A free Halloween party for young people aged 11 to 17 returns to Darley on Thursday 29 October. The Moorabool Youth Halloween party, called Spookaball, will run from 6pm to 8pm at the Darley Civic Hub Pavilion. Games, snacks, drinks and karaoke are planned, and prizes will go to the best dressed. Places are limited to 40 participants and must be booked through Eventbrite. Council received grant funding from the Victorian government's Amplify program to run the event. Other Halloween events for young locals are planned across Moorabool Shire.
Labor will upgrade the athletics track at Masons Lane Reserve in Bacchus Marsh if it returns to government after 28 November. Eureka MP Michaela Settle pledged $1.2 million towards a new all-weather synthetic surface to replace the current grass track. The Bacchus Marsh Little Athletics Centre president, Karen Stewart, said the surface would make races easier for children with special needs and sight-impaired children. Moorabool Shire Council will contribute a matching $1.2 million to the works.
Police are appealing for public help to find Adrian, a 29-year-old man from Bacchus Marsh. He was last seen on Lyle Street at about 6am on 11 October. Victoria Police say Adrian has a medical condition that requires medication, and they are concerned for his welfare. He is about 182 centimetres tall, with a solid build, brown hair and facial stubble. Anyone who sees him or knows where he is is urged to contact Bacchus Marsh Police Station.
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The Victorian government has made the Wombat-Lerderderg National Park official. The park spans more than 44,000 hectares between Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh. It combines the former Lerderderg State Park with large areas of the former Wombat State Forest. Wombat Forestcare convenor Gayle Osborne said the area will now be managed for conservation and visitor enjoyment rather than logging and mining. Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas praised the outcome for the environment, tourism and local jobs. Three new national parks were created alongside it.
The Moorabool News has published its edition for October 16. The page lists several recent local stories. Headlines include a midcourt boost for Bacchus Marsh, the Cobras celebrating their best and fairest players, and live music and storytelling planned for November. A women's project to fill a metaphorical bickie tin with stories is also listed, along with a Marshall shortlisting for a new Australian fiction prize.
Keilor has signed forward Lucas Failli from Hillside for next season. Failli played 17 games and kicked 14 goals for the Sharks this year. Meanwhile, defender Brad Xavier has signed with Bacchus Marsh for the next two seasons after leaving Keilor, where he had played since 2012. Xavier was in the Blues leadership group and is a three-time premiership player. Bacchus Marsh also says he will join its coaching panel as a senior assistant coach.
Luke Goetz, Georgia Shattock and Jamie-Lee Speakman have won the top individual honours at Bacchus Marsh Football Netball Club for 2027. Goetz was named starting ruckman in the BFNL's team of the year. Speakman kicked 35 goals and helped the side reach the grand final. Life membership was awarded to Kaye Lafranchi and Barry Miller, whose combined service exceeds 80 years. The club also named winners across its other grades and age groups.
Bacchus Marsh has signed midcourter Jess Pane on a permanent basis for the 2027 Ballarat Football Netball League season. Pane played one game for the Cobras this season. Coach Nichole Gleeson said she would fit in quickly and could play wing attack, centre or wing defence. The club is now looking to recruit another goal shooter, as Chloe Eyre has moved on. Gleeson said the aim is a return to finals netball, despite the arrival of Gisborne in the competition.
Moorabool Shire will host a series of music, poetry and storytelling events in Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and Blackwood throughout November. The Hide + Seek Presents program features touring artists and local creatives, with a focus on First Nations music and creative writing workshops for young people. Mayor Steve Venditti-Taylor said the program is designed to spark conversation and connection across generations. Events include Thin Red Lines at Ballan Mechanics Institute Hall on 7 November, and the spoken word salon Better Off Said at Bacchus Marsh Town Hall on 20 November.
Bacchus Marsh author Wayne Marshall has been shortlisted for this year's Readings New Australian Fiction Prize. His book, Henry Goes Bush, is inspired by the life of writer Henry Lawson. It blends a real outback trip Lawson took as a young man with science fiction and comedy. Marshall learned of the shortlisting by phone while visiting Lawson's birthplace of Grenfell in New South Wales. The six shortlisted books were selected by a panel of Readings staff. The winner will be announced in Carlton on 27 October.
Brett Bewley, Matilda Elliot and Trinity Skenderis have won the Darley Football Netball Club’s top individual honours for 2026. Bewley claimed the senior football best and fairest, Elliot took out the A-grade netball best and fairest, and Skenderis added a senior women’s football best and fairest to her league medal win. The club also awarded life membership to Lily and Jarrod Edwards. In netball, star defender Elliot claimed the best and fairest, with midcourter Montana Holmes the runner-up. In senior women’s football, Skenderis claimed the best and fairest ahead of Ruby Thomas.
Transport Victoria has confirmed the final design for intersection upgrades along Sunshine Avenue in Taylors Lakes. Construction is expected to begin in 2027. Two roundabouts at Melton Highway and Old Calder Highway will be replaced with signalised intersections, with additional lanes and new signalised pedestrian crossings. New walking and cycling paths and street lighting will also be built. A bus stop on the northern side of Melton Highway will move to the eastern side of Sunshine Avenue.
