Front page news: May 23-29, 2007-2015
A snapshot of news from across the years
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
May 25, 2007: Perseverance Corporation Limited has flagged the possibility of re-opening the old
Wonga mine at its Stawell operation, as it continues the search for new gold.
The company has been buoyed by some promising early signs at Wonga and the current high gold price, but isn’t getting too excited just yet.
Perseverance managing director Graeme Sloan raised the Wonga pit concept at the Australian Gold Conference in Perth.
‘‘Consideration to expand the Wonga deposit just to the south of the current Magdala portal and decline open pit is underway and although early days yet, it looks promising on today’s gold price,’’ Mr Sloan said.
‘‘Our conceptual planning to date, points favourably to the possibility of expanding Wonga Pit, targeting resources within the same vicinity where the original pit was mined.
‘‘Perseverance’s target in such an expansion would be the remnant ore and potential new ore extending below the old historic workings. A research of old grades below these workings shows intersections of 20.2 metres@5.0 grams per tonne, including 9.7 metres @ 7.3 gram per tonne.
‘‘We are confident we can add additional resources to the Stawell inventory whether from adjacent or new underground targets or from areas like the Wonga deposit.’’
May 27, 2008: Northern Grampians Shire Council has thrown its support behind the $2 million ‘Holeproof Factory’ redevelopment in Stawell.
Council voted at last Thursday’s ordinary meeting to contribute $100,000 towards the project, which will see the Powerhouse Alliance eventually take control of the redeveloped community complex.
Included in the deal will be the disposal of the land and building to Stawell Intertwine Services, a member of the Powerhouse Alliance, which will be subject to an agreement between it and council to the future use of the site, and the arrangements by which the facility will be made available for use by all parties interested in the redevelopment.
The proposed redevelopment of the site, located at 42 Sloane Street, will result in an integrated community based facility for Stawell Neighbourhood House, Stawell Gymnastics Club, Stawell Model Railway Society, Central Grampians Local Learning and Employment Network and Stawell Intertwine Services.
It has the potential to provide recreational, educational and disability services and programs within Stawell and the wider community.
May 25, 2010: Northern Grampians Shire Council has called for water management to be undertaken for the benefit of regions, in its submission to the Western Region Sustainable Water Strategy.
Chief executive officer, Glen Davis, prepared a detailed submission to the draft on behalf of council, making several recommendations on the management of the region’s waterways.
The recommendations focused clearly on the need for management of water to take into account benefits for individual regions.
‘‘The state’s water strategy should be developed to manage land use, water entitlements and water use priorities for both surface water and aquifers,’’ Mr Davis said.
‘‘The objectives for these changes must encompass economic, social and environmental outcomes.
‘‘Northern Grampians Shire Council recommends that the development of the state’s water
strategy is fully integrated with the state’s regional strategic planning initiative, so that water management is undertaken for the benefit of the region’s communities.’’
May 27, 2011: Police have described as a low act, a burglary at the Salvation Army Church that resulted in money from the Red Shield Appeal being stolen.
Thieves forced entry into the church in Main Street between 6pm Monday and 8am Tuesday.
The offenders jemmied open a door between the church and the church hall and then jemmied open the office door to gain entry.
It is estimated more than $3000 was stolen from a safe in the offi ce in the form of notes, cheques and coins.
The door to the safe was taken off completely by the thieves.
Stawell Salvation Army Captain Carolyn Wright said the bulk of the money stolen was from the annual Red Shield Appeal and also the church’s weekly offerings.
May 25, 2012: The communities of Stawell and Halls Gap have impressed with their resilience after a series of natural disasters, Victorian Governor, Alex Chernov told a civic reception at the Stawell Entertainment Centre on Tuesday night.
Governor Chernov and his wife Elizabeth were returning to the region after having visited flood affected areas in the Grampians last year.
Amazed when he saw first hand the damage caused in the Grampians National Park by the many landslips following flooding events of January 2011, Governor Chernov said he had equally been impressed by the way the communities in the region had bounced back and moved on.
“I was amazed when I saw just how much damage had been caused (by the landslips),” Governor Chernov said.
“However, the communities of Halls Gap, Stawell and surrounds have impressed me greatly with their stoicism and their resilience.
