Progress Association took the lead in
this regard several years ago, with improvements to the
town centre being a priority in the Elphinstone
Community Plan. The design that was developed and
shared with the community requires re-levelling of the
road surface outside the pub, a project which is
recognised to be in the too-expensive basket for the time
being. However there are other improvements which are
within realistic budget limits and which are being pursued,
such as tidying up the areas around the bus stops and
railway line. Taradale Community Forum members
recently had an initial meeting with a council staff
member to put together a set of priorities for the Taradale
main street, as well as the north and south entrances to
the town.
The two towns, close neighbours, have very different
issues associated with their central areas. While
Elphinstone, tucked away from main roads, sometimes
questions where its centre is: the pub and cenotaph or the
post office and reserve, Taradale as an ex-highway town
has the problem of a long straight road through its centre
which encourages travellers to speed through.
Council has allocated funding in the current budget for a
designer to put together streetscape plans based on
community input for five small towns, including Taradale
and Elphinstone. Once completed, these draft plans will
go out to the broader community for comment and input.
I’m confident that the work already done by the
Elphinstone Progress Association will be incorporated and
built on, while Taradale will ultimately receive a plan
which can be used progressively to transform the main
street to a more welcoming, attractive place. It’ll provide
council with guidelines for future budget allocations and
support for grant applications from other sources.
Please note that my March listening post will be on the
second Friday of the month, 9 March. I can also be
contacted on 0466 004 628 or email
Coliban@mountalexander.vic.gov.au if you wish to
arrange a meeting.
Christine Henderson
Coliban ward councillor
What’s happening at Elphinstone Primary School?
A warm welcome to our new families and all other
familiar faces as we gear up for another big year at
Elphinstone Primary. It has been fantastic to see all the
eager students ready to start and the enthusiasm is
pleasing. I’m sure the parents were just as pleased that
school has finally started again!

Some of our students are already making use of the

fallen trees as a result of some summer storms and
have built some elaborate cubby houses as pictured.
We also have a mobile gym visiting the school and the
highlight of the first week was the giant coloured
parachute.

Brendan Stewart

Elphinstone Primary School

Wright Street Elphinstone
(03) 5473 3285
elphinstone.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
www.elphinstone.vic.edu.au

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Rainfall by Sylvia Reeves
Rainfall for Elphinstone, Redesdale and Castlemaine - November to
December 2017 and January 2018.
Mean rainfall November December January

Castlemaine 48.1 40.6 40.3

Redesdale 41.4 37.5 34

Elphinstone 59 46 40.6

Rainfall 2017/18 November December January

Castlemaine 50.2 63 30.8

Redesdale 46.6 41.2 65.8

Elphinstone 33.75 93 49.5

The figures from Elphinstone come from the Western side of the locality. Figures for Harcourt are no longer
available so I have used the ones for Redesdale instead. The mean rainfall for is based on 25 years of rainfall
figures.

