The Daylesford Daily

19/12/2025

Hepburn Shire Council has endorsed major capital projects without secured funding, despite limited community consultation and ongoing financial pressure.

The decisions have raised questions about long-term affordability, risk to ratepayers, and whether funding assumptions are realistic given the current fiscal climate.

𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄, 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐋 - 𝐇𝐄𝐏𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐋 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐒 𝐔𝐏 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄

Hepburn Shire Council has officially lost the plot.

Just a few years after the REX disaster torched millions of dollars, this Council has again voted to charge head-first into massive projects it has no ability to fund and no authority to promise.

This is not poor judgment.
This is institutional denial.

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐍𝐎 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐒
𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 $𝟐𝟓.𝟒 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧

Council has endorsed a full redevelopment knowing it has around $1.8 million available and no secured funding for the remaining $23 million.

The entire proposal relies on a fantasy that State and Federal governments will simply step in and pay most of the bill.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞.

Council cannot force Canberra or Spring Street to fund anything. It has no leverage, no contract and no assurance whatsoever.

𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 $𝟏𝟐.𝟔 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧
Same story. Different asset.

Council has endorsed a masterplan assuming $7.5 million in grants that do not exist, leaving more than $5 million unfunded. Council knows it does not have that money. It endorsed the plan anyway.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐄𝐗 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.
𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐊: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄
Here is the part Council refuses to acknowledge.

Victoria is drowning in debt.
Budgets are tightening.
Infrastructure is being shelved.

Anyone paying attention knows the next phase is cuts to local government funding, not handouts for regional vanity projects.

Yet Hepburn Council is behaving as if government money is limitless and guaranteed.

It is not.

Any idiot can see this is coming, except apparently the people voting these projects through.

𝐍𝐎 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄. 𝐍𝐎 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄.
Consultation for the Town Hall project attracted just 65 responses across the entire shire. Community support was split. There was no mandate.

Council pushed ahead anyway.

Worse, its own long-term financial plans show no capacity for new major assets. Councillors were told. Officers acknowledged it. The votes were still cast.

𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐔𝐏, 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍
Ratepayers have already been slugged with a 10 percent rate increase to clean up past financial recklessness.

Instead of stopping, Council is doubling down, locking residents into future liabilities it cannot meet.

This is how rates spiral.
This is how services get cut.
This is how councils end up administered.

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐆𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄
This is not vision.
This is not leadership.

This is signing up to spend money that does not exist, while pretending someone else will eventually pay.

Hepburn Shire Council is broke, warned, and still charging ahead.

If this behaviour does not stop, the question is no longer if someone intervenes.

The question is how much more public money gets flushed before it happens.

30/11/2025

What an extraordinary glimpse into Victoria’s early railway history – and an even more remarkable restoration! 🚂

This beautifully revived image shows a Victorian Railways F-class 2-4-0 and its crew at Daylesford, captured more than a century ago and now brought back to life by The Light of Other Days! 📷

The original photograph was heavily damaged, but the care poured into reconstructing the lining, recovering the faces and correcting the warped details has turned it into something truly special. ☺️

Every uniform button, every timber board, every brushstroke of colour looks like it’s been lifted straight out of 1879! 😍

A stunning piece of history, saved and restored with real skill! 🖌️

23/11/2025

An interesting development out of Daylesford recently.

While Hepburn Shire Council's CEO has released a brief statement describing the incident as an “assault”, many locals are pointing to a far more complex backdrop involving lengthy planning delays and mounting community frustration.

The timing is notable, arriving on the same day statewide data confirmed Hepburn Shire is currently the worst-performing council in Victoria for planning approvals.

That, combined with the lingering anger over this year’s 10 per cent rates increase to help cover the blowout from the failed REX project under former CEO Aron Van Egmond, has created a level of tension that shouldn’t be ignored.

There are clearly deeper issues at play here, and the incident adds yet another layer to an already strained relationship between council and community. 👀

15/11/2025

Congratulations to Daylesford Primary School, who have officially celebrated 150 incredible years! 👏🏻

13/11/2025

Hepburn Shire Council have celebrated Trans Awareness Week by raising the transgender flag in Daylesford! 🏳️‍⚧️

The Council described it as “a symbol of visibility, courage, and unity” and “a reminder of the ongoing work towards equality, acceptance, and understanding.”

