Neil Raine was born in Chiltern. The local grew up in the town he has always loved and called home for 62 years.

What do you do workwise?

I have a cleaning and gardening business with the latter called Buster’s Rusty Balls. We have unusual and one-of-a-kind garden art and sculptures made from repurposed rusty metal items, such as garden tools, machinery and agricultural equipment. We make things to order as well.

What led you to the businesses?

My wife and I decided why not start our own cleaning and gardening business, so we left our jobs, started the business and have never looked back since with the businesses thriving. We’ve had our Raine and Shine cleaning business for five years and Buster’s Rusty Balls for seven.

What do you love about your work?

I like the interaction with the different clients, making sure they’re all happy with the completed job and enjoying being my own boss.

We also take part in local markets for Busters Rusty Balls which includes Chiltern, Corowa, Rutherglen, Yackandandah and as far as Moyhu in the King Valley.

What do you do in the community?

I support/donate to different charities within the Chiltern community.

I am in the process of producing a calendar for prostate cancer which will be published next year. We have a great team of committee members – there’s five of us and have received incredible support by the Chiltern community. They’ve really got behind it. All funds raised goes directly to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). The ‘nude but not rude’ and respectful calendar is to raise men’s health awareness and vital funds for prostate cancer research. It’s a real community effort with individuals and local groups taking part and we’re having a lot of fun making it. We’re working to a target of $5000. Please visit https://fundraise.pcfa.org.au/fundraisers/chiltern/chiltern-community-fundraisng-calendar-2027 if you would like to donate.

Is there an important community issue you think needs addressing?

Chiltern’s Railway and Modeller’s group being evicted from the Chiltern Goods Shed by Indigo Shire Council. Also, the empty shops fronts in town are a concern too.

What would you do to solve change or improve that situation?

Get the community together to come up with some constructive ideas on how to bring retailers to the town or to encourage people already here with great ideas who might like to start a business. With the Goods Shed, I would say bringing the community together as well to back a stand for all the good reasons for the current tenants not to be evicted.

What do you see as one of the most important current world issues?

Global warming.

If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo Shire (past or present) or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why?

I would like to invite Indigenous Australian comedian, actor and TV presenter, Ernie Dingo to come and visit our little town of Chiltern and show him the sites as well as taking him to the summit of Mt Pilot in the Chilton-Mt Pilot National Park. It has a great 360-degree view of the countryside. Chiltern also has the largest grapevine in Australia planted in 1867 that I’m sure he would be interested in seeing too.

What book are you reading

‘Believe in Yourself’ by the late Irish writer Joseph Murphy.