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Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 1
Proudly published by
ABN 58 129 541 706 February / March 2016 Issue 64
Visit Yackandandah’s visitor information website, call in at the Old Post Office, and make sure you take your visitors there.
There are some great people there to help youwww.uniqueyackandandah.com.au
By Lauren Salathiel
His farm was left
a charred mess by
the December 20 fire that ripped through
Barnawartha and the
Indigo Valley, and yet
valley resident Denis
Ginnivan is one grateful
man.
The fire stopped 15 metres short of his home,
leaving it standing like a
small white beacon amid
a blackened, smouldering
landscape.
What’s most amazing
about this closest of calls
is that Denis and his wife,
Helen McGowan, weren’t
even in the state during the
blaze, and no firetrucks or helicopters had been
anywhere near the
property during the crisis.
“We’d gone to Sydney
for a pre-Christmas
family gathering,” Denis
said.
“I was just walking
down the street in
Sydney, minding my own
business, and at about
midday Helen started to
see things popping up
online about this fire at Barnawartha.”
With 100km an hour
winds whipping up the
flames on the 42-degree day, Denis said he and
Helen had resigned
themselves to fate.
“We were thinking to
ourselves, ‘well, that’s it.
There’s nothing we can
do about it’,” he said.
“My neighbour called
and said that things were
looking pretty grim.
“I told him that I
didn’t expect him to do
anything, but if he had
time to duck over to
the house, perhaps he
could just flick on the evaporative cooler to
create a bit of outwards
pressure and moisture
inside the house.”
By five o’clock in the afternoon, however,
Denis said he could no
longer stay in Sydney,
and began the long
drive home with his two
daughters, Leah and
Georgia.
“We drove through the
night, taking it in turns
sleeping and driving,
and got home at about
3.30am to find that our road [Dicksons Road]
was just lit up by burning
trees,” he said.
“Our road had
been taped off, which
obviously meant that no
firetrucks had been in or out, and we could see
that these trees looked as
though they were about
to tip over, so we ended
up staying at a mate’s
place for the night and
going back the next
morning.”
Upon their return the
next morning, the road
was blocked by a large
fallen tree, forcing Denis
to cut fencing to get into
his property.
“The driveway to our
property was also littered
with trees, and all I was
thinking when I was
going in was, ‘if we had
still been at home, we’d
have had no access in or
out’,” he said.
The fire had left a 15m unburnt radius around Denis’ home,
skirting around a grass
area - which Denis had
kept carefully whipper-
snippered - on two sides
of the house, and a gravel
driveway on the other
two sides.
“The heat of the wind
had scorched the grass,
but amazingly, the house
was unscarred,” he said.
“The fire stopped about 30cm away from
my ute and Tarago.”
The flames decimated about 50 wooden fence posts and strainers,
burnt his shed and small
farm equipment, melted
three kilometres of pipe
(disrupting his water
supply) and left nine of
his 40 steers with burnt hoofs.
“The Department
of Primary Industries
vets came the day after
the fires to look at our stock, and we ended up
being able to sell the
nine injured beasts to an
abattoir and agist the rest
at a property in Leneva,”
Denis said.
In the weeks since
the fire, a team of Blaze Aid volunteers has rolled
up to help with the mop
up, spending days fixing fences and helping Denis
attend to the long list of
tasks that need to be done
to get his family’s farm
back on track.
• Continued page 3
A close call for Yack
After the fires: Indigo Valley resident Denis Ginnivan (pictured bottom left) has spent the weeks since the December 20 fire cleaning up his burnt-out farm, finding agistment space for his cattle, and receiving substantial help from a dedicated troop of BlazeAid volunteers (pictured top left). Miraculously, the fire burnt almost everything on Denis’ property, except for his home (main picture - see arrow!).
2 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 3
“Yackandandah” has been a word on everyone’s lips during the past few months.
First, it was due to the amazing coverage of the town on the ABC’s “Backroads” program, which depicted the lives of a number of the town’s residents, groups and businesses.
A mere week later, it was because the town found itself in the path of a raging grassfire, which threatened local farms and properties, as well as, at one
stage, the town itself.It was during this
fire that the community spirit depicted in Backroads came to the fore, as our amazing CFA volunteers donned their uniforms and toiled to protect property and life.
It was a close call - too close - and one that really highlighted the fact that CFA volunteers are volunteers like no other.
There exist very few volunteer roles that require people to put themselves, quite literally, in the line of fire, so selflessly and so courageously.
The hubbub around the fires may have simmered down a little for most of us, but for these volunteers, every day of summer, and every “high fire danger” rating, brings with it the possibility that one will be called out to battle
the flames.In light of this, I have
been pondering how best to say “thank you” to our local volunteer brigade, and it has led me to wonder whether perhaps the best thing we, as community members, can do is to not just thank the brigade, but ensure that we all plan well for fire season, and use the months leading up to summer to learn as much as we can about how to make our firies’ jobs easier.
- Lauren
YACKITY YAK
Yackity Yak is a free bi-monthly publication aimed at providing news, entertainment and information to the people of Yackandandah.Yackity Yak is published by YCDCo (Yackity Yak) Pty Ltd. and 1,500 copies of Yackity Yak are printed with each release with a minimum of 900 copies distributed free of charge to homes in the Yackandandah and surrounding area via Australia Post.
Submissions are welcome, encouraged and
valued, although the editor reserves the right to edit reports for the purposes of space.
CONTACT DETAILS:Editor / Advertising / Printing / AccountsLauren SalathielYackity YakC/- Yackandandah Post Office,High Street,Yackandandah VIC 3749Ph: 0422 854 909Email: [email protected]: uniqueyackandandah.com.au
Yackity Yak wishes to advise that the views and or remarks expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of Yackity Yak editorial or production staff, and no endorsement or service is implied by the listing of advertisers or contributors. Although every effort is taken in reproducing and printing advertisements correctly, we take no responsibility for errors. 2016 DEADLINES: Forthcoming deadlines for submission of advertisements and articles for the Yackity Yak are 5pm on the following days:Issue 65, April-May: Monday, March 14Issue 66, June-July: Monday, May 9Issue 67, Aug-Sept: Monday, July 11Issue 68, Oct-Nov: Monday, September 12Issue 69, Dec ‘16-Jan ‘17: Monday, November 14
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Attention turns to Yack, for many reasons
Another two for the pool room: Yackandandah
folk musician Pete
Denahy is going to
need to stabilise his
mantelpiece, after
picking up two more
Golden Guitar awards
at the recent Tamworth
Country Music
Festival.
Pete’s stash of the
awards now sits at five, with the addition of an
award for bluegrass
recording of the year
for his song, Singin’
Shoes, and another
for instrumental of the
year for the tune Cluck
Old Hen.
Well done, Pete!
Program jogs memory
To the townspeople of
Yackandandah,
I watched a program on
television recently all about your
town. I love the avenue of trees.
I was returning home with
a group in a small bus, we had
been to a folk festival in Victor
Harbour, I think, about 2008 or
could have been earlier.
We had a short stay in your
town, we women were running
in and out of shops, I bought a
handbag which I still use often
but in the pocket inside the bag I
had written on a piece of paper, “I
bought this bag in Yackandandah”.
It is still in the pocket!
The program brought back
pleasant memories.
Doreen O’Keefe,
Fairy Meadow, NSW
Farewell and thanks!
Yackandandah was my home for 10 years while I worked at music director at Catholic College Wodonga.
After two years in Boston,
USA and a lot of thought, I have
decided to move closer to family
in Melbourne for 2016.
I will never forget coming into
Yack from the Beechworth Rd
and seeing that beautiful view
every afternoon after work, or
the Wednesday music sessions at
the Star each week, Carols in the
Park, or unforgettable times at
the folk festival each year.
But most of all I will miss “the
people of this place” (as the song
goes!). I am so grateful for the great
community of this great town.
Thank you, and see you at the
folk Festival!
Fiona Dyball
Now of Melbourne!
Letters to
the editor
Send your letters to the
editor to yackity_yak@
yackandandah.com,
or snail-mail them to Lauren Salathiel, Yackity
Yak, C/- Yackandandah Post Office, High Street,
Yackandandah, VIC, 3749
A Ramble with the Editor
• Continued from
page 1
“All I can say is
that these Blaze Aid
volunteers are the most
amazing bunch of
people,” Denis said.
“They work so
efficiently, are great communicators, have
great leaders providing
the teams with terrific briefings each day before we start work.
“It’s been a real
experience to have them
at the farm to help us.”
Denis said he
was also floored by
the community’s
willingness to provide
support.
“One day, I was
outside and looked
down my driveway
and saw seven vehicles
pulling up - people
coming by to help,
bringing hampers of
Christmas food,” he
said.
“It’s a harrowing
thing to have happen
to you, but something
like this shows you the
important things in life
- it’s family, and it’s
community.”
Fire shock
The Yackandandah community is urged to gather to discuss the future of a beautiful local natural feature, the Commissioner’s Creek Dam, at a community meeting at the Senior Citizens Clubrooms on January 28 at 7.30pm.
Yackandandah
resident Michael
Metzger has lobbied for
a meeting with North
East Water to enable the
community to discuss
the water authority’s
plans to substantially
reduce the water levels
of the dam in order
to comply with safety
guidelines.
The spring-fed dam
currently holds 20ML of
water, and is zoned as an
informal livestock water
supply, reservoir for
firefighting, for farming and public conservation.
Michael said concerns
about a lack of capacity
for the dam’s spillway to
cope with extreme flood events had led North
East Water (which owns
the dam infrastructure,
while Goulburn Murray
Water owns the water
itself) to seek to lower
the spillway by 2.4m, reducing the dam’s
volume by 83 per cent, to
approximately 3.5ML.“This seems to be
part of North East
Water’s infrastructure
rationalisation process,”
Michael said.
“I have no qualms
about making the dam
safe, however I’m very
concerned about what
this means for the dam as
an ecosystem and public
recreational area.
Michael said of
greatest importance to
him - and he hoped, to
the community - was the
dam’s status as unique
habitat to a range of
native species, some of
which are threatened.
“Commissioner’s
Creek Dam has become
habitat for many species
including birds, fish, marsupials mammals,”
he said.
“It’s a large and
beautiful wetlands area,
and is home to complex
ecosystems.
“I’m very worried that
these ecosystems will be
destroyed by the work
that is being planned by
North East Water.”
These concerns
have led Michael to
create a Change.org
petition, which garnered
189 petitions, calling
on the community
to rally around the
dam and demand
that it be maintained
for community,
environmental and
firefighting purposes.
“I’m really happy
to North East Water
to make the dam safe,
but what I want is for
the community to be
involved and for the dam
to be rescued for the
good of the community,”
Michael said.
