Loddon Shire Mayoral Column 3 June 2019
Published on 03 June 2019
Don’t forget your flu shot
Influenza, also known as the flu, is a highly contagious disease that can cause severe illness for older Australians with serious complications, including death.
The start to this influenza season has seen a high level of influenza activity with recent statistics showing that already more than 100 Australians have died from influenza.
A number of measures can be put in place to help prevent and control the spread of influenza:
• annual vaccination is the single most important measure to prevent influenza and is free for Australians 65 years and over and is available now
• wash your hands often
• be alert to influenza symptoms
If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to contact your local GP to arrange for your flu shot to keep you healthy.
Are you curious about climate?
If you’re curious about the climate, then make sure you head to the Rochester Shire Hall on Thursday 20 June for an evening of talks, information and networking.
Find out the latest on how changes in weather may impact you, hear interesting solutions locals are creating in response and enjoy a chat with others across the region. You’ll be able to share your own ideas and projects too.
The free event is part of the Ramp Up Resilience community initiative, which aims to generate relevant discussion and effective action for individuals, businesses and towns.
Curious About Climate will be held from 5.30pm to 8.30pm at the Rochester Shire Hall, 45 Mackay Street, Rochester. Light supper and refreshments will be provided.
There will be a free bus service to the event from Wedderburn Community House and Inglewood Community Neighbourhood House, as well as Raywood and Bendigo.
To register for the event and make a bus booking visit: https://bit.ly/2HwBaVC
Victorian Landcare Grants now open
Applications for the 2019/20 Victorian Landcare Grants Program are now open.
Project grants of up to $20,000 are available for on-ground works, capacity-building activities, community education and engagement projects to protect, enhance and restore Victoria’s land and natural environment.
Grants are open to all Victorian Landcare and other environmental volunteer groups and networks with a focus on on-ground land and natural environment improvement work. This includes Landcare groups and networks, "Friends of" groups, Conservation Management Networks and Committees of Management.
Support grants of $500 are also available for new and existing groups.
Applications close at 5pm, Wednesday 12 June. To find out more, including grant guidelines visit www.nccma.vic.gov.au/landcare and click on Grants on the left side of the page.
Waste sites undergo upgrades for e-waste ban
Boort Landfill and Recycle and the Inglewood Transfer Station have undergone upgrades to their e-waste recycling facilities, including safely storing and collecting e-waste.
The upgrades, which were funded by the State Government, are to help prepare for the e-waste ban, which will be introduced from 1 July 2019. From this date, the Victorian Government will ban all e-waste going to the state’s landfills.
The ban also means that no e-waste items can be put in your general household kerbside bin.
E-waste is classified as anything electronic with a battery, plug or cord (e.g. cordless tools, soft toys with batteries, household appliances, hair dryers).
The upgrades to the facilities allow for a more thorough separation and collection of all e-waste types on sites. Collection bins will be made available for batteries, monitors and televisions (flat panel and cathode ray tube), lighting (e.g. fluorescent bulbs, information technology and telecommunications equipment), and potentially for photovoltaic panels, such as solar panels.
Council will also continue to collect e-waste from all landfill and transfer station sites across the Shire after 1 July 2019. This will be transported to the upgraded infrastructure periodically for recycling collection.
To find out more about waste and recycling in Loddon Shire go to www.loddon.vic.gov.au/Live/Your-home/Garbage-and-recycling
Have a safe long weekend
With the Queen’s Birthday long weekend this week, I’d just like to wish all our community an enjoyable break. If you’re planning on going away, please travel safely and be aware of extra traffic on the road. If you’re spending the long weekend in our Shire, I hope you have a restful few days.
Did you know?
Council not only implements a best practice kerbside collection for waste and recycling but also provides local football/netball/hockey grounds with bins for recycling and garbage including pick up free of charge.