Mayoral Column 4 December 2017
Published on 04 December 2017
Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country policy
At last week’s Council meeting, Councillors adopted the Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country Policy.
The policy sets out the guiding principles supporting the recognition of the Traditional Custodians of the land at Council civic functions and business activities, and in Council publications.
Incorporating this recognition into official meetings and events promotes awareness of and respect for the history and culture of Indigenous people within Council and our wider community. These forms of recognition are also acknowledged, in part, as contributing to ending the history of silence and exclusion that has resulted in Indigenous disadvantage.
Loddon producers leading the pack
Congratulations to Ian and Marilyn Lanyon of Boort-based business Simply Tomatoes on winning gold at the 2017 RACV Victorian Tourism Awards.
Simply Tomatoes took out the top prize for the Excellence in Food Tourism category at the awards night held on 23 November.
The business is no stranger to the Victorian Tourism Awards, having previously claimed the silver award in 2015.
The win by Simply Tomatoes is another nod to the producers of our Shire, and comes on the back of wins for the Bridgewater Bakehouse and Boort’s Arnold Family Butchers.
The Bridgewater Bakehouse recently saw four of its pies take out awards at the 2017 Great Aussie Pie Competition in Sydney.
Arnold Family Butchers is now looking towards the national stage after its success at the state Australian Meat Industry Council Awards. The business took out awards at the Victorian competition in all five categories it entered, including first place for Ham Off the Bone and Traditional Australian Pork Sausage.
The awards are a great credit to the hard work of these producers in our Shire. Having said that, I would also like to acknowledge the ongoing hard work of all producers in our Shire. While not necessarily recognised through awards, these producers provide a valuable contribution to our Shire and Victoria overall.
Separation Tree to live on in Loddon Shire
It was a great honour to attend a ceremony in Melbourne recently to receive a river red gum sapling from the historic Separation Tree.
The 400-year-old Separation Tree, which was formerly in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, marked the location where people gathered on 15 November 1850 to celebrate Victoria becoming a separate colony from New South Wales.
Unfortunately, after being attacked by vandals in 2010 and 2013, the Separation Tree died in 2015. However, saplings from the seed of the tree were propagated and are being distributed around Victoria in a partnership between the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Victoria Day Council.
It is with great pride that Loddon Shire Council can now also be a part of the historic tradition of the Separation Tree by planting this sapling in our municipality.
Council staff will consult a horticultural expert about a preferred site for the location of the sapling before making a decision about where it is to be planted.