“There is so much
potential here - the
dam could be a stop-off
point along the railt rail,
and could have picnic
facilities, interpretive
signage, walking tracks.
“With Totally
Renewable
Yackandandah currently
looking at making
Yackandandah 100 per
cent renewable, there
might be the potential for
there to be some kind of
micro-hydro plant at the
dam, as there is a 65m drop from the dam to
town.
“With the recent
fires, I think it’s more important than ever that
we maintain reserves of
non-potable water that
could be utilised in the
event of another major
fire in the area, as well.”Michael said that, as a
former educator, he was
particularly excited about
the potential for the area
to become an educational
resource.
“The dam could
be an environmental
educational resource, and
I know there is funding
available through the
Williamson Foundation
for environmental
leadership and
educational projects at
the moment.
“Any funding or
project is contingent
on community support,
and with the wealth of
talent and skills in town,
I know that we could do
something wonderful
with this resource, if we
could all come together
to discuss this.”
This is exactly what the
January 28 community
meeting, which is to be
attended by North East
Water representatives, is
aimed at.
Michael, who will chair
the meeting, said he hoped
it would be a form for
positive discussion about
how the water authority
and the community could
work together to preserve
the dam.
“We have a wonderful,
unique asset here,
that we can never
recreate once we start
reducing the water
levels and changing the
characteristics of the
ecosystems,” he said.
“As much as is
humanly possible needs
to be rescued, because it
has benefits for the whole human and non-human
community.”
Dam project up for
town discussion
4 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 5
To report a fire 000
Burn-off notification 1800 668 511
Bushfire information line 1800 240 667CFA website
www.cfa.vic.gov.au
BlazeAid had set up at Barnawartha to help properties affected by the December fires. It uses voluneters to work with farmers who had property damaged.
The men’s shed members started work at 6.30am on one of the first properties be affected by
the fire. The farmer had no notice and had to round up their horses within minutes of seeing the fire come over the Hume Freeway.
He had to cut fences to lead them to safety as the horses fled to the extremes of their paddocks and they could not access gates.
The fire burned nearly all of his 30 acres and most of his fencing, but they saved the house.
The men’s shed team dismantled 1105 metres of damaged fencing, under the farmer’s direction, and he thought that would save him weeks of work.
Men’s shed helps with mop up
Yackandandah will celebrate the effort of the volunteer firefighters who worked so hard to keep the town and the district safe from harm during the recent fires, at a special concert during the Yackandandah Folk Festival.
The concert, which is scheduled to take place on the evening of Friday, March 18 at the
Yackandandah Public Hall, is being organised as a means of expressing the community’s gratitude to the firies and their families.
The programming for the concert will be announced closer to the festival, however CFA members and families are invited to attend as the community’s guests of honour.
By Cameron McKern,
Captain, Yackandandah
Fire Brigade
On Sunday, December
20, a little before
midday, a fire started at Barnawartha. This fire caused major damage to
Indigo Valley and posed
a significant threat to Yackandandah.
Our thoughts are with
our neighbours, family and
friends of Indigo Valley.
Fortunately, no lives were
lost, but the damage was
major. Four dwellings
were destroyed, 34 sheds and other structures were
destroyed or damaged, 44 vehicles (motorbikes, cars,
boats, trailers, caravans,
etc) were destroyed, 1100
sheep and 70 cattle died
or had to be slaughtered,
and 210km of fencing
was lost. More than
6,500 hectares was burnt with the fire’s perimeter measuring more than
100km.
Three of
Yackandandah’s four fire trucks were dispatched
to the fire within minutes of the call-out, while our
pumper-tanker stayed
in the town, ready for
any local emergency
and town protection.
Several hundred
firefighters fought the fire on the day from Country Fire Authority
(CFA), NSW Rural Fire
Service (RFS) and the
Victorian Department
of Environment, Land,
Water and Planning.
It was a close call for
Yackandandah, with
the fire jumping the Beechworth-Wodonga
Road at several places. If
not for the extraordinary
efforts of firefighters, aircraft and a timely wind
change, we may have had
a much worse story to
tell. The fire was stopped 4km from our town – more than close enough
for our liking!
It was several days
before the fire could be declared under control.
Even on day four of the fire (Wednesday), more than
250 personnel were still deployed at the incident.
The local brigades – mostly Indigo Valley and
Barnawartha - continued
to receive calls to trees on
fire within the burnt area for a couple of weeks after
the fire. We hope they get
several quiet weeks now – they deserve it.
It was an extraordinary
day. At its peak, the
fire danger rating for Yackandandah was
higher than it was at any
stage on Black Saturday
2009, with wind gusts
exceeding 70km/h.
The fire service response was similarly
extraordinary. The CFA
response, together with
our friends at NSW
RFS and colleagues at
DELWP was magnificent. Our brigade put in a huge
effort on the day, and
for the next few days.
Neighbouring brigades,
mostly from our Bogong
Group, were on stand-by
ready to step-up to
protect Yackandandah, if
needed.
The brigade would like
to thank the vast majority
in our community for
remaining aware and
informed, for heeding
the advice, warning and
emergency messages
that were issued on the
day, for enacting their
fire plans, for remaining calm, and for their offers
of support on the day and
subsequently.
Longer term residents
of Yackandandah will
recall the days when
the siren at the fire station was activated
to summon firefighters each time there was
An extraordinary day
a fire call, as well as for monthly testing.
The Yackandandah
Fire Brigade averages
more than 50 such calls each year. With the
introduction of new and
improved pagers, we no
longer use the siren for
this purpose. Instead, it
has become a community
alerting device. If you
hear the siren going
off for more than a few
seconds, that means we
are using it to alert the
community to a potential
emergency – listen to your radio, check the
emergency website,
check with neighbours
or check with us at the
fire station to find out why the siren is being
sounded.
Remember, it is
your responsibility
to be aware on days
of high fire danger – look outside, listen
to the radio, use the
FireReady App – it is up to you.
Don’t expect a knock
at your door – there are 600 dwellings in
our brigade area, too
many to visit with four
firetrucks (especially if only one is available)
and 50 volunteer firefighters.
We would like to thank
Yackandandah Lions
for feeding many tired
and hungry firefighters on the Sunday evening.
Smoke and fire: Residents of the district watched in horror as flames and smoke tore down the Indigo Valley. (Photographs: Cameron McKern)
Evacuation: Yackandandah residents were warned to evacuate the town as the
blaze approached.
Team effort: Yackandandah’s firefighters were joined by firefighters from the CFA, NSW Rural Fire Service and Department of Environment, Land, Water and
Planning.
Additionally, Indigo
Shire Council deserves
much credit for its speedy
response in re-opening
roads, assisting with the
disposal of destroyed
livestock, facilitating the
fodder drop and its overall
recovery program. Now
it’s over to the community,
with the assistance of
groups such as the team
of Blaze Aid volunteers,
to complete the recovery
– let’s hope our summer is interspersed with regular
rain!Neighbourhood Safer Places
Yackandandah has
two Neighbourhood
Safer Places (NSPs) – the Memorial Gardens
and the Senior Citizens
Centre.
Note that the Sports
Park is not a NSP. It was
assessed but failed to
meet the criteria - it is
not a safer place to be.
NSPs are not refuges
or relief centres. Relief
centres are set up in
places where the risk is
considerably less. On
Sunday, December 20, The
Cube in Wodonga was set
up as a relief centre.
It is worth having a
look at the signs at our
two NSPs to remind
yourself of what a NSP
is. To pick up a few:
• Locations thatmay provide some protection
from direct flame and radiant heat, but they do
not guarantee safety.
• Not an alternative to planning to leave early
or to stay and defend
your property; they are
places of last resort if
all other fire plans have failed.
• In a fire, the CFA or other emergency services
may not be present at an
NSP.
• There will be no support services (food
or drink, material aid) or
provision for pets.
Let’s say
thank you
Hard workers: A group of Yackandandah Men’s Shed volunteers has worked tirelessly over recent weeks
to help local farmers clean up after the December 20 fires.
Natural disasters like
bushfires are extremely challenging for the people
directly affected. Some
people are able to manage
the stress, others can find it difficult to cope.
If you or someone close
to you is having difficulty coping in the aftermath
of the bushfires, there are a number of ways to get
help, including contacting:
• Your GP• Psychologist or
counsellor
• Lifeline 13 11 14• Kids Helpline 1800
55 1800• For financial
assistance: Salvation
Army, St Vincent de Paul,
Department of Human
Services.
Indigo Shire Council’s
Community Development
and Planning Manager
Kate Biglin can also refer individuals on for outreach
support from partner
agencies. Please contact
Kate on 1300 365 003.
Help is at hand
6 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 7
By Lauren Salathiel
The ABC’s Backroads program, filmed in and around Yackandandah throughout 2015, generated such a spike in traffic to Indigo Shire Council’s Yackandandah webpage that the website’s service provider thought it was under cyber-attack!
Backroads, broadcast on December 13, 2015, looked at the lives and social fabric of our unique little town, focusing on community organisations such as the community garden, old time dance group and youth theatre group, and businesses such as Nelmac and Yfuel.
Yackandandah Visitor Information Centre representative Rod Millechamp said the program had been the catalyst for a massive increase in the number of visitors and wannabe treechangers stopping into the information centre.
“During December, we had 1120 people through the door of the information centre, compared with 689 in December 2014,” Rod said.
“This January, we have had around 2700 visitors come in, compared to 1058 in January 2015.
“We’re seeing incredible numbers of people, with a lot of people saying that they’ve been in other towns around Australia, and have heard people talking about the Yackandandah Backroads program!”
Rod said the things upon which people were most often commenting were the aesthetics of the town, the pace of life
here, and the excellent range of services available to residents.
“Overwhelmingly, people are saying things like ‘this is such a beautiful town’, ‘it’s such a friendly, happy, vibrant place’, and commenting on how family friendly it seems,” he said.
“There has also been great interest in the natural features around town, and we’ve handed out up to 40 copies of our town walking trails map a day during some
weekends!”The information
centre volunteers have handed out an unprecedented number of brochures and maps, and about 20 copies of a special “welcome to Yackandandah” pack, designed for those thinking of moving to the area.
“It has been a huge boon for the town,” Rod said.
“We now have to think about how to maintain this momentum.”
Radio powered by local people
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10am to 12 noon Music with Phil with Phil
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# - Program broadcast when available * - Program broadcast fortnightly
Indigo FM transmits 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When lives
programs are not on air, the station plays a diverse and eclectic mix of
music from all eras. Indigo FM also broadcasts shows from other Indigo
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repeat shows from Yackandandah, just in case you missed them!
