All levels of government in Australia must support the few remaining independent press outlets as part of a healthy democracy and cohesive society. The Tarrangower Times has gone in to bat for itself and the local community this week, successfully requesting an extension to the consultation period about changes to Maldon’s Beehive Mine Chimney. Heritage Victoria and Parks Victoria listened to the TT‘s [Tarrangower Times‘s] concerns and extended the consultation deadline, allowing residents a full two weeks to look at the proposal and consider responding.
Late last week, the TT [Tarrangower Times] learned that two Victorian Government agencies, Heritage Victoria and Parks Victoria, had advertised a Beehive Chimney heritage application in Bendigo instead of the local newspaper, while attempting to undertake consultation with the community that this newspaper serves.
The government agencies had advertised the proposed Beehive Chimney works in the Bendigo Advertiser newspaper and to a couple of local stakeholders, but not to the publication that has been informing and alerting this community for over 150 years. It prompted some investigating into what the Heritage Act would allow and was also a reminder of the role of a small-town newspaper.
Requirements under The Act
The relevant clause in The Heritage Act 2017 says that: “The Executive Director must as soon as practicable after receiving a permit application cause notice of the application to be published in a newspaper circulating generally in the area in which the registered place or registered object is situated, if the Executive Director considers that the proposed works or activities may harm the place or object.” A Heritage Victoria spokesperson told the TT [Tarrangower Times]: “Most public notices are placed in The Age or the Herald Sun but for regional applications, public notes are placed within major regional newspapers,” followed by a list of newspapers owned by companies including Newscorp, The Times News Group and Australian Community Media (which publishes 160 papers). There is no apparent requirement under the Act for government money to be spent with a large company — and the phrase ‘circulating generally in the area’ is vague — so surely the intent of the Act must reasonably be interpreted to mean that people actually located in the affected area must be informed in a timely manner.
By not communicating directly with the publication (this one) that specialises in local issues, speaks to local people and understands local sensibilities, the agencies missed the TT’s [Tarrangower Times‘s] publication deadline, drastically reducing the timeframe to disseminate the news and promote the consultation before the original cutoff date of Wednesday 25 June. The TT [Tarrangower Times] attempted to mitigate this by highlighting the news from the front page, causing disruption to the paper’s normal schedule of operations.
The significance of small press
The Tarrangower Times runs on the scent of an oily rag and its list of advertisers reads largely like a not-for-profit roll-call, because local community groups understand its value and build promotions into their fundraising budgets. A small group of local businesses advertise for the same reason, but they are pressed themselves to scrape a living in a small town. Advertising revenue (and the occasional grant) from government agencies are a life-line that literally — but barely — keep the Tarrangower Times afloat. This newspaper is the local source for local information, activities and opportunities: readers and residents of the region know that it contributes to a thriving social calendar and connected community. In bypassing small publications in favour of larger publishing companies, government agencies risk reducing the diversity of media in Victoria and eliminating the benefits of small papers.
Government guidelines
In fact, the Victorian Government’s own guidelines dictate that all of its communications must be accessible and effective. Departments and agencies must spend at least 15 per cent of their campaign advertising expenditure on regional and rural media. There is even a ‘Master Agency Media Services’ available to government departments to help them ‘find the most suitable media channels to advertise in to get your message across to regional Victorians’. The Tarrangower Times has contacted the Master Agency to further this conversation and request better targeting of messages to Maldon and surrounding areas.
Deadline extended
The Tarrangower Times noted that an extension of the advertising period for community consultation is allowed under The Heritage Act (Part 5, subsection 2). The TT [Tarrangower Times] called on both Heritage Victoria and Parks Victoria to extend the period in which interested parties can provide feedback on the proposed works at the Beehive Chimney, which was achieved just in time to let readers know in this edition. The new deadline is two weeks after publication of this newspaper: Friday 4 July.
The Tarrangower Times is thrilled that its advocacy resulted in an extension of the consultation period on behalf of the community that this newspaper serves, who care deeply about the heritage of Maldon and the future of the historic Beehive Chimney. This is a win for small press and a reminder of its continuing value. See inside this edition for a notice from Parks Victoria that details the Beehive Chimney heritage application.
This article appeared in Tarrangower Times, 20 June 2025.
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