“Some communities struggle after disasters of that magnitude, some bounce back. I see Stawell and Halls Gap as communities that have responded very positively and rebuilt after the floods.
“I also understand the region experienced further flooding again in December, so to continue moving forward shows great resilience.
“The communities have really stood up and that shows great character.”
May 29, 2012: The fight is continuing to allow farmers in the region to access vital disaster relief funding.
Member for Western Victoria David O’Brien has spoken in Parliament regarding the struggle for Stawell landholders to access emergency funding following the December floods.
Responding to community concerns on the issue, Mr O’Brien has called on the state and federal governments to take up the case directly.
Mr O’Brien travelled to Joel last month to speak with landowners who were affected by the December floods. Many had only just recovered from the devastation caused by the January floods.
“The action I seek is for the Deputy Premier in his capacity as Minister for Emergency Services to investigate assistance available through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) with the Commonwealth Government for farmers and businesses in the Upper Wimmera Catchment Area affected by an extreme flooding event on December 18, 2011,” Mr O’Brien in Parliament.
Mr O’Brien said later that he believed a deputation from Northern Grampians Shire Council was pushing to schedule a crisis meeting with the Deputy Premier.
May 28, 2013: Stawell based aviation company, AGA Services, has recently commissioned a 10-seat passenger aircraft in to its charter operations to keep pace with the steadily increasing demand.
The impending closure of the Stawell Gold Mine’s underground operation later this year has sparked interest with mine employees and contractors to continue their employment with mines in other regions, while maintaining Stawell as their home base.
In turn this has created additional opportunities for the Stawell Airport based business AGA Group, who are providing a Fly-In-Fly-Out service to remote mining locations.
The AGA Group operates 14 aircraft throughout Victoria and southern New South Wales on aerial agriculture and fire-fighting, and aircraft charter operations.
The addition of their 10-seat Piper Chieftain aircraft increases their passenger carrying aircraft fleet to four and provides much more flexibility and cost effective options for their customers.
Rob Boschen, Managing Director for the AGA Group, said the new 10 seat aircraft has much more seating room and luggage capacity.
“Being fully air-conditioned, it really improves the passenger comfort when departing from those hot locations in central New South Wales,” he said.
“Also, having those extra seats is allowing us to meet the increased demand of moving more people at once.”
May 27, 2014: Northern Grampians Shire Mayor Kevin Erwin has vowed to continue lobbying for funding from both the Federal and State Governments to ensure the completion of the Western Highway duplication project to Stawell.
Cr Erwin, who is also chairman of the Western Highway Action Committee, said he was disappointed with the outcome of the federal budget earlier this month, with no new funding committed towards the highway duplication.
He feared the project was not high on the priority list, but assured he would fight harder than ever before to secure the necessary funding to see the duplication completed.
“I actually spoke to the Deputy Prime Minister and said while we welcomed the $263.4 million Western Highway duplication funding announcement, that it was part of the original funding,” Cr Erwin said.
“There was no new money committed to the duplication at all.”
When the duplication of the Western Highway commenced, the federal government announced a commitment of $404 million towards the project.
The Victorian Coalition pledged $101 million towards the total project cost of $505 million.
May 29, 2015: Victoria Police command has distanced itself from claims the Stawell police station is undermanned and under-resourced to an extent that it now has no other option, but to lock its doors on a daily basis.
Under an interim safety policy enacted earlier this month, all Victorian police officers were told not to work alone and to work ‘two-up’ when attending a job.
Officers must also wear bullet proof vests when on patrol or when working at reception at a police station.
The measures appear to have had unintended consequences in country communities placing further strain on already stretched police resources.
Northern Grampians Shire Mayor Murray Emerson said he has been approached by members of the community who are concerned about impacts at the Stawell police station.
Cr Emerson said residents had claimed, in some instances, they had turned up on three to four separate occasions unable to access the station for basic counter services.
He said he will meet with Stawell police senior sergeant, Rob Weppner to discuss the issue of police resources, possibly as soon as today.
“The way things are going at the moment it is going to make it very diffi cult for Stawell to remain a 24 hour a day, seven day a week police station,” he said.