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Magdalena boogies
her way into top 10
Ausmentos Like wombat in “Wombat Goes Walkabout”
we dig a lot and think a lot and have unearthed a quality range of Australiana , Books and Puzzles
Warren and Denise Gould 15 High St
Yackandandah 3749 ausmentos @gmail.com
phone 0260171025
Open M-Sat 10-5pm Sun 1-5pm
By Lauren Salathiel
What started as a hobby for Magdalena Macdonald 10 years ago, has earnt the Yackandandah woman national accolades, with the placement of a song she wrote in one of the Australian Songwriter’s Association’s top 10 listings for 2015.
Magdalena’s song, Mr Boogey Man, made it into the top 10 “lyrics” section of the awards.
Magdalena took up song-writing after completing an online course, and taught herself guitar in order to compose her pieces.
She said song-writing
was a natural extension to her love of wordplay.
“I’ve always loved playing with words, I love poems,” she said.
“For me, song-writing is all about the wordsmithing.
“I start with the lyrics first - there’s usually a hook, a title, then I look for a line or a phrase that can be repeated as a refrain, and that’s when I pick up the guitar.”
Many of Magdalena’s songs also feature social messages, with her having written pieces dealing with communities’ experience of bushfire and issues
such as drugs.Mr Boogey Man was
about the experience of raising children.
“I’ve written 60 or 70 songs, and have recorded about 50 to demo level,” Magdalena said.
“I find song-writing is a great way to get my thoughts down, and I like the idea that it’s something I can leave for my kids.
“It just pours out of me - I wish I had started writing songs sooner!”
You can listen to Magdalena’s songs on the Today Country digital radio station, or at https://soundcloud.com/magdalena-macdonald.
Her happy place: Yackandandah song-writer Magdalena Macdonald had a song placed in the Australian Songwriter’s Awards top 10 for lyrics.
Indigo Shire Council and the Yackandandah Community Centre are seeking input into the design of a garden space at the centre and a toilet facility for the disabled next to it.
“We wanted to get some ideas from the community before we put this proposal to a designer,” Indigo Shire Mayor Cr James Trenery said.
“We will be putting together a small community group to advise
on the project.“People with special expertise
or interest in these sorts of community facilities could be part of the group.
“They may have great suggestions that we can include in a brief to a designer.”
“If anyone has a special interest or experience in heritage, commerce, disability, tourism and gardens/design and would like to be part of this group, they
can register their interest with the Community Centre.”
Please register your interest with the Yackandandah Community Centre by Friday 26 February 2016 by phoning 02 6027 1743, calling in during office hours (Tuesday/Wednesday 9am- 5pm, and Thursday 9am - 4pm) or emailing [email protected].
Council has $10,000 for the design of the disabled toilet facility.
Council seeks design input
Great response to
television program
Great success: An ABC film crew spent months in Yackandandah filming a documentary, which screened on December 13, and caused a huge spike in
interest in the town.
8 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 9
Ph: (03)5728 1585 Mobile: 0409 120 392 All-Car Auto Electrical
Auto Electrical and Air Conditioning on-site service 5 1/2 Days per Week
Over 32 years of experience working on cars, trucks, earthmoving and farm machinery
Local, friendly service from a Yack resident covering Indigo Shire and surrounds
Vehicle Electronic Systems and EFI Spe-cialist using the latest scan tool technology
covering a wide range of cars
By Leah Ginnivan
What are all those perspex yellow yaks doing in town? That’s the question on everyone’s lips as Totally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY) gathered pace this summer.
Those yaks are a mark that the householders are supporting the goal to get Yack onto 100 per cent renewable energy by 2022.
Totally Renewable Yackandandah, with support from Charles Sturt University’s Community-University Partnerships Grants Program, commissioned a report on community attitudes towards renewable energy in Yackandandah.
As well as undertaking a community survey, TRY interviewed 26 community leaders, including business operators, health professionals, farmers and artists, people involved in arts, cultural, community groups and sports, as well as renters and homeowners, parents and retirees.
There’s overwhelming support, in-principle, for TRY’s goals. Almost every interviewee reckoned TRY’s plan to switch to cleaner power sources was worth going for - especially following on from similar challenges, such as YCDCo, that Yack’s tackled before. This innovative character is also evident amongst the sporting, arts, theatre and service parts of our
community. One key message,
raised by many interviewees, was that some clear possible scenarios need to
be developed so the community can then discuss how to best reach the target. This will prompt community ownership of, and
involvement in, the project. The need for households to have access to quality, affordable advice from trusted sources (who aren’t trying to sell them things) also came up in the interviews. TRY is taking this on board, and the next big step is figuring out how to get it happening!
TRY president Matthew Charles-Jones said a new Victorian Government grants program may well allow the group to take the next crucial step identified by the interviewees.
“We need a strategic blueprint, which brings together the technological, financial and community dimensions of 100%
Energy blueprint on horizon
goal,” he said.“TRY is very grateful
that a diverse range people were so willing to give of their time and knowledge and help TRY decipher the next steps.”
The report authors, Leah Ginnivan and Tom Stayner, would like to say a big thanks to Dr Joanne Millar, who assisted in the project, as well as Ali Pockley and the Yackandandah Community Centre who allowed them to use
the space to conduct these interviews, as well as the interviewees for making time on their weekend to chat about these important issues and the future of Yackandandah.
The report is available at http://totallyrenewableyack.org.au/watts-happening/news/. To stay updated on TRY, jump onto http://totallyrenewableyack.org.au/get-involved/subscribe/
To commemorate the centenary of World War I, Indigo Shire Libraries and the Beechworth Burke Museum are presenting a touring exhibition from the State Library Victoria exploring the stories of ordinary Australians told through their own photographs, letters, diaries and writings.
The exhibit, Writing the war: Personal stories from WWI tells the story of Australia’s involvement in WWI seen through the eyes of seven ordinary Australians from very
different backgrounds – a teacher, a nurse, a bank clerk, a farmer, a journalist, an artist and an activist.
Their experiences are conveyed through personal and published writings, photos, drawings and multimedia which take us from Gallipoli to Egypt, Gaza and the Western Front, and capture a diverse range of perspectives.
Some of these writings helped shape public opinion about the war effort, such as
Sir Keith Murdoch’s Gallipoli letter or the writing of pacifist Vida Goldstein.
Some were never intended to be read in public, like the diaries of George Auchterlonie which remained in his family’s possession for more than 70 years.
“These diaries and letters of both prominent and ordinary Australians give us an insight into WWI that is immediate and intimate because it is told in their own words,” Indigo Shire Libraries team leader Wendy Kerr said.
Yack Library
War commemorated in writing
Totally Renewable Yackandandah
Yak-tastic!: Chris McGorlick earned himself a TRY
yak for his 100 per cent renewable-powered home.
Town first: Yackandandah Community Centre was the first community organisation in town to earn itself a TRY yak.
Thinking of the future: Ben Gilbert, with son Fela,
have their eyes firmly on the future with the design of their energy efficient home.
Quality, professional childcare in a warm, secure
home environment
Vacancies for 2016
Phone (02) 6027 1288
10 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 11
Happy new year
to all our friends,
customers and
volunteers. We’re
looking forward to
another productive
year at your
community centre so
please let us know if
there’s anything you
would particularly like
to see put on in the
way of courses.
JUNIOR DRAMA
– Brendan is taking
a well-earned rest
from drama for term
Yackandandah
Community Op
Shop
This great little Op
Shop (probably the
best in north-east Victoria!) runs out of the Yackandandah
Community Centre in
the High Street.
We are seeking
expressions of
interest from qualified people who are
interested in a limited
hour paid short-term contract (which may
well be extended) to
manage the Op Shop.
Duties would
include recruiting
new volunteers,
arranging rosters,
upgrading facilities
and forward
planning.
Please register
your interest at the
Yack Community
Centre, 02 6027
1743 or email
manager@ycc.
org.au and we will
arrange to forward
you details of the
position when it
becomes available.
Yackandandah
Community Garden
We are seeking
expressions of
interest from suitably
qualified people to
re-invigorate this wonderful community
asset.
This will be a paid
short-term contract (which may well be
extended) to recruit
more members,
coordinate gardening
sessions and plan
for the future.
Please register
your interest at the
Yack Community
Centre, 02 6027
1743 or email
manager@ycc.
org.au and we will
arrange to forward
you details of the
position when it
becomes available.
Your community centre
- a cool place to be!
Three prominent Yackandandah
artists will come together to
stage an exhibition of paintings,
sculptures and mixed media
artworks at Wodonga’s GIG
Galley from January 26 to
February 21.
Painters Mandy and Scott
Murray will join with sculptor
Linda Fish to stage The Murrays
and a Fish exhibition.
Mandy and Scott met whilst
studying painting at RMIT in
Melbourne.In 1998 they made the
treechange from Melbourne to
Yackandandah.
Early in 1994 sculptor Linda Fish also made the move from the
city life to Yackandandah. They
have become good friends and
encourage each other’s artwork.
Husband and wife Scott and
Mandy make an impressive artistic
team. Scott creates contemporary
landscapes whilst Mandy uses a
mixed media technique to help us
look closer into the natural world.
Linda has concerns about
how we have become removed
from nature. Her sculptures are
small comments about the plastic
and chemicals we use in our
environment.
All artists are creating a
personal response to their
surroundings.
Yack artists join forces for exhibit
By Lauren Salathiel
Give Arli Waddell a piece of wood and a set of tools, and chances are the 14-year-old will turn them into something amazing.
The Yackandandah teenager is currently in the process of creating a handmade wooden bow, the second such bow he has made.
What makes the bow even more fascinating is that it is built from discarded pieces of wood that Arli has found in the shed at his house.
“I’ve made one bow before, which was kind of like a prototype,” he said.
“It had detachable limbs made out of an old set of skis.
“I wanted to try making a one-piece bow, so I hunted around for whatever I could find in the shed.
“I’ve used some old verandah boards, window frames, railway sleepers, and have laminated them together.”
It has taken two months for Arli to make the riser (handle of the bow), shape the limbs and glue on the bow
limbs using epoxy glue.He has only just added
fibreglass to the top of the limbs to give them strength, and is now shaping the other side of
the riser.This amazing creation
is the product of Arli’s natural ingenuity, and hours of avid reading of articles and how-tos
online.“I looked at the basics
on the internet, and used the first bow as a test, learning from that one to make the second one as good as possible,” he said.
“It will soon be ready to shoot, and I plan to use it to shoot targets.”
Arli said the most satisfying part of the process had been “building something out of nothing” - a feat for which he is already known, having last year constructed a billy kart out of recycled materials for the town billy kart race.
“The hardest part has been getting the bits of wood for lamination thin enough. I’ve had to plane each piece ot the exact thickness that I want,” he said.
“The most useful tool I used was a kettle, for helping me to steam and bend the pieces of timber into a recurve bow (a bow with its tips bent, which turns in on itself).”
