Strathbogie Shire Council

Monday, 4 September, 2017

A fresh, new park commemorating war heroes from throughout the Shire of Strathbogie is under construction in Euroa.

The Memorial Park, situated in the vacant land next to the Telstra Exchange building on the corner of Brock and McGuinness streets, is a true community project from the Rotary Club of Euroa.

This is the next big war memorial in the Euroa township, which is fast making a name for itself due to the success of the popular VC Memorial Park on Kirkland Avenue.

Strathbogie Shire Council has joined forces with Rotary to help provide upgraded infrastructure to the community with new toilets close to the main street in addition to the memorial park.

Rotarian Brian Bamford has been instrumental in the project, explaining it came from a suggestion to utilise the Telstra site for community use.

"After meeting with the relevant Telstra representatives, who indicated they would be willing to lease the land to a local group in perpetuity," Brian said.

"I took the proposition to our club with the idea that we could develop the block into a ‘Village Green’.

"Firstly it would clean up what has been an eyesore for some 30 years but it would also allow us to create a space where people could rest while stopping or while waiting for people at the doctors.

"There was always some thought that a memorial of some kind should form a small part of the park."

Rotary then applied for a State Government Victoria Remembers grant (worth $80,000) for projects that expressed remembrance of those who took part in WW1, to which they were successful.

"The plan was to inscribe the name of all personnel who enlisted from Euroa and district. This list has been compiled by local historian Jeff Starkey.

"We will have a park with five memorial boards, with the main purpose being that this area is a place for rest or for visitors to our town to have their lunch," he said.

He said Rotary hopes to invite the Lions and Apex clubs to help complete the project.

Currently, work is almost complete on the all-abilities, accessible toilet facility and adjoining shelter veranda area, which is Council-funded.

The existing toilet block, which sits on the pavement in the same location, will be removed, making way for additional car parks and a disabled space.

All this is part of Council’s $200,000 commitment towards the project.

Strathbogie Shire Mayor, Councillor Amanda McClaren said she is looking forward to seeing the project come to fruition.

"Strathbogie Shire Council is proud to support our local community in creating a new landscape for our residents to enjoy and recognise those who fought bravely in WW1 so that we could live in the peace we are blessed with today," she said.

"Council recognises the need to upgrade the existing toilets on Brock Street, which has been identified from comments from both community and visitors to town."

Other key items in this community project include:

• Service infrastructure to the site, water, sewer and stormwater
• Solar power units to run the electrical needs of the site, within the building
• Solar tower lights in the garden
• Garden area (which Rotary and community members will complete)
• New seats and rubbish/recycling bins
• A hydration station/drinking fountain, donated by Goulburn Valley Water
• Additional street lighting near the toilet area
• Memorial plinths (supplied through a State Government grant) in memory of WW1

Council and Rotary will coordinate and financially support the project wherever possible, steering it through to its November completion date.

Friday, 1 September, 2017

In Chinese culture, the Dragon rides the clouds in the sky, commanding the wind, mist and rain.

Dragon Boats will be riding the waters of Lake Nagambie at the inaugural Nagambie Dragon Boat Regatta in September.

The event will see in excess of 250 competitors from 11 clubs across Victoria gather to compete in a variety of 200m and 2000m distances at the Regatta Centre on the beautiful Lake Nagambie.

Dragon Boats Victoria general manager Chris Schleusener said dragon boat racing is a highly competitive sport that celebrates the unique origins of Chinese culture.

"Dragon boating is a national sport in Australia and has around 2000 years of history in ancient Chinese culture," he said.

A dragon boat is best described as "a giant canoe", he said, with 10 competitors paddling on each side of the boat.

A sweep stands at the back with a large oar and steers the direction of the boat, and a drummer sits at the front of the boat to keep the rhythm of the rowing.

Spectators also have the opportunity to come and try their hand at dragon boating.

"We want to give people the chance to try dragon boating for themselves and we will give them the basic tips and training to get them out on the water," Chris said.

The Dragon Boat was originally used for religious purposes as a way to appease the rain gods.

The event is proudly supported by Strathbogie Shire Council, and is one of over 30 events held at the Nagambie Regatta Centre each year.

Strathbogie Shire Mayor Amanda McClaren said events like these bring so much enjoyment to the region and are a great tourism opportunity for the Shire.

"It’s so great to see the Nagambie Regatta Centre utilised by a variety of amazing events each year," she said.

"One of our goals in the new Council Plan is to support and drive economic development in our region, and sponsoring events like these are one of the ways we are achieving this."

Strathbogie Shire will also be supporting the Cranksters Cruise at Lake Nagambie from 15-17 September, which sees the Cranksters Rod and Kustom Club Victoria bring a weekend of cars, live music and fun to the region.

Spectators can attend the Dragon Boat racing on Sunday, 10 September between 8.30am-4.30pm and can come and try dragon boating from 2.30-4.30pm.

