Loddon Shire Mayoral Column 11 April 2023
Published on 11 April 2023
Easter long weekend
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend and enjoyed some well-deserved time off with your loved ones.
There was plenty to do over the long weekend with the Boort Tennis Easter Tournament, Tarnagulla & District Golf Easter Cup and Wedderburn Bowling Club Tournament.
Congratulations to all the participants, and a special shout out to the winners!
One of the highlights of the long weekend was the 150th Rheola Charity Carnival on Monday (10 April). It was a fantastic day, which saw thousands of people attending from both locally and from out of town. The carnival was packed with exciting events and activities for all ages including tractor pull, sheep dog trials, wood chopping, running events, horse jumping and more. I was honoured to award the Rheola Charity Carnival organising committee with a 150th recognition plaque. The funds raised from the carnival go towards Inglewood and Dunolly hospitals.
These events would not be possible without the hard work of organisers and volunteers who put in countless hours to ensure their success.
Thank you to everyone who participated in these events and for making our Shire a great place to live.
Serpentine Hotel back in business
After years of closure, I am delighted to see Serpentine Hotel reopen for business last Thursday (6 April). With many renovations and upgrades done, the hotel is ready to welcome the community back to enjoy good food, drinks and company.
To stay up to date with events make sure to follow Serpentine Hotel’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091639871781
Construction starting – Inglewood Outdoor Event Space
For the next few weeks, the lawn area beside the Inglewood Town Hall will be undergoing works to create an outdoor event area.
The project, scheduled to start shortly and run through to mid-May, will include hard and soft landscaping and provision of electricity to the site.
This project contributes to the Inglewood Community Plan Goal 1, Action 2, Task 2.9, and aims to support the community and local businesses of Inglewood by providing an outdoor gathering space within the business precinct, away from the main highway, that is attractive and safe for pedestrians.
The new event space will be able to support markets and community activity, providing a space for food trucks, stalls, presentations and performances.
The project has been made possible through funding from the Victorian Government COVIDSafe Outdoor Activation Fund, and is being administered by Loddon Shire Council.
New places open for the next big ideas in AgTech
Calling on Victoria’s entrepreneurs, researchers and anyone with an innovative idea that could solve agriculture’s big challenges.
Rocket Seeder is now accepting applications for the next round of its highly successful program AgTech Seeds. The program begins on July 10 and runs through until September. All you need is an idea.
The three-month program, run with partner Cruxes Innovation, supported by LaunchVic and Agriculture Victoria, fast tracks entrepreneurs, founders and researchers at the early stage of their agtech journey.
The course workshops target key areas of business development including customer and problem discovery, accounting and fundraising as well as storytelling and narrative building. The workshop sessions are accompanied by one-on-one coaching and mentoring from leaders across the agriculture industry. This provides innovators with the skills and knowledge to create viable, profitable enterprises.
There are 12 positions available for Victorian entrepreneurs and researchers. The program is fully funded for successful applicants.
Pool and spa registrations reminder
Owners of pools and/or spas constructed from 1 July 1994 until 30 April 2010 are reminded that the deadline for inspection and lodgement of a barrier compliance certificate is 1 June 2023.
On 1 December 2019, new laws to improve swimming pool and spa safety came into effect in Victoria. They introduced new registration, inspection and certification requirements for property owners. This includes pools and spas constructed (or where construction commenced) before 1 November 2020.
As part of the changes, owners are required to register their pool and spa with Council. Owners are also required to have their pool safety barrier/fence inspected every four years or if they are selling a property or leasing a property that has a pool or spa capable of holding more than 300mm of water.
The requirements to provide a safety barrier/fence applies to all pools and spas with the exception of a relocatable pool that are only capable of holding a depth of water less than 300mm.
The date by which your pool and/or spa is required to be inspected will depend on when the pool or spa had a certificate of final inspection issued, if any. The date by which the owners must have their pool and/or spa safety barrier/fence inspected and the relevant standard to which the pool safety barrier/fence must be constructed will be specified in the certificate of registration issued by Council.
For more information, including a link to the application form to register your pool or spa, visit Council’s website:
www.loddon.vic.gov.au/Our-Services/Building-services/Swimming-pool-and-spa-barriers
You can also find more information at the Victorian Building Authority website, including self-assessment check sheets to help check the level of compliance of your safety barrier/fence. Visit: www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumers/swimming-pools/pool-safety-barriers