(Arli’s mother Frances added that a new kettle was almost on the cards, after the old one was boiled dry so many times!)
1, particularly as it’s a
short term. So we will
be in touch with our
regular young thespians
a little nearer Easter
to let you know what
Brendan has planned
for term 2.
MUSIC LESSONS
– Vanessa Delaine
will be continuing her
great music making
classes on Tuesday
afternoons in Yack.
She may have limited
spaces available, so
call her on 0403 412 346 to see availability of keyboard, guitar,
voice and music theory.
Vanessa’s latest CD
was release around
Christmas time and has
proved to be a great
seller on iTunes. She
will also be going to
Tamworth later on in
the year.
BIRD
PHOTOGRAPHY
– We are planning a
photography workshop
with Chris Tzaros in
the autumn/winter.
He’s currently working
on a project with
the local Swamps,
Rivers and Rangers
initiative operating in
north-east Victoria.
Chris is an amazing
photographer and if
you are a member of
Birds Australia, then
you will have seen his
work – he thinks like a bird and consequently
has the knack of taking
extraordinary photos of
birdlife. Please register
your interest as soon as
possible. This will be
a one-off opportunity
unlikely to be repeated
anytime soon! Chris
knows the area well
and a wonderfully
productive workshop
can be guaranteed.
There will be some
theory at the centre and
then a trip into the bush
to put your skills into
action.
PERMACULTURE
– under the auspices
of the Professional
Permaculture Guild,
a design certificate course will be held from
the end of February
until early June. Cost
$640 per person. This will be a wonderful
opportunity to learn all
about the very topical
principles and ethics
of permaculture. Call
Susan on 03 5728 1458 for further details or
leave your details with
us.
WHAT ELSE
YOUR CENTRE
OFFERS – please
remember that we are
a Cool Relief Centre.
That means that you
are welcome to drop in
and use our facilities
when the weather is
hot. Bring your craft
work, a magazine, write
some letters, use our
Wi-Fi facilities and
generally chill out in
our air-conditioning.
You can also potter
around our lovely Op
Shop and chat with our
great volunteers. Make
yourself a tea or coffee.
Listen to Indigo FM,
but don’t sit at home in
the heat feeling hot and
bothered.
We also have the
“Hot Office’ where you
can rent office space by
the hour, session or day.
Very reasonable costs
with photocopying/
scanning facilities and
Wi-Fi available. You
can book on the internet
if you prefer: http://
ycc.org.au/facilities/
hot-office-bookings/
We can do your
printing, scanning,
laminating and
photocopying for
you as well at very
reasonable rates. We
guarantee that we can
undercut Officeworks,
so don’t waste fuel
driving into town!
Our office is
open from 9am-5pm Tuesdays/Wednesdays,
and 9am-4pm on Thursdays. Phone (02)
6027 1743 or email [email protected].
au. You can find our
website at http://ycc.
org.au. The Op Shop is
open 10-4 Mon/Fri. Looking forward to
seeing you soon!
New community opportunities
Quite the craftsman
Skilled craftsman: Yackandandah’s Arli Waddell has
built himself his very own wooden bow.
Do you know of a local young person doing something amazing? Let the whole
town know! Email [email protected] or phone 0422 854 909.
12 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 13
By Michelle Croker
Tired of singing in the shower with no-one to appreciate your talents?
Do you want to be part of an exhilarating sound?
Then join the Arts Yack Community Choir and perform at the next Yackandandah Folk Festival.
You don’t need to be an experienced singer. All ages and abilities are welcome.
We would especially like to encourage lots of blokes this year and the more kids the merrier.
This year, we are excited to have Chris Pidd as our choir leader once again.
The Arts Yackandandah Community Choir commences with a taster workshop on Sunday, January 31 from 3pm to 5pm at the Yackandandah Town Hall, with rehearsals culminating in a performance at the 2016 Yackandandah Folk Festival on Sunday, March 20.
Rehearsals every Sunday through February and March at
the Yackandandah Public Hall, High St. (opposite the school) except for Sunday, March 13 at the Yackandandah Sports Park.
Taster workshop: 3pm to 5 pm, Sunday, January 31.
Rehearsals 2pm to 4pm, Sunday February 7, 14, 21, 28; March 6, 13; 7pm to 9 pm Thursday, March 10, 17.
It’s an uplifting experience that may just keep you coming back each year.
For more info or
to register email
By “Kingfisher” (Anna Kusmierski) and “Sparky” (Rob Gollan)
The logistics of bringing
8371 Scouts, 194 Venturers and 2351 leader, Rovers and support staff together
for a 10 day Jambouree is an
extraordinary accomplishment
and to think it was all done
by volunteers is an incredibly
proud thing for any member of
the Scout Movement to brag
about.
Overnight a tent city springs
up, set with everything from
a hospital to a coffee shop.
Jamboree TV, radio station
and newspaper keeps everyone
informed of daily activities.
There is no time to miss mum
and dad as there is something
going all the time.
Despite the deluge of rain in
the first few days of the 24th Australian Jambouree, held
recently at Cataract Scout Park
in Sydney, the Scouts did not
forget their Scout Law – “A Scout is cheerful”. Soggy feet
did not stop them from leaping
into adventure!
The planning to get as many
Scouts from 1st Yackandandah
Scout Group to Cataract Scout
Park for the 24th Australian Jamboree started more than
two years ago.
There have been a lot of
people who have helped us
along the way and we would
like to say thank you and share
our experiences. As you will
see these children have had
the time of their lives and have
made friendships and have
experiences which they will
have for a lifetime.
Troop D625 was made up of 35 scouts and five leaders from 1st Yackandandah, 1st Bright, 1st Seville and 1st Wonga Park.
The 24th Jamboree was hosted by the NSW contingent at Cataract Scout Park.
We were able to set up camp in the dry but it wasn’t long before the rain started, and stayed, for four days.
We dug trenches to divert the rain but it still went under and through tents, stretchers, and bags. We became quite good at making clothes out of plastic bags.
It was amazing to see the Scouts adapt so quickly to a challenging situation and when the sun finally came out and the clothes, socks and boots started to dry, the sheer joy was
unmistakable. Scouts would rise before
7am and generally be at activities between 7.30am and 9am, depending on whether they were on- or off-site.
Duty patrols would pick up food supplies and ice from the Q-store and be in charge of cooking and cleaning. Free time was between 8pm and 10pm.
Each member of D625 contributed to the overall experience and it was great to see the Yack Scouts have such a great time and also get to know the other leaders and their scouts. We had a happy troop with lots of laughing and joking, card playing and walking.
At opening ceremony it was said that Jamboree would change a doubtful Scout and after talking to Scouts when we arrived back it Victoria it seems this truly is the case.
Without a doubt Jamboree is the pinnacle of the Scouting experience, it brings together mateship, resilience, perseverance, comradeship, skills, knowledge, leadership, personal development, physical development and solidarity. It was a great honour to serve as line leaders for 1st Yackandandah as part of D625.
Jamboree was fun. It changed my life. It was easy to make lots of friends. I got lost once. It rained a lot. Jamberoo Water Park was the most fun activity. My favourite rides were the Funnel web and the Taipan. I’m going to start saving for venturers AB2018 in Brisbane.
- Oliver Cottee• • • • • • • • • • • • • •On the last day of
Jamboree my patrol went to a beach on Botany Bay while the other half of our troop were left to pack up our tents. Because we were leaving that
night we had to get up at 5.50am to pack our stretchers and sleeping bags but it was definitely better than having to pack up nine tents.
We caught a bus which took about an hour. Once we arrived we got a bracelet and were sent to a place to put down our bags and we then applied sun cream and ran off to go swim in the ocean.
I went on an obstacle course and then went canoeing.
We saw jelly fish and we went into the mangrove. After a while we went back to
our bags and ate lunch and played cards.
Then we were told we had to leave and that was the end, back to camp to help clean and pack. The whole 10 days were amazing!
We went through rain, wind, thunder and then finally some sunshine.
We made friends that hopefully will last a lifetime and most importantly we had an amazing time.
Even though it is over I am still ecstatic and would do it again in a heartbeat.
AJ2016 was one of the best experiences
of my life and anyone who has the opportunity to go should.
- Lara Johnson• • • • • • • • • • • • • •My favourite off-site
activity was the water park, Jamboroo when we went on the funnel web, tobogganing and all the other rides and water slides. My favourite on site activity was Endurance when we got soaked in green and blue food dye. My most memorable moment is the fireworks at the open and closing ceremonies. I made lots of new friends and
learnt new card games and it was really fun. I learnt that I should pack more jumpers….just in case the weather isn’t what you think it is going to be.
- Mia Kusmierski• • • • • • • • • • • • • •Jamboree was
fantastic! One of my favourite activities was City Sites where we spent the day exploring Sydney and even caught a ferry over to Manley and swim at
the beach. I also really enjoyed Caving and Challenge Valley, a big mud course. The water park at Jamberoo was brilliant with lots of fast exciting rides. All of the night activities and concerts that were put on were heaps of fun and we made lots of new friends. Although the weather was very wet at the start, AJ2016 was still one of the best experiences I’ve had.
- Lily McPherson
Mud all part of Jambouree fun
Big happy family: Scouts from the 1st Yackandandah troop joined with those from Bright, Seville
and Wonga Park to form Troop D625 at the recent 24th Australian Jambouree in Sydney.
Straight from the Scout’s mouth...Dirty boots: Yackandandah Scout Lachlan picks his
way carefully through the mud at the 24th Australian
Jambouree campground.
Home away from home: The Scouts spent 10 days
at Jambouree, working together to maintain their
camp and trying a range of fun activities.
Fun park: A visit to a water park was a highlight
of this year’s Jambouree. for members of the
Yackandandah Scout troop.
It’s festival time again!
Hit the stage with town choir
Audience favourite: It’s always standing room-only in the Public Hall when the Arts Yackandandah Community Choir performs.
The Yackandandah Folk Festival is back for its 19th year from March 18 to 20, bringing to town some of the finest musicians you’ll hear this year!
For Yackandandah locals, that means it’s time to start thinking about purchasing early bird tickets to ensure you snare a great deal (they also make terrific
gifts), and considering how you might be able to contribute to the smooth running of the festival by
volunteering your time and skills.
The first few bands on this year’s festival program have already been announced - make sure you’re the first one to hear about additional bands by liking the festival’s Facebook page, and keeping your eye on the festival website at www.yackfolkfestival.com!
Ticket type Eligibility Early bird
(until
28/2/16)
Full price
Adult Aged over 18 $84 $99
Student Full-time student with concession card
$70 $85
Concession Valid Centrelink Health Care Card only
$74 $89
Youth Aged 16 to 18, photo ID required for ticket
collection
$39 $39
Child Aged 15 and under accompanied by
paying adult
Free Free
Early bird catches a bargain!Tickets are now on sale for the 19th
annual Yackandandah Folk Festival, and there are still several weeks left for punters to take advantage of special early-bird ticket rates.
