Strathbogie Shire Council

Monday, 10 July, 2017

Strathbogie Shire Council is working with Tesla on an innovative new project, installing a six bay Supercharger station at the Kirkland Avenue carpark in Euroa.

Works for this development are underway as part of Tesla’s plan to double their charging network globally by the end of 2017.

Tesla plans to grow from over 5000 Superchargers, to more than 10,000 Superchargers and 15,000 Destination Chargers globally by the end of the year.

Superchargers are being built to allow Tesla owners to charge more conveniently on long-distance trips, as they strive to make charging available to people in regional areas.

Tesla’s current vehicle offering includes the fully electric Model S sedan and Model X SUV priced from $119,000.

Strathbogie Shire Council has embraced this project as a great opportunity to support sustainable living now and in the future, as well as a chance to increase traffic to Euroa.

The project will begin by installing six charging bays at six of the carparks in the block, two of which will be permanently dedicated for Tesla cars only, and then as demand grows the remaining four will be commissioned.

It is anticipated that these works will be completed in the next two to three months

Friday, 7 July, 2017

A wide range of businesses from across the Strathbogie Shire have been selected as finalists for the 2017 Business Awards.

From a broad cross-section of industry, and from all walks of life, these finalists have been hand-picked by anonymous judges and all have a chance to receive an award form the seven carefully selected categories.

Tickets are now on sale for the Business Awards Gala Dinner, held on Friday, 1 September in the Montage Room at Mitchelton Wines, Nagambie.

The awards are a joint venture between Business Euroa, Nagambie Lakes Tourism and Commerce and Strathbogie Shire Council.

The 2017 finalists are:

Employee Recognition

Sharon McCormack - Burtons IGA, Euroa

Samantha Reed - Ray White Nagambie

Dylan Merritt - Ray White Nagambie

Michelle Salan - Ray White Nagambie

Debby Luff - Ray White Nagambie

Jenny Mason - Rebecca Baker Pharmacy, Nagambie

Sally Bazeley - Rebecca Baker Pharmacy, Nagambie

Neville Mawson - Australia Post, Euroa

Sue Gall - Mitchelton Wines, Nagambie

Nicole Smith - Rejuvenate Wellbeing and Beauty, Nagambie

Micro Business

Euroa Printers

The Weekend Local, Euroa

Norwood Beauty, Avenel

Euroa Fruit Market

La Galerie de Nagambie

North East Antennas

Active Spine Centre, Nagambie

Heathcote and District Financial Services Ltd (Bendigo Bank, Nagambie)

Mister + Lady, Euroa

Smarter Safety, Ruffy

Large Business

Burton's IGA

Champion's IGA, Nagambie

Mawsons Bakery Cafe, Euroa

Medium Business

Kalasin Thai, Nagambie

John Sanderson Machinery, Nagambie

Bank Street Wood Fired Pizza, Avenel

Ray White, Nagambie

Strathbogie Veterinary Clinic

Royal Mail Hotel, Nagambie

New Business

Vaztrain Health and Fitness, Euroa

Likatibro Antiques, Art, Bargains and Curios, Euroa

Noorilim Estate, Wahring

Mr C's Music, Euroa

The Ministry of Chocolate, Nagambie

Om the Move Yoga, Strathbogie

Foxhole Cafe, Nagambie

Rob's Mini Diggers, Balmattum

Tourism Excellence

Skydive Nagambie

Mitchelton Wines, Nagambie

Nagambie Lakes Leisure Park

Hide and Seek Winery and Retreat, Goulburn Weir

Service Excellence

Obion Electrical Pty Ltd, Avenel

Nagambie Equine and Rural

Nagambie Healthcare

Nagambie Post Office

Nagambie Bakery and Coffee Lounge

Rejuvenate Wellbeing and Beauty, Nagambie

Euroa Medical

Thomson's Home Furnishers, Euroa

Rebecca Baker Pharmacy, Nagambie

Goulburn Explorer, Nagambie

Royal Mail Hotel, Nagambie

The independent judges will now make evaluations and comparisons of the finalists within each category.

