Carisbrook Chronicles

22/11/2025

What a great effort by the Carisbrook Primary School students at the Energy Breakthrough this year! 👏🏻

13/11/2025

Good to finally see local knowledge being taken seriously. Carisbrook residents have been raising these concerns for years – hopefully this marks a shift toward clearer answers, proper transparency, and a safer outcome for the whole community.

FINALLY SOME OFFICERS LISTENING.
Council have been telling us for years the levee is safe.
Are council aware of the real situation?

After Monday 10th 2025 - Carisbrook levee presentation held at the Carisbrook Football club rooms, it appears that possibly there might be some hint that the Central Goldfields Shire council and Water Technology after over 10 years are starting to believe that the community might actually have some idea about what occurred in previous flooding events, and are possibly starting to entertain that those who did have submitted information prior just might have some idea.
-Finally hearing from the powers that be that-
1-The Pyrenees Highway is a spillway.
2-They are unaware if the Pyrenees Highway is built as per state spillway regulations.
3-The area south of the Pyrenees Highway actually is a retention dam, not a levee. We believe a levee cannot be dammed.
4- They have no idea as to where the water will go if it over tops the Pyrenees highway.
5-They also have no idea (after 10 years) what the actual water storage area is south of the Pyrenees Highway. 10 years after the preliminary plan was presented.
6- Some of the data they used to make the modelling presented actually may not have been the most accurate information.
7- A lot of the information we obtained through FOI, we actually didn't have to go through FOI. Council officers just needed to ask exactly what the item was and it should have been provided.
8- Some of the councils own studies or reports we provided to council officers on the day, council actually did not know about.
9- Our CEO learnt that the (reported) western levee actually had not been maintained over the previous years.
Just to mention a few.
However with taking the above in mind, we firmly believe that finally some notice is being taken of local knowledge.
We do hope this leads to a safer Carisbrook and a far more relaxed, confident community.
Looking forward to the December advertised Water Technology 3 update.
Regards
Wayne McKail President

21/10/2025

Locals and stakeholders are being encouraged to have their say on the proposed Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail at an upcoming consultation session in Carisbrook.

The first of six public meetings about the 55-kilometre trail will be held at the Carisbrook Market Reserve on Thursday, 30 October, from 4 pm to 6 pm.

Estimated to cost between $32 million and $38 million in taxpayer and ratepayer funds, it remains one of the region’s most debated infrastructure projects.

Supporters see it as a potential tourism and recreation boost, while others have raised concerns about its price tag and long-term maintenance.

The group behind the proposal says it wants to hear from residents about what the trail should look like, and how it might impact the community and local economy.

12/10/2025

What a discovery! 🏚️

While tracing his family roots, Paul McLay has uncovered the original farmhouse built by his ancestor James McLay back in 1865 at Moolort – between Carisbrook and Newstead – and incredibly, it’s still standing proud.

James, who migrated from Scotland, left his mark for generations to find – carving his name and the year into the stone above the doorway, a signature of pride that’s weathered more than a century and a half.

Locals have since chimed in online, many recognising the old house and calling it a beautiful piece of the region’s history.

Some reminisced about nearby towns like Talbot and the old general store, while others marvelled at how such buildings have endured through time and change.

A few even discovered distant family ties through the same pioneering names that once shaped the goldfields.

It’s the kind of story that reminds you how deep the roots run across the Central Goldfields – and how the past still whispers through the walls of places like Moolort.

02/10/2025

Central Goldfields Wildlife Rescue had a callout in Carisbrook this morning that turned into a real emotional rollercoaster.

At first, things looked grim – a big roo had been hit by a car, but when rescuers got to the area, he was nowhere to be seen. Hidden deep behind the trees, invisible from the road, it felt like Skippy had just disappeared.

But then came this. An absolute champion of a local hadn’t just phoned it in – they’d left a bright marker and a heartfelt note at the exact spot. That simple act of care cut through all the confusion and made sure the rescue team could find him.

What they discovered was heartbreaking: two broken legs, yet the roo was still trying to move, still fighting, still showing that incredible instinct to survive. 💔 But thanks to that stranger’s thoughtfulness, he wasn’t left to suffer unseen.

It’s moments like these that show the best of people – someone taking the time to make a difference, and in doing so, giving an animal dignity and compassion at the very end. 🦘❤️

20/09/2025

The Member for Ripon, Martha Haylett, caught up with members of the Carisbrook Lions Club during yesterday's Maryborough Hospital Celebration Day! 🌭