To book and pay for your early bird ticket, head online to Eventbrite, a secure booking site.
Tickets will also be available in town in the lead-up to the festival - keep an eye on the Yackandandah Folk Festival website for further details as to where to purchase your tickets.
During the festival weekend itself, tickets will be sold at the Yackandandah Community Centre.
Much of the line-up for the upcoming Yackandandah Folk Festival is still a closely guarded secret, however one name that slipped from the lips of the festival organisers is Ashley Condon (pictured).
Raised between two potato fields on Prince Edward Island, Canada, Condon is the grandchild of Bill Leblanc, a Canadian country pioneer who once spent the night in jail with Hank Snow.
Condon has won over audiences across the globe with her larger-than-life stage presence, down-to-earth charm,
and her blend of country, folk, blues and soul.
David Francey, who produced Condon’s 2013 album, and who himself has appeared at the festival in past years, This Great Compromise, has called Condon “the finest writer and performer I have heard in many years”.
One thing’s the be sure - Condon is not to be missed.
Find out more about her music by visiting http://www.ashleycondon.com, and check out the festival line-up as it is made available at www.yackfolkfestival.com.au.
Canadian folk artist
leads festival line-up
Volunteers are integral
to the running of the
festival and in contributing
a few hours of your time,
you become part of the
community that enables
this festival to happen.
Similar to 2015, the volunteer application
process will utilise
the website, requiring
volunteers to complete the
online application form
below indicating which
roles and tasks you prefer.
The volunteer
committee will email
information to the
volunteers with designated
tasks and duties.
The committee is open
to enthusiastic individuals
wanting to take on a
greater role with the folk
Ffestival so if you are keen
to get more involved, talk
to a committee member
Volunteers are asked
to commit to at least two
hours as a minimum, but
the more the better!
Volunteering comes
with a great range of perks
- those who complete six
hours of volunteer work
will receive a half-price
festival ticket, while those
who do 12 hours will
receive a free ticket!
All volunteers are also
invited to a vibrant social
gather after the festival,
with food and drink
provided.
To find out more about volunteering, and
to learn about the range
of roles available to
volunteers, visit http://
yackfolkfestival.com/
join-in/volunteers.
Join in, get involved
14 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 15
Stay tuned for more Arts Yackandandah events. For further information as it becomes available, visit www.arts.yackandandah.com, and don’t forget to “like” the Facebook page - www.facebook.com/artsyackandan-dah.
Program of upcoming events
Cut me out and put me on your fridge!
Saturday,
February 6
Tenzin Choegyal (Tibet) and Taro Terahara (Japan)
Yackandandah Public Hall
Wednesday,
August 3 Melbourne Chamber Orchestra Yackandandah Public Hall
Tibetan singer songwriter Tenzin Choegyal draws on his roots to create original compositions which uniquely express his musical lineage. He joins with Taro Terahara, one of the leading musicians in the thriving and high competitive Indian classical music
scene in Japan.
UKE-N-DANDAH
Yackandandah’s own Ukulele
Club is proudly associated with Arts
Yackandandah.
We meet every Monday night
between 7.15pm - 8.30pm at the Court
House.
New members are most welcome, and if you are a beginner, no problem
as we offer basic instruction.
Come on - have fun
and strum!Tim Evans, 0412 106
085
“FRESH & UNFRAMED” –
CALL for HELPERSArts Yackandandah is looking for
fresh enthusiastic people interested in helping out with the organising of this year’s Visual arts exhibition
“Fresh and Unframed”, which will be held towards the end of the year
(dates to be confirmed).
As is the natural way of things we need new people to assist in order for this wonderful community event
to continue into the future.
“Fresh and Unframed” began in 2000 to encourage the visual arts for all the local community. It has contributed to encouraging the careers of many local artists and
collectors.
There is currently a small group who are happy to continue and
who would warmly welcome new members to assist with this year’s
organisation.
If you are interested please contact:
• Jenny Poyner : 0260271458 Mb :0448754538
• Helen MacCalman : 0260271397 Mb: 0438499910
Or email : [email protected]
By Frances Higgins
Arts Yackandandah is a
volunteer organisation which acts
as an umbrella organisation for
a number of vibrant community
groups.
Arts Yackandandah Community
Choir performs annually at the
Yackandandah Folk Festival.
Yackandandah Theatre
Company stages a performance
once a year. They frequently
perform locally written plays and
are active in encouraging local
actors and playwrights.
Yackandandah Young Players
exists to support performances by
talented young actors.
Flickside film society screens movies in the local
courthouse - entry is free for Arts
Yackandandah members
Other groups and events
include:
• Fresh and Unframed- visual art exhibition
• Uke-n-dandah- ukulele group meets weekly on a Monday night.
• Yack Poetry Group meets on the first Sunday of the month.
Arts Yackandandah also hosts
performances by travelling theatre
groups, music acts including folk,
classical, opera and jazz, film festivals and any other event the
committee feels enhances the
creative and artistic qualities of
our community.
Arts Yackandandah
membership
Membership of Arts
Yackandandah is for the calendar
year and is very affordable,
just $20 individual or $30
family. Your membership fee
covers public liability and
volunteer insurance, Regional
Arts Victoria membership, Arts
Yackandandah community choir
subsidy, organisational costs and
general support of the arts in
Yackandandah.
It also entitles you to discounted
ticket prices to Arts Yackandandah
events and free attendance to
Flickside screenings.
If you would like to join or
renew your membership please
visit our website at www.arts.
yackandandah.com. If you have
any enquiries please email arts@
yackandandah.com or phone 0417 292 917
Look forward to seeing you at
the next Arts Yackandandah event!
Arts Yackandandah is looking forward to 2016 and Arts providing a range of visual and performing
arts experiences in Yackandandah. Make sure you mark you calendars for the following events at the
Yackandandah Public Hall:
Melbourne Chamber Orchestra returns with Mozart’s Piano
Supporting the
arts in Yack
Yack Station will
host the “All Things
Chook” exhibition, a
community event to help
raise money for Gemma,
a young wheelchair-
bound resident who has
outgrown her carseat
and needs to travel in her
wheelchair instead.
This means major
modification of the family car. Many families would
know Gemma through the
Yack Kinder.The artists at Yack
Station and the Wooly
Yackers Spinners and
Knitters are asking the wider community to
make chooks or anything
relating to chooks in any
medium they like e.g
paint, sculpture, appliqué
etc.
Cost is $5 per entry,Date March 12 through
to Easter Monday
You can sell you
exhibit, 10% or donate
the sale to Gemma or
simply display your work.
Of course there will be
a chook raffle.All age groups
included
There will be no prizes,
just fun!
Contact Heather.
Bekerk!: Yack Station will host a chook-themed art fundraiser from March 12 to Easter Monday.
Yack Station rounds up
the chooks for Gemma
Saturday 20 February 2016-Double Feature; 6.30pm Belle and Sebastian -PG | 104 min | Adventure, Family | 2013 |France
A six-year-old boy and his dog look to foil a Nazi effort to capture French Resistance fighters.
8.40pm The Women on the Sixth Floor- PG | 102 min | Comedy | 2010 | France
In 1960s Paris, a conservative couple’s lives are turned upside down by two Spanish maids
Saturday 16 April 2016 –Double Feature; 6.30pm The Lunchbox -PG | 104 min | Drama, Romance | 2013 | India
A mistaken delivery in Mumbai’s famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to an older man in the dusk of his life as they build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox.
8.40pm Chef- M | 114 min | Comedy, Drama | 2014 | USA
A chef who loses his restaurant job starts up a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family.
Saturday 21 May 2016 - 7.15pm Argo- M | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History | 2012 | USA
Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in
Iran in 1980.
Saturday 18 June 2016 - 7.15pm Les Miserables- M| 158 min | Drama, Musical, Romance | 2012 |USA
In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory worker’s daughter. The decision changes their lives forever.
Saturday 20 August 2016 - 7.15pm Pride- M | 119 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama | 2014 |UK
U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984.
Saturday 15 October 2016 - 7.15pm The Dressmaker –M | 118 min | Drama | 2016| Australia
A glamorous woman returns to her small town in rural Australia. With her sewing machine and haute couture style, she transforms the women and exacts sweet revenge on those who did her wrong.
3 December 2016 - 7.15pm It’s A Wonderful Life - PG |130 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy | 1947 | USA
An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.
Another year of great films
Share your art with
Yackandandah!
Yackity Yak will embark upon a series of artist profiles in upcoming
editions. If you are an artist - emerging or established, get in touch, and see your name
in the pages of your local newspaper!
16 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 17
Working bee Thank you to all
who attended the Yackandandah cemetery annual working bee on Saturday, December 5.
Morning tea (scones and tea) were kindly provided by Kevin and Lyn Williams. We would love to see more people help as we never quite get everything done and then we add it to the long list of jobs that needs tending throughout the year.
On this list is cleaning the headstones as they gather grime but clean up well with a brush and water.
If you do have some spare hours throughout the year, we would be very happy to have small or large jobs shared with our trust members.
Cemetery WalkThank you to
Yackandandah Museum (and especially Thelma Buchanan) for a very well attended Cemetery
Walk, featuring servicemen from First World War.
Thank you to all of the trust members for preparing the graves and walkways for the event.
A special thank you to Cameron Parker, a volunteer who did a huge amount of maintenance work in preparation.
General meetingOur next general
meeting is Wednesday February, 3 at 7.30pm at the Yackandandah Community Centre.
Please remember that the Yackandandah Cemetery Trust website includes information on burial costs, as well as a feedback and enquiry form.
Visit www.cemetery.yackandandah.com.
Yack
Cemetery
Trust
Many hands make light work More than 30
community members attended a workshop on Tuesday, November 24 to share their vision for Yackandandah Creek and surrounds (which includes the whole creek catchment).
The workshop, supported by the North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) and Indigo Shire Council, included a guided tour of the parkland followed by a BBQ and a facilitated workshop.
Discussion was focused around two main questions: “What do you value about Yackandandah Creek and surrounds?” and “What would you like to see done to improve or retain these values?”
A terrific discussion was held and it was evident that Yackandandah Creek is a much-loved place for the local community. Top
priorities identified by workshop participants included;
• weed reduction and revegetation
• construction of a walking bridge across the Yackandandah Creek from Bells Flat Road
• installation of historical informative signage
• improvements to water flow and quality
• development of a digital app sound trail for iPhone use
Other outcomes included the establishment of a core group of volunteers to form a ‘Friends of Yackandandah Creek’ group to initiate and support work being done along the Yackandandah Creek (and tributaries).