The gala dinner will be a semi-formal evening with a two-course meal, complimentary wine on arrival and all other drinks at bar prices.

The guest speaker this year will be VRC Chairman Amanda Elliott with ABC Goulburn Murray’s Warwick Long as MC for the evening.

The special early-bird price of $75 closes Sunday, 15 July with all other tickets available for $85 until they sell out.

There will also be bus transport available at $15 per person (return) from Euroa or Nagambie.

To book your ticket, visit www.euroa.org.au/business-awards.

Friday, 7 July, 2017

Strathbogie Shire Council has made roads a high priority in the new Council Plan and Budget adopted on Tuesday 27 June, investing $3.5 million into the road network in the coming years.

One exciting item in the budget is the lease of an additional heavy grader, which will significantly increase road maintenance.

Council is also lifting ‘Class 0’ roads to ‘Class 1’ standard, which means they will receive regular maintenance.

Previously, many roads in the Shire were classified ‘Class 0’ roads, which meant minimal maintenance was given to them, only needing to be accessible enough for emergency service vehicles.

In the first 12 months, this will mean an upgrade to over 60 of our currently ‘Class 0’ roads, which will receive drainage, gravel spreading and grading work to bring them to a ‘Class 1’ standard.

Mount Wombat Ward Councillor Alistair Thomson said upgrades to the road network will support the Council Plan to build flourishing communities by strengthening the rural sector in the Shire.

"Our rural sector is the largest economic contributor and major employer in our Shire and road access is crucial for rural residents and businesses," Cr Thomson said.

This will vastly improve the condition of gravel roads in the Shire, which make up over 1500km of the network.

Cr Thomson said these initiatives were in response to many concerns voiced by local residents through Council’s ‘Let’s Talk- We are Listening’ campaign, in which several ‘Conversation Cafes’ were conducted with residents, with those living in rural areas reporting problems with the gravel road network.

The commitment to roads is just one of several new directions taken in the new Council Plan under consultation with local residents.

Thursday, 6 July, 2017

As part of the brand new Council Plan and Budget, Strathbogie Shire has introduced a Rates Holiday for first home buyers for the first two years, which will provide an enticing incentive to purchase in the area.

Strathbogie Shire is large in size, but only holds just over 10,000 residents, which makes resource allocation and funding of projects challenging.

The Rates Holiday provides first home buyers who are eligible for the State Government's First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) of $20,000 with a further saving, waiving the general rate and municipal charge for the first two years.

Nathan Harper, owner and operator of Harper Builders in Euroa, believes there is good incentive to build in the Shire at present.

"Given the State FHOG has been bumped up to $20,000 and there is now a full exemption from stamp duty, the Rates Holiday is a great sweetener to encourage people to build in our region," he said.

Having just finished building his brand new family home, Nathan can appreciate that building is a huge financial commitment.

"Building is a huge step in your life and a big investment, particularly when you're starting out.

"The FHOG, combined with the knowledge that you're free from the rates burden for the first two years, removes some of that pressure."

Strathbogie Shire Mayor Amanda McClaren said she was excited about the initiative and believes it is a win-win for both newcomers and current residents alike.

"The Rates Holiday is an exciting initiative that gives first home buyers the opportunity to purchase an affordable home free from rates for the first two years and just an hour and a half from Melbourne," she said.

"For our current residents, this initiative encourages population growth which will ultimately distribute the rates burden. Attracting new residents will drive new enterprise and economic growth, which will be beneficial for everyone in the Shire."

Eligibility for the rates holiday is detemined by proof of approval for the FHOG, which is generally granted for a newly built home sold for the first time, a house and land package, or a vacant block on which a new house is to be built.

The Rates Holiday doesn't excuse the first home buyer from waste, tree and fire service charges, however.

"We are the ony Shire in Victoria taking such an innovative approach to growth and we believe it is a step in the right direction towards building flourishing communities," Cr McClaren said.