Month: March 2026

Source: State of Victoria Local Government 2

The City of Greater Bendigo is calling for expressions of interest from experienced mural and street artists to create new artwork at the Pennyweight Walk Open Air Gallery.

Bendigo Venues & Events Manager Julie Amos said this was an exciting opportunity for a local artist to deliver new vibrant pieces of public art.

“Artists with a passion for colour, place and story are invited to transform Pennyweight Walk into an open-air celebration of creativity in the heart of the city centre between Hargreaves Street and Bath Lane,” Ms Amos said.

“The new murals will be a great addition to the street art scene in Greater Bendigo.”

Each selected artist will create a medium-scale mural, three metres by two metres. There is no specific theme for the project.

Artists will paint directly onto an allocated wall space in Pennyweight Walk and completed works will fill the allocated space.

Work must be painted with brushes and/or a roller. Aerosol is not permitted.

Artists who live in the City of Greater Bendigo are eligible and they must have the appropriate public liability insurance.

Only shortlisted artists will be invited and paid to develop a preliminary concept drawing.

The painting of the chosen murals in Pennyweight Walk will begin on May 16 and are expected to be completed for an official unveiling on May 24.

Artists are encouraged to download and read the full expression of interest before submitting an application by Monday, March 23.

To apply, visit:

Source: Tasmania Police

Police investigating serious two vehicle crash at Heybridge

Thursday, 12 March 2026 – 2:11 pm.

Police are investigating a serious two vehicle crash at the intersection of Bass Highway and Minna Road, Heybridge, this morning.
Emergency services were called to the crash about 8am, where a silver Toyota Yaris and a yellow Hyundai Elantra had collided.
The driver of the Hyundai – a 23-year-old woman – was transported to the North West Regional Hospital. Her injuries are reported to be potentially serious.
The driver of the Toyota – a 19-year-old woman – was transported to the North West Regional Hospital. Her injuries are reported to be minor.
One lane of the Bass Highway was closed for approximately two hours to allow crash investigators to examine the scene and conduct enquiries.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has further information to provide to police is asked to contact Burnie Police on 131 444, quote ESCAD 57-12032026.

Source: Government of Western Australia

Margaret Cockman has been inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame’s Role of Honour in recognition of her extraordinary contribution to Wanneroo and its community.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force is investigating an aggravated burglary that occurred in Alice Springs earlier this morning.

Around 4:25am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received a report of an aggravated burglary at a residence on St Andrews Place in Desert Springs.

It is alleged the victim, a male aged in his 70s, was woken by the sound of breaking glass. Four male offenders allegedly unlawfully entered the residence, with one striking the victim with a piece of wood from the damaged front door frame, before stealing alcohol and fleeing the scene.

The victim suffered minor injuries and was conveyed to hospital for assessment by St John Ambulance.

A crime scene was declared, and the offenders remain outstanding at this time.

Strike Force Viper has carriage of the investigation and anyone with information, including dash cam or CCTV footage, is urged to contact police on 131 444. Please quote reference number P26073645. Anonymous reports can be made via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force is investigating an aggravated assault that occurred in Coconut Grove this morning.

Around 7:10am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of a disturbance on Litchfield Court.

It is alleged that a 38-year-old male and a 29-year-old female suffered injuries to their face from an edged weapon, with the two male offenders fleeing the scene prior to police arrival.

The male victim was conveyed by St John Ambulance to Royal Darwin Hospital for treatment and the female victim was assessed at the scene.

A crime scene has been established and investigations are ongoing.

Anyone with information, including dashcam or CCTV footage, is urged to contact police on 131 444. Please quote reference number P26073697.

Anonymous reports can be made via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The NT Police Force has arrested and charged two males aged 16 and 18 in relation to an armed in public incident that occurred in Alice Springs yesterday.

Around 6:35pm, police performing Point of Sale Intervention (POSI) duties at a takeaway alcohol outlet within a shopping centre on Hartley Street observed a male allegedly armed with an axe. The offender allegedly chased after another male before kicking him in the head when the victim fell to the ground.

The offender followed the victim outside where a second male offender allegedly took possession of the axe. Police did not receive reports of persons being injured with the axe.

The two offenders fled the scene, with one being arrested a short distance away on Railway Terrace after a foot pursuit.

Following police investigations, the second offender was subsequently located and arrested at a residence in Stuart.

The 16-year-old male was charged with Going armed in public and Engage in violent conduct. The 18-year-old was charged with Engage in violent conduct and Possess schedule 2 dangerous drug – less than trafficable quantity.

Both are due to appear in court today.