The Scouts have indicated they are
keen to undertake a project to clean up the wetland/swamp area at the front of the Sports Park. This is being supported by the Sports Park Committee.
Kiewa Catchment Landcare Group was recently successful in securing $14,000 for a project titled ‘Creating Homes and Habitat for Yackandandah Creek Threatened Species: - A community-led initiative’, which will be based in the parkland.
Indigo Shire Council has provided funding to the Yackandandah Chamber of Commerce to kickstart a Yackandandah Gorge Walk Development Project.
A scoping paper earlier this year highlighted four areas for development; wayfinding signage, facilities, interpretation and revegetation.
The Friends of
Yackandandah Creek group will be working with the Chamber of Commerce to see where the two projects can collaborate.
Many thanks to NECMA, Indigo Shire, Kiewa Catchment Landcare and local participants for making this happen. Thanks also to Tony and Jocelyn McAlister for their commitment to Landcare in Yackandandah over many years.
The new Friends of Yackandandah Creek group will hold their first meeting at 5pm on Tuesday, February 16 in the main meeting room at the Indigo Shire Office in Yackandandah.
Please RSVP to Jenny Pena at [email protected] or if you would like to just stay informed of progress please email your contact details to Jenny.
Creek projects identifiedFriends of
Yack Creek The release of the
Victorian Government
Know Your Council website on the
performance of all local
government Councils
shows Indigo Shire
is performing well in
many core areas when
compared to other rural
councils and the state
average.
This includes Indigo
Shire having one of the
lowest levels of rates in
the state.
Indigo Shire Mayor
Cr James Trenery said
the report was proof that
Indigo Shire Council was
a well-governed, well-
run, open and efficient Council that all residents
could be proud of.
“We don’t quite run on
the smell of an oily rag,
as the saying goes, but
we have been diligently
assessing our expenditure
and finding savings with minimal impact on
services,” he said.
“And we do this with
one of the lowest levels
of rates and expenses per
head of population in
Victoria.”
The website, which
captures data from the
new Local Government
Performance Reporting
Framework, shows that
the average residential
rate per residential
property assessment
for Indigo Shire was
$972.01.
This compares
favourably to the average
for the small councils
group at above $1100
and for all councils it
around $1400.“So while our rate
revenue is less than most
councils, we manage
our core business
efficiently with an eye to minimising costs where
possible, and this website
data demonstrates that,”
Cr Trenery said.
“We are doing better
than most councils,
small and large across
the state, in a number of
Indigo - ‘well-governed,
open, efficient’other key areas including
the cost of running our
five swimming pools, the cost of sealed local
road resealing and
reconstruction, the cost
of animal management,
food safety inspections
and the openness
of council decision
making.”
“Our community
satisfaction rating
for consultation and
engagement remains high
at 61, well above the
state and small councils’
average of 56,” Cr Trenery said.
“This website data
shows that as a Council
we are performing well
and delivering best
value services to our
community.”
Indigo Shire chief
executive officer Gerry Smith said the Victorian
Government introduced
the new methodology
for 2014-15 to measure the performance of
the 79 councils across
Victoria.
The website www.
knowyourcouncil.vic.
gov.au publishes data
for all councils cross the
state.
“We will use this
data to keep us on our
toes – to monitor our performance in how we
deliver services to our
community,” Mr Smith
said.
With much of south-
eastern Australia in
drought, Victoria’s duck
populations - including
threatened Freckled
Ducks - are flocking to rapidly drying wetlands
to seek refuge.
However, with hot,
dry weather set to
continue, Victoria’s
wetlands will provide
little refuge in the
coming months and
BirdLife Australia is
urging the Victorian
Government to call off
the 2016 duck-shooting
season.
“A duck-shooting
season should not be
declared this year,”
said Dr Jenny Lau,
Conservation Manager
at BirdLife Australia,
Australia’s peak
bird conservation
organisation.
“All evidence points
to a sharp decline in
waterbird numbers and
drying wetlands across
eastern Australia.
“On the basis of all
the evidence, BirdLife
Australia is calling
on the Victorian
Government to cancel
next year’s duck
season.”
“Waterfowl and other
wetland birds have
become concentrated on
key Victorian wetlands
because there is simply
nowhere else for them
to go.
“Threatened species
of waterbirds, such as
Australasian Bittern,
Australian Painted Snipe
and Brolga, will also
be trying to find refuge and BirdLife Australia is
concerned that hunting
activities will put these
birds to flight, disturbing their roosting and
feeding grounds at a
time when ‘flying away’ to find a new home simply isn’t an option.”
“The duck-shooting
seasons were called off
in both 2007 and 2008
due to environmental
concerns, and the
conditions in Victoria’s
wetlands are worse this
year than they were back
then.
“One of the
Government’s own
criteria for closing
wetlands to hunting is the
need to provide refuge
for waterbirds during
periods of drought.”
Duck crisis looms
18 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 19
www.classicalconstructions.com.auBy Jackie Ashman
(Controller) and
Mario Scalzo (Deputy
Controller)
During 2015 the Yackandandah SES members attended many jobs, mostly for trees that had fallen during bad weather onto roads causing hazards to road users.
We also attended some land searches for people who had gone missing. On new year’s day at 6am we were sent off to search for an elderly man who had wondered off from his campsite. He was found safe and well.
We also searched for forensic evidence for Victoria Police in another local town.
We helped at the recent fires in the Indigo Valley preparing to evacuate residents from their homes. A big thank you to the Yackandandah and other local CFA
crews that helped during the fires. Wonderful job.
We have been lucky not to have had any severe flooding but the weather is very unpredictable so we might be in for a lot more rain. If roads are covered with water please never drive though. Nobody really knows what could be under the fast-flowing water. You might think it looks safe but you won’t see debris under the water or that the road may have been washed away by the fast flowing water.
Never drive through flooded roads.
2015 was a great year for members that are alpine trained. The weather was great and there was plenty of snow to conduct some great training. Two weekends proved to be quite tough as two of the members became sick while on
the training exercise, but they picked themselves up and kept going. True champs.
During 2015 Kathryn Haley achieved her General Rescue skills. This is a great achievement as it takes quite a few months of solid training and a final assessment to attain. Well done.
The Yackandandah members would like to congratulate James Trenery on his appointment as Indigo Shire Mayor. Your involvement with the community and volunteer groups within the Indigo Shire has been invaluable and we wish you all the best during your seat as mayor.
Please be safe on our roads and never drive through floodwaters.
If you need SES assistance call 132500 or for Emergencies call 000.
Stay safe on flooded roadsYack SES
Great achievement: Yackandandah SES member Kathryn Haley (centre) achieved her General Rescue skills
certificate, after months of training.
Training opportunity: Yackandandah SES members spent two weekends
training in the Victorian alpine area.
New Year’s Eve Dance PartyOur masquerade dance was well attended with
many enjoying the non-stop music and dancing – a great community event enjoyed by some true party-goers!
Special thanks to Judy Flinn for her creative flair with the decorating of the hall – pure class!
Proceeds from the night will fund our new music system.
Thanks to all who attended for their support.Christmas PicnicAnother great turn-out enjoyed by the Osbornes
Flat gang.Our shared picnic table is always a treat and
the value of catching up with your neighbours in a beautiful setting under the gum trees is not to be under-estimated.
It was great to see some new faces initiated into our community gatherings - thanks for coming along.
Pilates at the HallGet fit and join in our pilates classes, held on
Mondays and Thursdays at 7 pm. Cost is $15 per class (casual) and $100 for 10 sessions.
Pilates has many benefits – call Janene on 0423 289 215 if you have any enquiries, or just call in and join the friendly group on Monday and Thursday evenings
Hire me!Our beautiful old hall is available for hire. We have a fully functional kitchen, heating and
cooling and a large area outside that works well set up for weddings and bigger gatherings.
With a reasonable hire charge of $150, the hall is a great size (can seat up to 80 comfortably), is close to town and is a popular venue for parties, family events, weddings etc. Our new sound system is also available should you book a hire.
We also have a small meeting room available to community groups free of charge.
For all enquiries please contact either Lisa on 6027 1808 (email [email protected]) or Andrea on 6027 1991.
Flat out partying for new year’sOsbornes Flat Hall
A big night out: Local revellers saw in the new year at
the annual masquerade dance party, celebrated at the
Osbornes Flat Hall.
Cook up a storm!Due to the success and popularity of
Yackandandah Organics’ 2015 Cooking Class Series, we are now organising classes for 2016.
All classes are conducted in our farm kitchen here in Yackandandah. If you are a foodie, then you’ll love these fun, hands-on classes! A great
gift idea for that foodie in your life, too.
Saturday, April 9 – A Taste of New York: Bagels and Bellinis
Sunday, April 17 – Pasta
Saturday, May 28 – Italian Sweet Crostoli
Sunday, July 17 – “The Three Gnoccis”
Cooking classes will be conducted all through the year, and “How to Make a Great Sourdough” will
be one of the classes being offered. Stay tuned!
To go on our mailing list, email Gena at [email protected] or phone 0497
345 269.
Support our local wildlife warriors - make a donation to Kangaloola Wildlife Shelter, and help local volunteers carry
on their good work caring for injured native wildlife.
Visit http://www.kangaloolawildlifeshelter.org.au/dona-tions-page to make your donation today.
NEW HOMES EXTENSIONS RENOVATIONS
EVAPORATIVE AIR CONDITIONING
HOT WATER SYSTEMS GENERAL PLUMBING
20 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 21
Family and friends
gathered on January
11, 2016 to celebrate
the life of long-term
Yackandandah resident
Allan Frauenfelder
(pictured), who passed
away on January 2 at
Yamaroo Hostel.
Allan, along with his
wife Melva, first called Yackandandah home
in 1970 and have ever
since enjoyed living and
raising a family in this
lovely community.
Allan was the much
loved husband of Melva,
father and father-in-law
to Darren and Cath,
Brett and Cheryl, Nathan
and Jane, Narelle and
Gary Paull.
He was poppy to
Charles, Edward,
Margaret, Oliver,
Emerson and Myles, and
brother to Leslie, Patsy,
Keith, Christopher and Phillip.
A special thanks
goes to the staff of
Yamaroo Hostel for the
great care of Allan over
the last two months,
and also the staff at
Central Medical Group
Yackandandah, in
particular Dr Sartini.
Allan’s family wishes
to take this opportunity
to thank those members
of the community
for their thoughts
through cards, flowers, messages, phonecalls
and for joining in the
celebration of his life.
ObituaryAllan
FrauenfelderSeptember 25,
1939 to January 2,
2016
Family, friends farewell
longtime Yack resident
Every day, foster carers with Upper Murray Family Care make an incredible difference to children who are unable to live with their own families.
