Mayor's Message – 2 March 2026

Published on 02 March 2026

Well, summer is officially over but we all know that the fire threats have not ceased. And the risk of flooding is upon us as we welcome much-needed rains. As you know, so much of the time and energy of us here at the Civic Centre has been occupied in response to the fires that started on 9 January. We acknowledge that many in our shire’s communities have also dedicated considerable time and effort in both fighting the fires and subsequently in supporting the recovery for those most directly affected. Thank you one and all. I have said this before and I’ll say it again: the response, the care, the thoughtfulness and love shown from people across the shire since 9 January has been extraordinary and wonderful. I am so grateful to everyone who has extended their appreciation and well wishes to us across the shire – these words mean a lot to us and I always pass them on to the organisation. While the effects of the fires still scar Harcourt, Walmer and Ravenswood, we are grateful for this enormous community response. We are also thankful to our friends and colleagues in other local government areas as well as state and federal departments and agencies for the cooperation, assistance and care shown to us. In the face of so much destruction, this cooperation and solidarity is one of the heartening features of this summer.

Another heartening observation since 9 January has been the diversity of people who have volunteered to help out. It is often spoken that our towns run on volunteers. It is also often noted that the pool of people available to volunteer their time regularly is declining. It is also ageing. In many of the organisations I remain involved with, I am often the youngest volunteer! And, of course, we understand the pressures that many Gen Xs, Millennials and Gen Zs are under, and how that impacts their ability to engage as a volunteer. But we also know that, for many in our communities, volunteering for their kids’ school or local sporting club is a primary means for newer residents to get connected locally. For teenagers, volunteering can be an excellent way to get some practical experience in a field they want to pursue professionally or academically. So, it has been marvellous to see the community response to the fires, and how such a broad range of people have shouldered the work. Again, thank you all!

The important role of community messaging platforms in times of disaster cannot be overstated here. Many local communities – from single street networks to whole suburbs and towns – have established short-messaging platforms to keep informed and to look out for neighbours. Plenty of households across the shire are connected through such groups and I whole-heartedly encourage you to join one in your locale, or to set one up if there is not one already. Better connections with neighbours is one important and positive step we can learn from 9 January.

Another positive observation is the green shoots, literally. It took a while, many weeks, in fact, before we got any rain, but now I am thrilled to see the verdant rushes and grasses rise from Barkers Creek, especially along Victoria Road. Even new shoots are emerging from the trunks of the burnt Eucalypts! As a small boy I remember this delight after the Ash Wednesday fires, and it still fills me with joy to see the bush respond now. Thanks everyone for all the lovely photos of this regrowth that have been posted online.

I am reminded of the complexity of this Country, this beautiful Djaara Country, these upside-down, broken but magnificent lands. Looking to the future, there is so much healing work to do, to regenerate these landscapes, to make the most of the rain that falls and to give nature the best chance of building the soils and biodiversity that will support us and all living things here. We have so much to do to mitigate the effects of climate change and to reduce the threat of the impacts of disasters like fire and flood. Fortunately, our shire and region is brimful of extraordinary people with energy and long-term focus, not least here at the shire offices and depots, but also amongst our farmers, smallholders, orchardists and viticulturists, our landcarers and permaculturists, our wildlife rescuers and animal husbands, the gardeners and environmentalists, our storytellers and old-timers with their priceless knowledge of how this place has changed. As we chart our climate change mitigations and responses, whether to fire, flood or storm, all of these skills and perspectives will need to be drawn upon. If you have not yet joined your local landcare or CFA, resilience group, cricket club, choir or book club (or whatever), what better time than now to get involved – at whatever capacity and volume you can manage.

All that said, let’s take the time to smell the roses. We can count our blessings that our shire affords many opportunities to do that – at Applefest on Saturday 7 March and at Taradale Mineral Springs Festival on Sunday 8, and of course later this month at Castlemaine State Festival. We are so fortunate to live in this magnificent place, surrounded by such talented and amazing people. Please take the time to smell the roses.

Sincerely,

Cr Toby Heydon
Mayor of Mount Alexander Shire