The identity of the victim is currently unknown, and police urge them to make contact by attending the Alice Springs Police Station or by calling 131 444.

Anyone with information is also urged to speak to police. Please quote reference number NTP2600024077. Anonymous reports can be made via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

Gapsted Fire Brigade GFR event

Victorians have taken steps to better prepare for fire risk following the inaugural Get Fire Ready initiative delivered by CFA last October with evaluation results showing strong behaviour change and increased community engagement across the state.

Delivered throughout October 2025, CFA brigades hosted events and engaged with their communities on local risk, property preparation, creating fire plans and knowing where to access emergency information before the fire season.

Market research, conducted by EY Sweeney, shows the initiative moved communities beyond awareness and into action with 96 per cent of attendees reporting they had taken or intended to take steps to prepare their property, while 70 per cent said they learned something new.

Post-event surveys also found 91 per cent of attendees surveyed had prepared their property or were likely to do so in the future.

CFA Acting Chief Officer Alen Slijepcevic said these results highlight the impact of early preparedness conversations.

“It shows that when communities understand their local fire risk, they take practical steps to get ready and the outcomes are safer for everyone,” Alen said.

“Preparedness starts well before summer and Get Fire Ready helped thousands of Victorians build confidence and take action to protect themselves and their families.

This summer we saw firsthand the life‑saving impact of early preparedness. Communities didn’t just make fire plans, they enacted them. People left early, stayed informed and made proactive decisions that undoubtedly saved lives.”

More than 530 brigades hosted events across Victoria, with 60 per cent delivered in high fire-risk areas, ensuring preparedness information reached communities most at risk.

The initiative also drove strong digital engagement, including a 70,000 increase in active users of the VicEmergency app between September and October 2025, alongside a 300 per cent increase in visits to information about setting watch zones in the app.

While the results were statewide, the program’s success was driven by local volunteers connecting directly with their communities through open days, pop-ups and information sessions.

“Our volunteers are trusted members of their communities, and those face-to-face conversations are what turn information into action,” Alen said.

Following the strong outcomes achieved in 2025, CFA plans to deliver Get Fire Ready again in October 2026, continuing to build community preparedness across Victoria.

Submitted by	CFA Media

Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

Twelve women from across CFA’s South East Region gathered in Mallacoota recently for a unique weekend that combined leadership development, operational learning, and community connection — all while supporting the Vols on Hols and Women’s Network initiatives.

Travelling from Districts 8, 9, 10 and 11, the group arrived on Friday ready to learn, connect, and if required, respond to incidents alongside Mallacoota Fire Brigade members.

The weekend began with a station and vehicle induction before the group headed out for an ice-breaker session of barefoot bowls. What followed was an afternoon full of laughter, friendly competition and plenty of opportunities for participants to get to know one another.

Dinner at the Mallacoota Golf Club capped off the first evening, with the long day of travel ensuring most participants were ready for an early night before a full program on Saturday.

The next morning began early on the water, with the group taking part in stand-up paddle boarding along the river. After a brief lesson, the women paddled out, with many surprising themselves with their balance and confidence on the boards. Remarkably, several returned with dry hair intact — though not without plenty of laughter and quiet moments of reflection on the water.

Back at the station, an egg and bacon roll breakfast and warm showers helped refuel the group before the day’s leadership activities began.

Participants then tackled a navigation exercise designed to challenge their map reading, observation and resilience skills. The activity also incorporated the phonetic alphabet and a series of estimation tasks — including the surprisingly difficult challenge of guessing the weight of two grams of sand. The winning team, Shandelle, Mandy and Claire, walked away with the coveted prize of three blocks of chocolate.

When rain forced lunch indoors, it did little to dampen spirits before the afternoon’s Tactical Exercise Without Troops (TEWT). Using the 2019–20 Mallacoota fires as a case study, the exercise challenged participants to think strategically while considering incident management team roles and AIIMS principles.

The scenario, carefully prepared by Mallacoota Fire Brigade 1st Lieutenant Stu Johnston, provided a powerful learning experience that reflected both the complexity of major incidents and the importance of leadership and decision-making under pressure.

To conclude the exercise, participants were taken on a guided drive through areas impacted by the 2019–20 fires, providing real-world context to the day’s lessons learned and a powerful reminder of the scale of the event.

Saturday evening finished with a barbecue at Betka. While the coastal breeze added a chill to the air, the food and camaraderie ensured a fitting end to an action-packed day.

By Sunday morning, the group gathered once more at the station for breakfast before departing for home. Before leaving, participants presented their host with a thoughtful and creative gift — a custom painted skateboard — along with a playful request for photographic proof that it would indeed be ridden.