Foster carers are ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Carers need a commitment to children, a willingness to undertake training and assessment and the eagerness to give it a go.
Foster carers can be single, married or partnered, they may own their own home or rent, they work in or away from their homes, some have children, some don’t.
Some of Upper Murray Family Care’s carers provide respite care one weekend a month, while others prefer to deal with emergency or short-term placements.
Training and 24-hour support is provided.
Carers also receive a non-taxed reimbursement.
Our carers tell us that the good times far outweigh the tough, and their lives are enriched as they help a child move toward reaching their potential.
For more information contact Jeanine on 02 60055 8042 or see www.umfc.com.au.
Make a difference in the life of a child
The Indi
Community Summit
ReportIt’s a privilege to
have former Melbourne Lord Mayor Winsome McCaughey AO, who grew up near Benalla, to launch the Indi Community Summit Report – Delivering Our Vision. The launch is next Wednesday, January 27 at the Huon Hill Hotel, Wodonga at 10.3am. The report outlines the vision and actions arising from the inaugural Indi Summit held on 24 October 2015. Other speakers include report author Susan Benedyka facilitator Janelle Boynton and Mt Beauty Secondary College students Marvin Smith and Tallon Smith who participated in the Summit, and will share their experiences of being part of this inaugural community event. RSVP online.
Mobile phone black spot nominations
A list of 42 mobile phone black spots has been submitted to Government. Under Round Two of the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Programme, Cathy was invited by the Minister for Communications, Senator Mitch Fifield, to submit three new priority locations for Indi.
She worked with the Indi Telecommunications Action Group (ITAG), with representatives from each council, to nominate the following locations based on people’s safety in emergencies and community support: King Valley, including Cheshunt South and Rose River, Kevington in the Mansfield Shire and the Tallangatta and Mitta valleys.
Kancoona will be carried over from Round One. Cathy will continue to advocate for improved mobile phone coverage for all communities.
Agricultural inquiry comes to Indi
Cathy welcomed her colleagues on the HOR Standing Committee on Agriculture and Industry to Wodongaon Thursday, January 17.
Nine local groups, including the Alpine Valleys Dairy Pathways Project, Charles Sturt University, Rutherglen Premium Lamb and North East Catchment Management Authority, appeared at the hearing, which was a great opportunity for the agricultural sector to explain what is needed for agriculture and food production and manufacturing to thrive in the North East using the latest technology. Public hearing program information can be found online.
Have your sayCountry of Origin
Labelling - Feedback is being taken on the proposed Country of Origin Labelling reforms until January 29. Have your say online.
Arts - The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts is holding an inquiry into the importance of public and commercial broadcasting, online content and live production to rural and regional Australia, including the arts, news and other services. Submissions are being
taken until 5 February 2016. Terms of reference and submission information can be found online.
Innovation - Joint Select Committee on Trade and Investment Growth will investigate how the research and innovation sector can better assist in overcoming Australia’s geographic, economic, and labour challenges. There is also a focus on commercialisation including, how technology imports and exports could be further facilitated. Submissions close 11 February 2016.
Transport and economic growth - The Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities has launched an inquiry into increased transport connectivity and economic activity, with a focus on value-capture as a funding mechanism for infrastructure development. Terms of reference and submission information can be found online. Submissions close on 12 February 2016.
ABC – Senate inquiry to investigate how the ABC delivers services in regional Australia. Submissions close 26 February 2016 and can be submitted online.
Grants/Nominations/Inquiries
National Stronger Regions Fund -
Round three closes March 15, 2016. Communities are encouraged to liaise with their local council about submissions for community-based projects. Information here.
Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal
Small Grants for Rural Communities - Open until March 24. Grants up to $5000 are available for projects and activities to benefit rural and regional communities.
Priority is given to communities of 10,000 or under.
Ron Furze has been a familiar face around Yackandandah Health and Yamaroo Hostel for many years – more than 39 in fact!
Ron’s dedication and service was recognised late last year at an award ceremony and luncheon at Government House in Melbourne.
Ron was the recipient of the Victorian Premier’s Volunteer Champion Awards – one of a small group awarded as an Outstanding Adult Volunteer.
Premier Daniel Andrews and Governor Linda Dessau presented the awards and chatted with attendees during the luncheon on November 29.
Ron is a quiet achiever, serving the Yackandandah community and surrounds in a voluntary capacity for over six decades!
Ron certainly would not chase the limelight himself, but staff at Yack Health felt Ron’s efforts worthy of recognition so a submission to the Premier’s Department was made several months ago with the winners announced in early November.
A small sample of Ron’s work includes:
• 39 years on our board of management, closely involved in
securing funding for the establishment of Yamaroo Hostel in 1994;
• more than 50 years as Church Warden at Allan’s Flat Parish;
• 60 years of service as a member of the Allan’s Flat Fire Brigade;
• establishing a representative farming lobby group for the dairy industry in the 1950’s and 60’s;
• president of the board of Yackatoon Retirement Village (a position he has held since its inception in 1974, overseeing the development of the village into a vibrant
community) and ongoing;• delivering Meals on
Wheels in Yackandandah and surrounds for many years;
• providing pastoral care for our residents (an ongoing role), and the list goes on !
At 82 years of age, Ron continues to give back to our wonderful community and we are extremely proud of his achievements.
Thank you from all of us at Yackandandah Health and congratulations on your award Ron.Solar installation
nearing completionThe installation of
our solar panels is now complete, with finishing touches to our internal systems being made.
By the time this edition of Yackity Yak is published, we expect the system to be fully operational.
The 90kw system will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 115 tonnes annually – the equivalent of taking 23 cars permanently off the road.
The project to install 348 solar panels on the roof of the health service’s facility heralds a new high-water mark in the success of Totally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY) – a volunteer-run community group which is aiming to power its small Victorian country town with 100% renewable electricity by 2022.
We are proud to be supporting this ambitious but achievable goal.Annual bowls day a great success
The annual bowls day held in January was well attended once again, with bowlers coming from the Yack and wider surrounding areas keen to take out the trophy.
Yackandandah Bowling Club hosted the day as a fundraiser for the Ladies Auxiliary group, with close to $2000 raised.
The winner of the men’s four event, consisting of 18 teams was Yackandandah (Ken Bray, Ray Melbourne,
Frank Artis and Bob Bullivant), with second place going to Corryong.
Our thanks to all who participated on the day, with special thanks to the sponsors and the Yackandandah Bowling Club for their efforts in getting the greens match ready and running the event – we really appreciated it.
The ladies group provided lunch and refreshments throughout the day and sold raffle tickets for the rolling raffle held.Activities update
The latter part of the year is always a busy time for our residents as they prepare for the Christmas festivities.
Once again our family night tea was a popular evening, offering an opportunity for families to join together for a meal and celebration.
Our event in December was enjoyed by 202 people, with many setting a fancy table and providing special treats for their loved ones.
Plans for the 2016 activity program have been finalised, with some new ideas and projects sure to keep our resident group interested and active.Can you help?
We are currently making up reminiscent boxes for resident activities. We are looking at collecting costume jewellery, strings of beads and large decorative buttons (20 cent piece size or bigger).
We are also happy to
take old calendars and old boots off your hands for other projects. Please call Leonie on 6028 0149 during business hours:Refurbishment program update
We have been fortunate to have received some small donations recently that we have added to our pool of funds to update resident sitting rooms.
The second resident sitting room will be fitted out in the coming weeks.
A-wing was decorated in colours with a summer theme. B-wing will feature the colours of spring.Entering aged care
Do you have any queries regarding entering aged care?
This can be a challenging time for potential residents and family members.
We are happy to help you with plans for this transition and answer queries regarding fees and charges.
If you would like to take a look around our facility or discuss respite or permanent placement please contact us on 6028 0100 to arrange an appointment.
Have you taken a look at our website yet?
Our website at www.yackandandahhealth.com.au offers up to date information on our aged care and primary health services, along with latest news, events and employment opportunities. We welcome your feedback.
Yack
Health
Ron a volunteer champion
Equipment hireWe have had a
number of community members availing themselves of our hire equipment recently – this is a convenient alternative to hiring in town.
We offer short term hire at the following rates:
• Wheel chairs - $5/day or $10/week; maximum hire period one week
• Shower chairs - $8/week; maximum hire one month
• Over toilet seats - $8/week; maximum hire one month
• Shower commodes - $10/week; maximum hire one month
Members of Yackandandah Health receive a 50% discount on the above prices. Membership is open to all residents and is $10 per annum for families and $5 per annum for singles.
Equipment can be hired by contacting our admin staff Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm.
Meeting/training
room for hire
Our meeting room is available for
community groups who are looking for a comfortable space to meet.
A small kitchenette provides tea and coffee making facilities and we have a white board, projector and television available with USB access.
The room will comfortably seat 30 people theatre style and 20 people for conference or training. There is a separate access for privacy. Phone 02 6028 0100 for enquiries.
Dorevitch Pathology
is now providing pathology services and will continue to open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8am to 11am. Other services include physiotherapy (Rebecca Stamp), remedial massage (Julie Walker), kinesiology (Trina Costin) and bowen therapy David Thorpe).
We have a number of consult rooms available for health professionals to rent at a very reasonable price. If you are interested, please give us a call.
Yack Health member and community services
What a champ!: Ron Furze and his wife Evelyn
attended a ceremony at Government House in
Melbourne, where Ron was awarded the Victorian
Premier’s Volunteer Champion award for his
dedication to the community.
A first for Indi - community
vision launched
Federal
Member for
Indi Cathy
McGowan
22 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak Yackity Yak February 2016 / March 2016 23
Since the Indigo Trail Horse Riders’ first ride in September 2014, many friendships have been formed, with dozens of amazing rides through the surrounding bush.
Trail riding in the local area is five star with most of our rides in our own backyard - Stanley State Forest behind Yackandandah.
We also go further afield, depending on the interest.
Camping and riding weekends have been held at PrettyValley, Tunnel Bend, Lake Buffalo with
more planned during the coming months (in addition to our weekly rides).
Members of the group come from all areas and information and pics are posted on our Facebook page.
We look forward to another great year of riding with friends and many enjoyable hours in saddle.
Saddle up for adventure
Indigo
Trail Horse
Riders
Natural beauty: The Indigo Trail Horse Riders enjoy
exploring trails all around north-east Victoria.
As 2016 commences
we hope you all had a
wonderful, safe, and
happy holiday period,
celebrated with your
loved ones, and you
enjoyed ringing in 2016
in style. We at YFNC are
looking forward to 2016
and what it may bring
on the football field and netball courts.
The seniors football
squad has been hard
at it, training through
November and
December but after a
couple of weeks off
over Christmas are back
in the swing of things.
Netball registration will
take place on the third
February 2016 at Butson
Park at 6pm.
