Loddon Shire Mayoral Column 27 May 2019

Published on 27 May 2019

Reconciliation Week

This week (27 May to 3 June) is National Reconciliation Week. The 2019 National Reconciliation Week theme is Grounded in Truth, Walk Together with Courage.

According to Reconciliation Australia, National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements. It is also a chance to explore how everyone can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Council continues to commit to reconciliation activities, including flying the Aboriginal flag during Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week. Additionally, last year Council adopted the Welcome to and Acknowledgement of Country Policy, which assists Council in acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land at Council civic functions, business activities and Council publications.

Council is also working on an Aboriginal Community Partnership Plan, and intends to work towards developing a future Reconciliation Action Plan. The partnership plan aims to further strengthen relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community.

Donaldson Park funding welcomed

It was fantastic to receive the news from (the recently elected) Member for Mallee Anne Webster, that Wedderburn’s Donaldson Park upgrade has received $2.5 million in funding.

The upgrade will see a new purpose-built sporting and community complex, replacing the facility’s three ageing pavilions. It includes social rooms (with seating for up to 150 people), new kitchen, meeting room, kiosk, bar, office, change rooms, and trainers’ and first aid room.

Donaldson Park is a key focal point of community life in Wedderburn and is the home of the town’s football, netball, hockey and harness racing clubs.

In addition to making the Shire a more attractive place to live and instilling local pride, the project will enable more community, sporting and regional functions to be held at the facility, encouraging greater community interaction.

Active Living Census – now online

The Healthy Heart of Victoria 2019 Active Living Census is now available online.

Residents are encouraged to visit www.srcentre.com.au/ALC to complete the census, which will be available until 16 June.

The aim of the census is to seek local and regional data on the community’s health behaviours, activity levels, preferences and needs. The findings will be used to produce an overarching report for the Loddon Campaspe Region and individual reports that are unique to each of the six local government areas (including Loddon Shire).

The census will only take a few minutes out of your day to complete and there’s the chance to win some great prizes too.

The census will also be delivered to more than 117,000 homes in the Loddon Campaspe region in coming weeks.

Congratulations to The Coffee Bank

I’d like to congratulate Pyramid Hill’s The Coffee Bank on being awarded the Countrywide Café of the Year for Victoria/Tasmania.

The Coffee Bank received the most votes from customers in the Victorian/Tasmanian region (via the Countrywide Café of the Year website), taking out the honours.

It’s fantastic to see a local business in the Shire recognised by its customers for their delicious food (and coffee, of course) and all their hard work!

Recycling tips

Having covered off a number of different topics related to recycling, this week I thought I would share some recycling tips from Sustainability Victoria.

Remember, your recycling should be loose inside the bin, and keep recycling out of plastic bags. Plastic bags and other soft plastics (such as bread bags) should not be placed in your recycling bin.

Textiles, including clothing and shoes can’t go into the recycling bin and are considered to be contaminants.

E-waste (any items which use cords and plugs or batteries) also can’t be recycled through your bin. As mentioned in a previous column, you can dispose of your e-waste at any of Council’s landfills and transfer stations during normal operating hours.

Please note, computer monitors, laptops and TVs are subject to a fee as they contain toxic chemicals which require special handling.

For operating hours, please visit www.loddon.vic.gov.au/Live/Your-home/Garbage-and-recycling and click on “Landfill and transfer station timetable”.

I’ll also be providing more information about the State Government’s e-waste ban (which starts 1 July this year) in my next column.

Did you know?

Separating your comingled waste (a broader term to describe every day recyclables) means you contribute to a circular economy through landfill diversion. Metals, gas and oils are not limitless. A circular economy is an alternative model that anticipates and designs for resources to be either safely returned to nature or back into systems where they can be reused or renewed.