“To all our trans and gender-diverse friends, family, and community members, we see you, and we support you.”

18/10/2025

The Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation has officially opened a new cultural space at Central Springs Reserve in Daylesford, marked by a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country.

Designed and built by Traditional Owners, the space offers a quiet place for reflection and connection – inviting locals and visitors to pause, listen, and engage with the land beneath their feet.

The project cost $1.25 million, funded by Australian and Victorian taxpayers through Labor's Federal and State Governments, with contributions from Hepburn Shire Council ratepayers.

12/10/2025

Daylesford’s one of those towns everyone knows – but you still can’t help talking about it. It’s got that perfect blend of country charm and indulgent relaxation, with its famous mineral springs, historic bathhouses, and that crisp mountain air that somehow makes every coffee taste better. 💧

Nestled in the lush hills and forests of central Victoria, the town’s main street is full of life – cute cafés, vintage shops, art galleries, and a warm, welcoming vibe that makes everyone feel at home. 🌿

It’s also become known for its ever-growing LGBTQIASB+ community, which has helped shape Daylesford into one of Victoria’s most inclusive and creative regional hubs. From colourful events to queer-owned businesses, there’s a strong sense of pride woven into the town’s identity. 🏳️‍🌈

Grab breakfast at Bad Habits Café, grab a cuppa at Larder, wander through Convent Gallery, and lose yourself in the antique and second-hand stores that line the street. Daylesford isn’t just a getaway – it’s a community that celebrates everyone. ❤️

03/10/2025

Daylesford’s chalked up a massive win, with Hepburn Shire Council and the community finally knocking back plans for a Dan Murphy’s after two long years of fighting.

On Monday, VCAT upheld the Victorian Liquor Commission’s original decision to refuse Endeavour Group a licence, shutting the door on the mega bottle-o.

Endeavour had been dragging the case through VCAT across July and August, trying to overturn that landmark 2024 ruling. But the tribunal wasn’t buying it, siding with the town instead.

“This is a win for Daylesford, the community, the Shire, and Council,” reported Mayor Don Henderson. “VCAT’s decision to refuse the Endeavour Group a liquor licence to operate in Daylesford is a huge relief for us all.”

“This decision protects our community, especially our young people, from the risk of increased harm from the misuse of alcohol. This decision proves that when Council and the community work together, anything is possible.”

He also gave credit where it was due: “I know that this outcome was achieved by the grit and determination of our community. Thank you to those who stood alongside Council as we fought to keep our community safe.”

The case was significant because it was the first to test the new definition of “harm” under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998.

VCAT spelled out its reasoning clearly: “Put simply, we have decided not to grant the liquor licence because of particular local, social, demographic and geographic circumstances.”

“The premises is located in an education and family friendly area, with children of all ages present throughout the year. The location of the premises means that children going to and from school, in care, at school or at leisure will be exposed to this packaged liquor premises.”

“There is a risk of harm to minors from exposure to the premises and the potential for normalisation of alcohol associated with this location. This is a circumstance where precaution is warranted.”

For many in Daylesford, it’s a relief. For Endeavour, it’s a hard stop. And for other towns watching on, it’s proof that locals can dig in and win – even against the big players.

23/08/2025

Weekend Windback to 146 years ago, with the Victorian Railways F-class 2-4-0 No.182 on the turntable at Daylesford Station, posed with crew and staff before a return run to Woodend or Ballarat.

This was reportedly by far the most damaged photo The Light of Other Days has worked on – reconstructed lining, repaired faces, and restored background to bring the historic scene back together.

09/08/2025

The admins of the original Ballarat Community Noticeboard group have created a new backup group after it was sadly taken down by Facebook.

27/07/2025

The Block: Daylesford premiered this evening on the Nine Network, and continues Monday to Wednesday at 7:30 pm! 📺

This season, five couples will be building five brand-new homes from scratch at 1 Raglan Street, Daylesford – and word is, the show’s finally getting back to its roots.

“We can’t wait to see the opportunities that unfold for our wonderful region as a result of this unique opportunity and exposure it generates,” reported Hepburn Shire Council.