Loddon Shire Mayoral Column 22 March
Published on 22 March 2022
Great weather and a great crowd for Serpentine Air Race
The Serpentine Air Race was held on Sunday – and what a fantastic day it was.
The day, which celebrated the centenary of Australia’s first official air race, saw perfect weather and an amazing crowd, estimated in excess of 5,000 people.
I’d like to take this opportunity to send out a huge thank you to all the members of the East Loddon Historical Society and the Air Race organising committee (including Robert Hooke and the McGauchie family) for all their hard work in putting on this hugely successful event.
I’d also like to thank all the local volunteers who helped in the lead up to the event and working on-ground on the day itself, especially with such a big crowd in attendance.
I’d also like to give a shout out to Frank and Sue Coughlan for providing their property for the Serpentine Air Race to be held.
The day not only featured the Air Race itself (congratulations to Graham Bunn and co-pilot Murray Gerraty, who took out the honours in the race), but also included the RAAF Roulettes and the Paul Bennet Airshow, which were spectacular.
The organisers even managed to get the original air race cup for display on the day.
It was also an honour to welcome the Victorian Shadow Minister for Aviation Gordon Rich-Phillips who was also present to see this amazing event.
Congratulations again to all the organisers and volunteers on such a remarkable and hugely successful day.
Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarships
Young farmers across the state can now apply for the 2022 Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarships to help their careers grow and support their contribution to Victoria's vibrant agriculture sector.
Under the program, young farmers can boost their skills and careers with up to $10,000 each to upskill through training or education, and to invest on-farm or for further professional development.
Applications for this year’s round of scholarships are open to farmers aged 35 years or under who have been working in farm businesses for at least three days a week for the past three months, with at least two years total experience on-farm.
Applications close at midnight on Monday 18 April 2022.
To find out more about the program and to apply for a scholarship, visit the website.
Startup Central Victoria upcoming events
In April, Startup Central Victoria will be hosting two free online meetup events: Selling Online and Scaling up your Business Sustainably.
The Selling Online meetup will take place from 12pm to 1pm on Wednesday 6 April 2022.
Elise Brown of Fair Dinkum Dog Coats in Castlemaine and Suzanne Carroll of Cool Clutch in Riddells Creek will share their experiences of setting up an online sales platform. Elise and Suzanne will also answer questions to help set your business up for success in Central Victoria.
To register, visit the event website.
The Scaling up your Business Sustainably meetup will take place from 7pm to 8pm on Thursday 7 April 2022.
The meetup will feature owner and director of Kowelec, Adrian Kowal. Kowelec, a boutique electrical contractor, has been in operation over 10 years and has grown to a team of 14 employees. Currently the business is taking another large step forward with recruitment of more management staff as well as construction of a new factory showroom.
You can register for this event here.
Victorian Travel Voucher Scheme
The registration period for the State Government’s Victorian Travel Voucher Scheme will open this Wednesday 23 March at 2pm.
The Travel Voucher Scheme provides a $200 reimbursement to eligible applicants for the costs of tourism activities in Victoria when you spend more than $400 on accommodation, tours and experiences.
Your trip must include a minimum of two consecutive nights’ paid accommodation.
Applicants must submit a registration online, and registrations will close when the allocation is exhausted.
To find out more, visit the Victorian Travel Voucher Scheme website.
Council meeting today
Council’s March meeting will be held this afternoon (22 March) 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.
Some of the items on the agenda include the Lake Boort Foreshore Recreation Precinct Project, Road Asset Management Plan, and the Building Asset Management Plan.
To view the March Council Meeting agenda visit Council's website.