April – July 2023

A very chilly wintry greeting to you all, I am writing this president’s report on the country of the Taungurung people and acknowledge their land, air, and water and recognise their connection to this area on which I live, work, and play. We have moved into Winter and Macedon Ranges is again stunning this time of year as puddles still freeze over and winds are icy. On a personal note, I would like to wish everyone a Manawatia a Matariki, which is the equivalent to Happy New Year, in the Māori calendar. We celebrate the new year with the rising of the Matariki star cluster (also known at Pleiades or Subaru) in the north-eastern sky, and the clear skies this year allowed me to view Matariki for the very first time. This bodes well for a very productive year ahead! Even through these colder days, there has been a buzz of activity in our Action Groups with Sustainable Malmsbury supplying locals with their monthly homegrown produce at the market’s produce swap, and Kyneton Transition Hub extending their own produce swap to a new project initiative, Kyneton Backyard Growers that seeks to provide fresh, homegrown produce to households who need it most, and to Go Renewable Energy Group whose bulk buying program for solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, and reverse cycle air conditioning units give households the opportunity to increase their sustainability capacity at home. Fantastic! Our Sustainable Living Films, Forums, and Festivals Action Group has been beavering away to get the Under Cover documentary and panel discussion organised which highlights the increasing issue of homelessness amongst older women, and Veg Action has been providing a warm nutritious meal for our families currently doing it tough – Action with Heart! Thanks to Kathryn Allan, Nea Gyroffy, Stephen Pepper, Claire Rowland, David Gormley-O’Brien, and volunteers who brought these together.

Further to these MRSG festivities, a hearty congratulations goes out to DJAARA, who launched their Climate Change Strategy in May 2023 at the beautiful Frog Ponds in Bendigo. The Strategy outlines Djaara-led land management practices that can enhance carbon storage and increase resilience across cultural landscapes. MRSG was fortunate enough to attend the launch of the Strategy which is modelled on People-Country-Climate, and the intersection of the three. We look forward to working with the Dja Dja Wurrung as we all navigate the path through climate change together.

Photo: Lenka Thompson and Rodney Carter (Dja Dja Wurrung Group CEO)

The MRSG Committee has $6,000 remaining of our $10,000 budget allocation for seed funding of MRSG projects. Action Groups are encouraged to send project proposals to the committee for consideration.

After the successful CoolER Changes project launch in March 2023, MRSG has been supporting Macedon Ranges Shire Council to roll out the Action Plans to all the different groups wanting to set up community based environmental actions. We have been attending various meetings across the Shire and presenting to the various groups about who MRSG is and that we are a vital governance element to those community groups wanting to do their specific environmental actions. As we travel this path of reducing our emissions and waste to adapt to our changing environment together, it is vital we are on the same page.

The draft MRSG Strategy is in the final stages of being approved for wider distribution. Keep your eyes peeled as we work thought the particulars and look to launch it at our Annual General Meeting later in the year.

Wishing you all a lovely Winter,
Lenka Thompson (she/her) MRSG President 2022/23

President's Report