The weekend was made possible through funding from the Victorian State Government’s Emergency Management Victoria Valuing Volunteers Program, highlighting the continued commitment to supporting and developing emergency services volunteers.

The event also coincided with celebrations for International Women’s Day 2026, embracing the theme #GiveToGain, and recognising the contribution of women across the emergency services sector.

For the women who attended, the weekend offered far more than leadership training. It strengthened networks across districts, built confidence, and reinforced the importance of supporting one another within the volunteer community. 

Congratulations to Tracey and Stu Johnston from Mallacoota Fire Brigade who designed and facilitated this weekend.

Submitted by	Kylie Findley

Source: New South Wales Health – State Government

A new report published by NSW Health has revealed an ongoing surge in measles cases in NSW is predominantly linked to overseas travel, specifically countries in Southeast Asia.
Dr Vicky Sheppeard, Executive Director of Health Protection NSW, said between 1 January 2025 and 7 March 2026, there have been 60 measles cases notified to NSW Health. Of these:

34 were acquired overseas, with 32 of those cases having travelled to countries in Southeast Asia.
It’s believed the remaining 2 overseas cases were acquired outside Southeast Asia
Of the 26 cases acquired locally, 18 were linked to a known overseas acquired case, and 8 had no known source at the time of reporting

Three quarters of these measles cases were people aged 20 years and over.
Cases in children have remained low, with only 8 notifications in children under 9 years of age.
Dr Sheppeard said Australia was declared measles free in 2014 and continues to maintain this status largely thanks to high vaccination rates, however the virus remains common in many parts of the world, including Southeast Asia.
“The latest NSW Health data shows although measles can sometimes spread locally in NSW, most cases are linked to international travel,” Dr Sheppeard said. 
“School holidays are approaching, when many families travel, so we are calling on people to use this data as a timely reminder of why vaccination is so important.”
Dr Sheppeard said measles is one of the most contagious diseases, with nine out of 10 susceptible people exposed to the measles virus going on to develop the illness. It spreads easily through coughing and sneezing by infected individuals
Despite being highly contagious, measles is vaccine preventable. Two doses of measles vaccine received at least 4 weeks apart provide long term protection in 99 per cent of vaccinated people.
“Measles vaccine has been around for a long time, however, because of changes in the vaccination recommendations over time, both here and overseas, many adults may not have received the two doses we now know provides the best protection against measles,” Dr Sheppeard said.
“Measles vaccine is free in NSW for anyone born after 1965 who hasn’t already had two doses. People who are unsure of whether they have had two doses should get a vaccine, as additional doses are safe. This is particularly important prior to travel.”
The National Immunisation Program provides free measles vaccines to children up to 19 years of age, recommended to be given at 12 months and 18 months of age.
Additionally, children aged from 6 to 11 months can have an extra, early, dose of measles vaccine if they are travelling overseas. Parents should consult their GP.
“By maintaining high vaccination rates in Australia, we can limit the spread of measles if it is brought in from overseas. Achieving a rate of 95% or higher also provides herd immunity to protect those who can’t be vaccinated due to their age or medical conditions,” Dr Sheppeard said.
Measles vaccine is available from GPs (all ages) and pharmacies (people over 5 years of age).
For more information on measles, view the measles factsheet .
If you, or a loved one, is experiencing measles symptoms, or have questions about measles, please call your GP or healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

Source: State of Victoria Local Government 2

A dance party in the library gardens featuring music by Latin salsa band Son Quba will kick off Greater Bendigo’s 2026 Cultural Diversity Week celebrations.

The Dance Party will follow the City of Greater Bendigo Citizenship Ceremony which takes place at the Town Hall at 5.30pm.

Australia celebrates cultural diversity through National Harmony Day on March 21. This coincides with the United Nation’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. As an accredited Welcoming City, the City of Greater Bendigo celebrates and promotes cultural diversity through a calendar of activities and events around this time.

City of Greater Bendigo Community Partnerships Manager Amy Holmes said the City takes this opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of Greater Bendigo’s multicultural communities and the significant contributions they make to the social and economic fabric of our society.

“During March many local cultural groups will host community events and activities in Greater Bendigo,” Ms Holmes said.

“Celebrations like this are an important part of the City’s commitment to cultural diversity and inclusion and to being a welcoming and inclusive City and local residents are encouraged to take advantage of all the culturally diverse activities taking place throughout March.

“Celebrating our differences, as well as our common interests, helps unite and educate us to understand other perspectives and  to broaden our own.”