LOCAL HORSE DENTIST

Bob Franze
(Dip Equine Dentistry)
Phone 0418 346 830

Prompt and reliable

service covering all areas

9
Elphinstone Playgroup
2017 was another year of creativity, fun and socialising
for the children of Elphinstone Playgroup. The year
concluded with the usual excitement created by a special
visit from Santa.
Playgroup continues every Tuesday of the school term at
the Elphinstone Hall from 9:15am – 11:15am.
Residents advised to keep recycling
Mount Alexander Shire Council advises residents to
continue recycling paper, cardboard, plastic, metal and
glass in their yellow-lidded bins. Council is working with
the contractor Wheelie Waste to better understand the
implications of the decision by Visy Recycling to suspend
some recycling agreements.
Council’s waste and recycling collection will continue to
operate as normal. Items such as paper, cardboard,
plastic containers, aluminium, steel and aerosol cans and
glass bottles and jars can be recycled through the yellow-
lidded bins.
Residents are encouraged to continue to recycle and
reduce the amount of rubbish they produce. Some
simple tips include:
- Take a drink bottle with you rather than buying a bottle
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Any children up to pre-school age and their parents are
always welcome. There are toys for the kids and coffee or
tea for the adults. We look forward to seeing you there!
For further details please contact:
Katie Mawson 0435 450 810 or
Erin Downie 0407 401 406.
- Avoid buying food with excessive packaging
- Use a keep cup for your next takeaway coffee
- Take your lunch to work, or eat in
- Minimise wrapping on school lunches
For more information on recycling visit the Waste and
Recycling Services page on Council’s website at
www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/WasteManagement.
Upcoming Public Holidays
12 March - Labour Day
30 March - Good Friday
2 April - Easter Monday
25 April - ANZAC Day
Got a pile of tyres?
Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) is
warning businesses and landholders of the hazards of
keeping piles of waste tyres.
Take care around storm-damaged trees
With more windy weather forecast this week, Mount
Alexander Shire Council is urging residents to take care
and be aware of the dangers of storm-damaged trees.
Council’s Acting Emergency Management Coordinator
Luke Ryan said people should be particularly careful
around trees with limbs hanging down, which are
known as hangers.
“Hangers can be branches of all sizes and may drop at
any time, which is why they are so dangerous,” said Mr
Ryan.
“Don’t ever stand under a hanger and if you do have
one at your place make sure you get an arborist to
check it out.
“We also encourage people to get in touch with Council
if they see any hangers alongside roads or in public
spaces so we can investigate,” he said.
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Abandoned tyres form a breeding ground for vermin,
tyres can decay and contaminate soil and groundwater,
and a tyre fire generates toxic smoke and is difficult to
extinguish.
EPA regulations allow storage of waste tyres if you have
a genuine use for them, but urges you to dispose of
unused waste tyres in landfill or at a recycling facility.
See www.epa.vic.gov.au for advice on what’s legal, and
if you suspect someone is illegally stockpiling, dumping
or burning old tyres, call EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300
EPA VIC (1300 372 842).
Mr Ryan said many trees in the shire have been
weakened from storms in December and more recently
over the weekend.
“The weekend storm knocked many trees over roads in
and around Taradale, Metcalfe, Barfold and further
afield,” said Mr Ryan.
“Council’s Works Team was kept busy around the clock
clearing blocked roads and supporting volunteer
agencies.
“We’d like to thank everyone who helped out and did
such a great job responding so quickly,” said Mr Ryan.
If you see hangers on roadsides or public land, or find a
tree blocking a road please call Council on 5471 1700.
For help with storm clean on private land please contact
the SES on 132 500.
 Regional Centre for Culture
As you will be aware, the Regional Centre for Culture in
2018 is an initiative of the Victorian Government
through Creative Victoria, in partnership with the Dja
Dja Wurrung Aboriginal Clans Corporation, Central
Goldfields Shire, City of Greater Bendigo, Hepburn Shire
and Mount Alexander Shire. The year’s activities have
already kicked off with our official launch on
Wednesday 10 February in Bendigo. The
night's entertainment was drawn from all over the four
participating municipalities, and drew couples, families
and everyone else along for a party in Rosalind Park.
The highlight of the evening was a moving ceremony of
song and dance by Traditional Owners, the Dja Dja
Wurrung and the announcement of YAPENYA, a
celebratory event that will be taking place on 17
November.
We are delighted to be working closely with both Visit
Victoria and the ABC Central Victoria. You may have
heard the ABC's live outside broadcast from Rosalind
Park on 14 February during the afternoon drive program
from 3pm to 4pm hosted by Fiona Parker. Visit Victoria
has committed to promoted four tourist itineraries
around region in March, June, August and November.
We are currently working to develop the
communications for these itineraries (known
as “Meander”) which will be focused on encouraging
visits to stay in the region for 3+ nights and to move
across the region sampling its cultural activities of all
kinds: food, arts activities, natural wonders and more.
www.rcc2018.com is now densely populated
with performances, exhibitions, markets, festivals and
more - it’s genuinely awe-inspiring to be able to observe
the wealth of activities taking place in this inaugural
Victorian Regional Centre for Culture. 2018 got going
with RCC-supported events Maldon Twilight Dinner and
Newstead Live. The RCC is also directly supporting
Harcourt’s Applefest, the Taradale Mineral Springs
Festival and Arts Open. On March 3, one of the RCC’s
key community events will take place in Newstead.
Entitled Water Hole, this event will feature a parade
created by the local school children, a compliments
caravan, performances by local and other artists and a
performance of In the Deep End by Asking for Trouble
who will perform in the Newstead and District
Swimming Pool. The highlight is expected to be a
community dance-off featuring the volunteer
committees of Newstead.
Pictured: Heart inflatable sculpture by Felipe Reynolds
and Racquel Kerr in Bendigo's Rosalind Park
(Photography Raph Beh).
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