Loddon Shire Mayoral Column 15 August 2023

Published on 15 August 2023

Municipal Flood Recovery Committee Meeting

Last Thursday (10 August), I chaired the fifth meeting of the Loddon Municipal Flood Recovery Committee. We welcomed representatives from the Financial Rights Legal Centre, an organisation dedicated to providing advice for those facing financial hardship. They outlined their advocacy efforts on behalf of flood affected victims. If your or someone you know needs assistance with an insurance claim related to the floods, I urge you to reach out to the Financial Rights Legal Centre. They are available on 1300 663 464, Monday to Friday from 10am to 1pm.

In addition, we received an update from the North Central Catchment Management Authority. I am pleased to announce that they have secured $250,000 from Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action Sustainable Irrigation Program. These fund will be used to repair infrastructure and remove blockages alongside designated waterways in the Bullock Creek catchments. A targeted laser light survey across the catchments is also planned to identify any further blockages. This is a significant step towards restoring our waterways.

I am also excited to hear that the committee endorsed the draft Loddon Municipal Flood Recovery Plan. During our next meeting in October, we will receive a progress report on the various flood recovery initiatives across the Loddon Shire.

Please stay informed about all the community recovery events taking place across the Loddon Shire. Our fortnightly flood recovery bulletins are published in the Loddon Herald and are also accessible on the Loddon Shire Council’s website https://www.loddon.vic.gov.au/For-residents/Community-Flood-Recovery

Upcoming Council Meeting

Council’s August meeting will be held Tuesday 22 August at 3pm in the Loddon Shire Council Chambers, located behind the Wedderburn Council Office, off Peters Street.

You can also watch the Council meeting live via Council’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LoddonShire/

Some of the items on the agenda include Governance Rules Review, Pyramid Hill Kindergarten Assessment, Quarterly Activity Reports and 2022/23 End of Financial Year Variation Analysis.

To view August Council Meeting agenda visit https://www.loddon.vic.gov.au/Our-Council/Agendas-and-minutes/Agendas-and-minutes-2023

Dysons Community Grants opening soon

The Dysons Group, a family-run bus company which has been serving the community since 1952, has established a program to provide grants in support to a range of community based organisations providing services to the community of Victoria.

Program Manager, Grant Deacon, said the program aims to support a range of community- based organisations at grass roots level.

“The Dyson Group is so pleased to be able to offer these grants to community organisations around Victoria. We are looking for applications that provide local groups with funding to enable projects that have local impact. We know so many organisations need support and we are pleased to be able to help.”

Two rounds of these grants are rolled out annually, with each round offering a total of $10,000. Individual grants can go up to a maximum of $1,000, and the variety of eligible organisations is broad ranging from schools and sporting clubs to welfare agencies and emergency services.

Upcoming round commences on 1 September 2023 and will conclude on 30 September 2023. To familiarise yourself with all the prerequisites, terms and conditions and how to apply, please visit https://www.dysongroup.com.au/about/community-grants

Ending soon - Power Saving Bonus $250 rebate

Reminder this program is designed to provide financial assistance and advice on energy plans to eligible residents and a $250 rebate. I encourage all eligible residents to take advantage of this rebate.

Eligibility requirements:

You must be a residential energy consumer (i.e. have a residential electricity account)
You must be the account holder
Only one payment is available per household

Applications will take between five and ten minutes of your time and you will need a copy of your recent electricity bill on hand.

Applications close 11.59pm on 31 August 2023.

To apply, simply visit https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/

Finals approaching

We are now at the pointy end of the season, and finals are approaching. I would like to wish all the teams playing in the and North Central Football League, North Central Netball Association, North Central Hockey Association, Loddon Valley Football and Netball League finals the best of luck. I encourage everyone to come out and show your support.