Throughout the 2016
season we have many
events planned and
hope we can connect
not just with the YFNC
community but the
wider Yackandandah
community our club
represents.
The first social event of 2016 is the annual
‘Music Trivia Night’.
This will take place at
Butson Park on March
5, 2016. More details on times and booking tables
will be posted on the
Facebook page.
TABLE TENNIS
Did you know that table tennis is played every week in Yack
(excluding public and some school holidays)? A lively group of locals meet on Mondays between 10.30
am - 12.30 pm and enjoy a sociable game. Skill levels range from ‘pretty
good’ to ‘absolute beginners’, so there is competition to suit all
comers. Please call in at the Scouts Hall at the Sports Park.
Yackandandah Sports Park
A great venue for parties,
weddings, special events.
Very reasonable rates with
excellent facilities.
Please call Lynda on 0427
852 846 for information
Indigo Shire Mayor Cr
James Trenery paid tribute
to residents across the shire
for their commitment to their
communities, when announcing
Australia Day Awards winners.
“I congratulate all the
winners. They give selflessly
to their community, in various
ways, and are great role models
for us all,” he said.
“Many do countless hours
of volunteer work and many
organisations across Indigo
Shire simply could not function
without them.
“Others achieve high
standards in their chosen field
and set a very fine example of
what can be achieved if you set
your mind to it.”
“The committee that selects
the award winners is made up of
members from right across the
shire.
“It is not easy to find winners
from so many deserving
nominees, and I thank the
organising committee for their
hard work and consensus in
deciding our winners this year.”
Cr Trenery also thanked the
many groups and organisations
who help with the running of the
Australia Day events across the
shire.
Australia Day Awards
Citizen of the Year: Kurtis
Hickling, Chiltern
It seems like Indigo Shire’s
Citizen of the Year, Kurtis Hickling, can always find plenty
of time to give someone a hand.
With a big friendly smile
and a calm “can do” attitude,
he gives countless hours to
his community in a variety of
roles. Kurtis is a lieutenant in the Chiltern Fire Brigade. As
junior development co-ordinator
he works with youngsters aged
11-15, imparting his skills and enthusiasm to prepare a new
generation of firefighters.
Kurtis received the Chiltern Achievement Award in 2013 in
recognition of his fundraising
efforts for emergency services
with his Christmas lights
display.
Everyone is a winner when
Kurtis brings his expertise to other community-based
activities, including the annual
rodeo and Good Friday Appeal.
He is an active role model
for young people in his church
group, and has achieved much
for Indigo Shire and his home
town of Chiltern.
Young Citizen of the Year:
Ashley Whitehead
Ashley is a deserving
recipient. She has been able to
successfully divide her efforts
so that while achieving excellent
results for all her classes during
Year 12, she has also been able
to serve her school and wider
community.
She is always willing to
help other students and other
members of the community.
She is calm, kind, patient and
generous at all times.
Indigo Shire Community
Organisation of the Year :
Lions Club of Beechworth
The Lions Club of
Beechworth has assisted in the
Community over the past 56 years. Last year saw the Lions
Club become reinvigorated with
an increase of membership of
100 per cent to 16 members with
another four to be inducted this
year increasing.
During the past 12 months
members have worked 5,342 volunteer hours, also raising
funds, and donating $7,674 back into the Beechworth community
and to groups in Beechworth
requiring financial assistance.
The Club was awarded Premier
Club in the Lions district which
has a total of 66 Lions Clubs.
District Certificates of
Achievement: Dianne Kerr,
Kiewa-Tangambalanga
Di Kerr recently celebrated 50 years of involvement in the Kiewa Sandy Creek Netball Club. As a player, umpire,
coach, and on the executive
committee, Di always gives her
best.
She has volunteered hundreds
of hours in the development of
juniors and netball in general,
both at the level and also the
league level, where she has been
an outstanding administrator for
many years.
Personally Di is well
respected and loved by her
community. Her contribution to
the community through scouts,
school involvement and events
has been enormous.
Greg Lumby, Rutherglen
Greg is a tireless worker
for a number of community
organisations and has been for
many years.He never hesitates
to put himself forward as a
leader and organiser and to take
on executive roles that require
additional time and dedication.
Greg has the respect and
support of others within the
community organisations he
represents and leads by example.
The organisations Greg has been
involved with are varied and
include sporting bodies, non-
profit organisations, industry
support and lobby groups, and
service organisations.
Gwen Anderson,
Barnawartha
Gwen’s commitment to the
Girl Guides movement over
30 years is commendable. The
lives she has enriched through
Guiding during that time is
incredible. Gwen is a quiet
achiever - she has trouble saying
“no”. Her level of reliability
and compassion is such that she
becomes everybody’s friend.
Gwen is a hard worker for all
the organisations she is involved
in.
Bruce Forrest, Beechworth
Bruce Forrest has made
an outstanding contribution
to the community across
many levels, from his active
involvement in the community
to the quiet consistent caring
he demonstrates at all times to
many friends and acquaintances.
He is a longstanding and
much respected member of the
CFA.
His contributions include
being a community ambulance
officer and school bus driver
-- kids love him! -- and he
regularly visits the elderly.
Emma George Sporting
Scholarship: Tess Palubiski and
Alec Mills
Tess Palubiski, 12, is a
talented hockey player who just
completed Year 6 at Rutherglen
Primary School.
Tess was recently drafted into
the Victorian Hockey Academy
and represents her local hockey
club, Corowa Rutherglen
United, at both junior and senior
levels. Tess will represent
the North East region at the
Victorian Championships in July
and will nominate to trial for
the Victorian U13 Girls Hockey
Team.
Tess has represented
Rutherglen Primary School at
the Victorian Primary School
Championships in cross-country
and track and field. She is a
member of the Victorian Little
Athletics, representing her club
at state level in track and field
for the past three years.
In 2015 Tess captained the Rutherglen Primary School
Hockey Sevens team at the
Victorian primary school
championships where they were
silver medallists.
Tess has a great passion for
hockey and wishes to advance
her skills and performance so
she can participate at the highest
level possible.
Alec Mills, 14, is a Beechworth Secondary College
student and a champion soccer
player who plays in the National
Premier League in Victoria. Alec
regularly travels to Melbourne -
last year there were 37 trips.
Alec has been selected for
Victoria for the past two years
and participated at the National
Youth Titles in Coffs Harbour in
2014 and 2015, finishing second to NSW and the ACT.
Indigo’s community spirit on showAustralia Day
Awards
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Yack
Football
Netball Club
Club prepares for 2016 seasonYFNC – Social Calendar
March 5 – Music Trivia Night, Butson Park
April 16– Players Auction Ladies Night
June 5 - $10,000 Draw
July 16 – Black Tie Ball
August 13 – Vote Count
September 4 – Junior Presentation Day
September 17 – Seniors Presentation Night
November 1 – Twist Creek Cup
We look forward to your support over the coming season “Go Roos”!
Yack Fishing Club
had a great Sunday
afternoon Christmas
lunch down at our
shelter with our new
electric barbecue.
We had around 35 new and old members
turn out for the event,
and we where delighted
to host our Mallacoota
host of some four
years now in Alan and
Veronica McKendrick.
It was also terrific to see our great sponsors
of many years John
and Jenny Dale.
The fishing club looks forward to
another of fun by the
water, and the barbie!
Yack
Fishing
Club
Fisherfolk gather
for Christmas do
24 February 2016 / March 2016 Yackity Yak
Phone: 02 6027 1901Website: yfuelyfarm.com
Remember to like us on Facebook
facebook.com/yfarmyfuel
Your Local Community Owned & Operated *FUEL *HARDWARE *PRODUCE & FARM SUPPLIES
Fantastic shopping ideas at Yfuel, hardware
and produce
YCDCo - Non-Daylight Saving Mon-Friday: 7 am to 6 pm Trading Hours: Saturday: 8 am to 5 pm OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK Sunday: 8.30 am to 5 pm
2015 mm Days rain
Jan 131.0 7
Feb 51.6 6
March 8.8 4
April 106.4 9
May 98.4 11
June 66.2 9
July 94.8 16
Aug 112.2 14
Sept 31.0 4
Oct 45.4 5
Nov 72.4 6
Dec 41.4 7
Total 859.6 98
2013 811.0 106
2014 885.8 97
2016 to 10/1 26.4 6
Reg’s rain report
Don’t forget to take advantage of our FREE livestock exchange and FREE
daily delivery service
February / March 2016 Yackity Yak Issue 64
Check out our
Ytrendy range!
Fantastic summer specials
while stocks last!
Are you fire ready?Come in and check out our great range of rural water supplies to keep you prepared for summer
and the fire season.
WANTED TO BUY
Coins, large lots or small. Cash paid. Phone Ray on 03 5721 7341 or 0401 177 370.
Collector seeks HMV
and Edison machines
or parts there of,
particularly wooden
horns. Phone Chris on
0407 271 760..
FOR LOAN
Outdoor chairs:
Osborne’s Flat
Community Hall
has donated about
70 stackable plastic
outdoor chairs for use
by the community
for free. They will be
stored at Yack Station
and are available to
whoever needs them.
Phone 6027 0954 BH to book them.
FOR HIRE
Artist studio: Half
studio (shared with
another artist) available
for rent at Yack Station,
in Turntable Lane. For
information call 0407 910 368.
We are happy to put in
classifieds free of charge. Forward your advert to yackity_
Classifieds
New
manager
for YfuelBy Lauren Salathiel
Yfuel has farewelled its manager Andrew Earl and welcomed to the helm new manager David Lerch.
David, who has lived in Yackandandah with his family since 2007, started in his new role for the new year.
“I’ve got a background in horticulture, mainly in the nursery industry, and a few years ago also started doing a bit of work in animal health and produce,” he said.
“For the past six years I’ve worked at Parkside Produce in Wodonga.”
David said he was keen to maintain the exceptionally high standards of customer service developed by Andrew and the Yfuel team over the past few years.
“I think when people think of Yfuel, they think of local people going above and beyond to provide great
service,” he said.“This is going
to remain my main priority.
“I’m also hoping to start further developing our line of produce and animal health goods.”
David said he hoped word would get around to outlying towns, like Beechworth and Wooragee, that Yackandandah had a versatile resource like Yfuel.
“I want to see people stopping by on their way through to fill up, and shop here,” he said.
“I’m very much looking forward to being part of the Yfuel team - it’s exciting to lead such a dynamic bunch of people and a really community-oriented organisation.”
Why not pop up to Yfuel Yfarm, in Turntable Lane, and welcome David to his new role - he’s there Mondays to Fridays, and is happy to help you find whatever products you may need!
Changing of the
guard: Andrew Earl
has handed over
leadership of Yfuel
to new manager
David Lerch.