The Lions Club of Ballan will hold a community market on Saturday, November 7, on Inglis Street. All proceeds from the market will go to the McGrath Foundation, which places free cancer care nurses across Australia. The club held its October market, but rain forced it to be postponed a month. Stalls will sell handcrafted goods, clothing and jewellery, along with a barbecue, a raffle and Christmas cakes and puddings. The market runs from 9am to 1pm.
The Municipal Association of Victoria has recognised long-serving councillors through its 2026 MAV Councillor Service Awards. MAV President Jennifer Anderson said recipients should be proud of their leadership and commitment to residents. She said the role is demanding and often done as a second job or alongside family care. Awards were presented at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30-year service levels, plus a Mayor Emeritus Award. The association said the recipients have left a lasting mark on communities across the state.
Labor has pledged $5 million to further revitalise Darley if it returns to state government after the 28 November election. The funding is part of the Doing Up Darley plans and follows works at Darley Primary School, the Early Years Hub and Darley Park. Moorabool Shire mayor Steve Venditti-Taylor welcomed the commitment and said the growing area needs new and improved local amenities. Eureka MP Michaela Settle said the funding would bring local improvements such as new footpaths and safety upgrades, with residents having a say on priorities. The enrolment deadline is Tuesday 3 November at 8pm.
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Melbourne student Aparjot, 21, has self-published her first novel, When We Were Souls, while studying cybersecurity and working part-time. The 376-page story follows two people who meet, fall in love and face the reality that some connections do not last. It is structured around seven Sufi stages of love, reflecting the Punjabi poetry she has written since childhood. Aparjot funded the book herself, designing the cover and editing the manuscript with help from friends. She is now preparing a second book, Ibadat, due in January 2027, which will draw on her Punjabi poems.
A Melbourne couple has moved into a new home that cost $80,000 less than they planned to spend. Jeyakaran Karnan and Shree Harini Vinothkumar chose a $720,000 house-and-land package in Clyde North after finding auctions stressful. They built at the Orana estate, where they hoped their son Yaalan could grow up among other young families. The couple used the federal 5 per cent deposit scheme, which reduced their deposit to $36,000. Construction took about four months, with the keys arriving roughly 10 months after they signed up.
North Geelong will aim to win its fourth consecutive T20 cricket premiership. The Magpies, who are on a 17-game winning streak, open their season with an away match against Lara. Both sides sit in Group D of the Division 1 and 2 competition, alongside Bell Park and Geelong West. Each team plays three round robin games before quarter-finals and semi-finals, with the final set for Tuesday 26 January. Defending Division 2 champions Lethbridge are in Group A with Winchelsea, Meredith and Teesdale.
Altona Meadows Primary School will celebrate the 10th edition of its internal news program, AMP NEWS, on Thursday 29 October. Year five and six students film, write and edit stories on fetes, special days and sports events. Two episodes are produced each term, featuring teachers and students. Teacher Sarah Capri has run the program since 2017, after it was started by a former teacher in 2016. About 60 students took part this year.
Kerry Janten has announced she will contest the St Albans seat as an independent. She says she is dissatisfied with the party system and wants the freedom to address electorate issues without following a party line. Her policy focus includes state debt, cost of living, transport, environment and disability access. Ms Janten will hold a campaign launch on Friday 30 October from 6pm to 9pm at the St Albans Community Centre. She says she wants to hear from a broad range of residents, including homeless people and those whose first language is not English.
The Class of 2026 at Chairo Christian School in Leongatha has marked the end of its school years with a series of celebrations. A carnival morning used a toy-themed design, with graduates dressed as characters and running stalls for younger students. The next day, the final assembly featured a devotional message from school captain Meg Stokes and flowers presented by Prep students. That evening, a Valedictory Dinner recognised the graduates and their families. Principal Amy Stork said the school was proud to celebrate with the students.
WorkSafe inspectors will be able to issue on-the-spot fines from 31 March to reduce fatal falls at work. Employers can be fined for failing to control fall risks, keeping safety records unavailable, or starting high-risk construction work without a Safe Work Method Statement. Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC Steve Dimopoulos said falls remain a leading cause of workplace deaths and serious injuries. WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said employers face no new obligations, but those breaking the law will face consequences sooner.
Year 12 students at Mirboo North Secondary College began their final school day with an egg and bacon roll breakfast, many dressed in costume. An assembly followed, where students presented awards to each other and shared a video of photos from their years at the school. Senior School Coordinator Rose Hill said the event was about the students. Students entered in themed groups, and the day ended with a slip 'n slide and lunch at the park. Students in the VCE Vocational Major have finished, while VCE students are sitting exams, including English today.
Year 12 students at Korumburra Secondary College have finished their school days. Year 12 Coordinator Steven Scott said the final year is demanding, with both schoolwork and pressure about what comes next. He told students without a clear plan not to panic, and that they can change direction if a path proves unsuitable. Students in the VCE and VCE Vocational Major programs continued the tradition of dancing for staff and younger students. Senior School Coordinator Nicole Creaser said the routines were well rehearsed and praised the students for sharing lollies with the younger pupils.