Friday, 1 September, 2017

Work has begun on the development of the Strathbogie Shire Community Pools Strategy with Otium Planning Group appointed to undertake the strategy.

The Strathbogie Shire Community Pools Working Group recently met with Otium Planning Group and will provide an important reference point as the strategy advances.

Strathbogie Shire Mayor and Community Pools Working Group Chair Amanda McClaren said Council identified the need for a strategic review of its pools after an internal assessment revealed the aging infrastructure of existing pools would require significant expenditure and upgrade in coming years.

"The strategy will look at each of the four pools and identify what opportunities exist to improve or further develop these facilities. At the completion of the strategy Council and the community will have a clear vision for the longer term development of pools in the Shire," Cr McClaren said.

The strategy is expected to be completed in early 2018 and will involve an extensive community engagement component which will build on feedback already received from the community.

"In determining future options for our pools it is necessary to consider the whole picture which includes a thorough assessment of operating and capital expenditure, patronage and the condition of existing pools. The challenge is to then balance these factors against the community’s needs and expectation.

"Our pools provide enormous benefit to our communities’ health and wellbeing and allow for valuable social and recreation experiences and so it is integral that we undertake the necessary planning to ensure both their sustainability and viability.

"There were more than 40,000 visits to the Avenel, Euroa, Nagambie and Violet Town pools during the 2016-17 pool season which highlights the extent to which the community enjoy and value these facilities," Cr McClaren said.

Council has started discussions to source external funding to allow for the implementation of key outcomes to come out of the strategy and will continue to lobby the State and Federal Governments for future funding.

"The ability to be able to fund any future development or upgrades identified at the completion of the strategy is critical and will require a financial contribution from other levels of government.

"The Community Pools Strategy allows us to be a serious contender in future grant applications, which is necessary to move forward with any development opportunities that may be identified," Cr McClaren said.

The Community Pools Working Group was formed to look at pools within the Shire holistically and have met regularly since its inception.

"I would like to sincerely thank all the volunteers involved in the Pools Working Group for their dedication, ideas and commitment to their own community pool and the wider Strathbogie Shire Pools Working Group. Their input and passion has been both valuable and inspiring," Cr McClaren said.

The working group initiated a community survey in early 2016 which was provided to all households in the Shire and received 864 responses. A separate survey was conducted of school students within the Shire. Over 38 per cent of survey respondents ranked pools as a top five priority area for Council.

The next phase of community consultation will take place in coming months and will build on the feedback received through the initial community survey.

Cr McClaren said the group was excited to be able to draw on the knowledge and expertise of the Otium Planning Group who are industry leaders in the development of aquatic facilities across Australia and further afield.

Caption: (from left) Felicity Edwards, Wendy Dustan (Opium Planning Group), Strathbogie Shire CEO Steve Crawcour, Kate Maddock (Opium), Cr Malcolm Little, Nicholas Bradley, Tiffany Ellis, Jeff Moran, John Thompson and Council Manager Assets Bruce Braines at the recent Pools Working Group meeting, where the Shire Wide Aquatic Strategy first started coming together.

Tuesday, 29 August, 2017

One of the biggest road rallies in Australia is coming back to the Strathbogie Shire this November.

Three short-term road closures have been approved by Council for the eighth annual Targa High Country rally on Friday, 10 November.

All vehicles involved in the competitive rally will stop in Binney Street, Euroa for lunch and a public car display, as they have done in previous years.

The roads affected by the event (and the times they are closed) are:

•  Galls Gap Road (between Euroa-Mansfield Road and Kippings Road) – 9am-3pm
•  Harry’s Creek Road (between Creek Junction Road and Hays Road) – 9.35am-3pm
•  Binney Street, Euroa (between Railway Street and Brock Street) – 10.08am-2.38pm

Strathbogie Shire Mayor Amanda McClaren said Targa Australia have sent letters to each resident/ratepayer with properties in the 3666 and 3669 postcodes informing them of the closures and event.

"In addition to this, Council will arrange letters to be mailed to specific properties located on both the Galls Gap Road and Harry’s Creek Road legs where the property address and mailing address do not match," she said.

"Council reminds residents who live on they closed roads that they will not be able to leave their homes or access their properties during this time until the roads are re-opened."

She said the entire region would be promoted around the world during the event.

"This is a very big thing for our community and will do wonders for the local economy as well as showcase what our beautiful Shire has to offer in terms of scenery and attractions," she said.

In the case of medical emergencies occurring for affected residents during the road closure period, the race will be stopped to allow access of emergency vehicles.

Targa will also have an intensive care paramedic on site which will enable faster than normal access to medical treatment.

Marshals will be stationed at all road closure points during the closures, providing advice to drivers of approaching vehicles of alternative detour routes to the specific destination they are seeking.

For more information on the event, visit www.targa.com.au or call (03) 6221-8800.