Alexandra Newspapers

15 hours ago

Still in the running...Okay people the first of Tones and I concerts has been released… there are 4 more…. Alexandra - we are still in this… Flood our page on the Tones and I page… put us out there so she wont forget us and keep your fingers crossed!!🤞 ... See MoreSee Less

Alexandra Newspapers

18 hours ago

You don’t have to look far in Murrindindi in 2026 to be inspired by what it truly means to be Australian.

I’m not talking about royal visits, the extremes of sporting achievement, or the bright lights of performance art. I’m talking about something far more profound: The extraordinary acts of the ordinary. People – our people – standing shoulder to shoulder to defend homes, livelihoods, and Country.

From the height of the Longwood Bushfire fight, one indelible image from Friday 9 January will stay with me for the rest of my life.

My crew had been tasked with stopping a fast-moving, southbound grassfire on Gordon Street, Alexandra. The flames were racing toward infrastructure and homes on the edge of town. Conditions were brutal – hot, windy, unpredictable.

On Gordon Street stood two CFA District 12 tankers and a Forest Fire Management Victoria grader. FFMV and Taungurung Biik ultralight crews were working in lock step with private appliances to chase down every ember that jumped the road.

Not a word was spoken between us, yet there was a perfect, quiet understanding. A shared purpose.

In that moment, uniform didn’t matter. Rank didn’t matter. Skin colour, religion, political belief – none of it mattered.

What mattered was purpose: A collective, cohesive care for Country.

A shared connection between people and the land, the air, and the water.

Today we gathered on the lands of the Taungurung People – a place of story, of gathering, and of community for thousands of generations.

I pay my respects to Taungurung Elders, past and present, just as I pay respect to each Murrindindian – for every action, every moment – that demonstrates our shared affection for this very special place.

I hope the unity we witnessed – the doing, not the talking – becomes the true currency of reconciliation. A respectful, lived, practical pathway to a shared Australian future.

Because I think it’s true: All Australians are shaped by the land on which we live, work, and play – from freshwater to saltwater, from rainforest to desert, from alpine ridgelines to the plains.

We are one, but we are many.

New citizens make a remarkable commitment – one they speak aloud, but more importantly, one they choose to live. They pledge:
From this time forward,
I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people,
Whose democratic beliefs I share,
Whose rights and liberties I respect,
And whose laws I will uphold and obey.

Whether you were born here in Murrindindi Shire or you’re the latest citizenship conferee, citizenship is not just a ceremony or a recited pledge.

It’s a way of life.

It is belonging, contributing, and upholding the values our democracy protects.

Citizenship is the duty to engage, to care, and to help build a better future – not just for ourselves as individuals, but for all of us, together, as Australians.

And that – that – is the Australia I’ve witnessed so far in 2026.

In the days following the bushfire emergency, our community mobilised without hesitation.

We saw hubs established almost overnight.
Donations that filled halls.
Hay runs.
Hands-on fencing crews.

Neighbours helping neighbours, even when their own losses were still being counted.

Because in our Australia, a person is measured by what they do – not where they came from, not what they look like, and not who their parents are.

That’s my Murrindindi.
That’s our Australia.

As we turn our energy and attention from emergency response to recovery, I call on you all to recognise that we are better – stronger – together.

We will overcome, and we will thrive.

Today I’m proud to recognise some Murrindindi doers who have been recognised in 2026 Australia Day Honours in the General Division:
• Mr. Geoff Penny OAM, for services to the communities of Gobur and to Terip Terip.
• Proud member of the Terip Terip Fire Brigade for 45 years.
• Captain for 32 years.
• He's worked from dawn to dark these last few weeks, continuing to support his community.

• Mr. Graeme Robb OAM, for services to the community through emergency response organisations.
• Graeme was first a member of the CFA (Country Fire Authority) in 1966.
• He was an Ambulance Victoria volunteer and officer from 1971 to 2023 – 52 years.

• Mr. Gordon Simpson OAM, for services to the community of Alexandra.
• Alexandra Fire Brigade member for 49 years.
• Captain for 15 years
• President of Alexandra and District Traders and Tourism Association (Alexandra Tourism)
• Founding Director of Alexandra Events Corporation

• And to our neighbour, Mr. Gerry Ryan AO (Mr. Jayco, Mr. Nagambie) who supported the Alexandra Events Project to deliver a Murrindindi Mobile Health Van. He has been admitted as an Officer in the Order of Australia today, for distinguished service to sports governance, to the tourism and hospitality industry, to business, and to the community through philanthropic contributions.

I’m proud to be surrounded by these great Australians.

We are incredibly fortunate to call this country home.
We love Australia, and we are better – stronger – together.
We are one, and we are free.

Happy Australia Day. ... See MoreSee Less

Alexandra Newspapers

18 hours ago

A Total Fire Ban has been declared for the whole State of Victoria on Tuesday 27 January 2026.

No fires can be lit, or be allowed to remain alight, in the open air from 12:01 AM until 11:59 PM. More information: www.cfa.vic.gov.au/firebans ... See MoreSee Less