Front page news: July 25-31, 2007-2015
A snapshot of news from across the years
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July 27, 2007: Northern Grampians Shire Council is set to take a lead role in securing the future of Lake Lonsdale as a recreational lake.
GWMWater has scheduled a meeting with local government representatives from across the region in Horsham on Monday, where submissions on various reservoirs will be put forward.
The authority is eager to hear from councils as to which reservoirs they believe will be required for water supply purposes once the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline project is completed.
GWMWater has already announced that it will be reviewing the future operation of several major reservoirs and in-stream diversion structures which would no longer be required under a piped water supply system.
July 29, 2008: Northern Grampians Shire Councillors have voted unanimously in favour of McDonald’s Australia developing a new $3 million family restaurant in Stawell.
Councillors present at Thursday’s meeting in St Arnaud spoke favourable about the development and the opportunities it would provide for Stawell in the way of economic benefit and employment.
There was also strong praise for the work of senior planner Neil Haydon in drawing attention from McDonald’s Australia to establish itself in Stawell.
Mr Haydon advised council that the opportunities such a development would provide for Stawell would be enormous.
‘‘There will be opportunities for up to 85 casual jobs and normally you are talking about 15 or 16-year-olds here,’’ Mr Haydon said.
Opportunities will also exist for full-time employees.
‘‘It is a wonderful opportunity from my point of view, to fill an employment gap in Stawell,’’ Mr Haydon said.
July 28, 2009: Stawell residents showed their passion and support for the future of the Stawell Gift at a public meeting at the Town Hall last week.
Around 100 people, including community members, business owners, representatives from the Northern Grampians Shire Council and members of the Stawell Athletic Club attended the gathering, with many putting opinions forward.
Mayor, Councillor Kevin Erwin, opened the meeting by asking people to remain civil.
‘‘Tonight is not about attacking any individuals, it’s about getting information out there as we know it, and for an opportunity to ask some questions,’’ Cr Erwin said.
‘‘It’s about seeing what’s happened and trying to move forward so that the Stawell Gift remains in Stawell, remains stable and grows.’’
The forum provided an opportunity for the Stawell Athletic Club to explain the facts surrounding the City of Ballarat’s $1.25 million dollar offer to host the Gift for the next five years, while allowing feedback from the community.
July 27, 2010: Residents from Marnoo, Callawadda and Campbells Bridge are celebrating the launch of the first-ever, cost-effective return public bus service to Stawell each Friday.
The six-month trial bus service is being funded by the State Government’s Transport Connections Programs Flexible Transport Fund, following an application by the Grampians Pyrenees Flexible Transport (GPFT) Project.
‘‘A diverse cross-section of the community who do not drive indicated that they’d appreciate the opportunity to support a trial bus link to Stawell, enabling them to attend appointments, shop, see friends or go to the Leisure Complex,’’ project coordinator Robyn Hemley said.
‘‘Young people in particular indicated they’d like public transport access for social or recreational purposes, particularly during the school holidays when mum or dad might be working.
‘‘We hope that the communities along the route will really get behind the trial and help us create a sustainable bus service for the future.
Above all, we hope that this transport connection will reduce any feelings of isolation for these communities and expose them to new and exciting opportunities.’’
July 29, 2011: Stawell Regional Health has set the wheels in motion to establish a new midwifery service model that will enable obstetrics services to be re-established at the facility.
The pilot project has been funded by the Department of Health under the Rural Maternal Initiative program.
Stawell Regional Health chief executive officer, Rohan Fitzgerald, said the organisation had engaged a project co-ordinator, Enid Smith, to commence working towards developing a case load midwifery model for the hospital.
Mr Fitzgerald said planning to develop the new model had commenced in October last year, when the Rural Maternity Initiative funding had been received.
“We have started the engagement process across the organisation, involving midwifery staff, nursing staff, general practitioners and medical professionals, to get the model of care right for the community,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
“From our point of view, the project is about creating a sustainable obstetrics model and midwifery model for Stawell Regional Health into the future.”
Mr Fitzgerald said the $50,000 pilot project was part of Stawell Regional Health’s commitment to re-establishing obstetrics services at Stawell Regional Health.
July 26, 2013: Telstra has apologised to businesses and residents across Stawell who have had to struggle through at least a week without access to a basic landline phone service.
In the worst known case, The Salvation Army Thrift Shop has been without a landline connection since the second week of March.
Captain of The Stawell Salvation Army, Ken Agnew, said they were given an interim phone, but it too has broken down and needs repairs.
“We’ve had no phone, no internet since the second week of March. This has made things very difficult,” he said.
“It is totally wrong and we would like to see Telstra do something about it.
“Why should businesses and people across Stawell be left suffering for so long?
“People who rely on us and come to us have been struggling to reach us.”
Mr Agnew said he could understand faults and problems occur, but Telstra’s handling had been disappointing.
July 25, 2014: Northern Grampians Shire Council has joined forces with neighbouring municipalities, to alert Prime Minister Tony Abbott to the economic importance of wind farms to regional communities.
Council has endorsed the action of its mayor, Cr Kevin Erwin, in joining with the mayors of the Ararat Rural City Council and Pyrenees Shire Council in writing to Mr Abbott, advising the Prime Minister of the importance of wind farms to the social and economic health and sustainability of communities.
The letter draws to the attention of Mr Abbott, the impact that the winding back of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) Scheme would have on the economies of the Northern Grampians Shire and surrounding communities.
Cr Murray Emerson said the outcome could have the potential to impact strongly on communities within the three municipalities.
He said proposed wind farm developments across the three local government areas of Northern Grampians, Pyrenees and Ararat were at risk of not proceeding if the Renewable Energy Target (RET) Scheme is wound back.
He said the wind farms at Crowlands, Ararat, Bulgana and Stockyard Hill, with a combined total of 374 Turbines, are potentially a $1.68 billion investment in this region, that will provide $1.3 million dollars per annum in rates to our councils, $300,000 per annum to community groups, create 60 direct and 74 indirect ongoing jobs.
July 29, 2014: Punters in the Northern Grampians Shire lost almost $4.9 million in the 2013-14 financial year according to data released by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.
The figure of $4,875,816 is almost $70,000 less than for the previous 12 months and a massive $719,205 down on the figure for the 2011-12 financial year.
Northern Grampians Shire Council Mayor, Cr Kevin Erwin said lower gaming revenue presented as a double edged sword for sectors of the municipality.
“The lower figures mean big benefits for some of the social aspects of society, however, it does impact on retail, but where a business can diversify, a family finds it much harder to recover from some of the social problems that can arise from problem gambling,” he said.
The 2013-14 figure is the lowest recorded in the last 12 years.
July 28, 2015: Member for Mallee Andrew Broad officially opened a new trade training centre at Stawell Secondary College on Friday.
Mr Broad was joined by school captains Anna Knights and Callum Rickard at the opening.
The $2.76-million Central Grampians Trade Training Centre will benefit students at Stawell, Ararat, Lake Bolac and Marian secondary colleges.
Stawell Secondary College teacher Anthony Taylor said the trade training centre included a commercial kitchen in Ararat, as well as a panel and paint workshop at Stawell.
“We are part of a Vocational Education and Training cluster that takes in four senior colleges,” he said.
“This centre has been developed to help fill areas in the workforce where there is a perceived shortage of skilled tradespeople.”