Loddon Shire Mayoral Column 5 October
Published on 05 October 2021
Loddon Valley Arts Trail to showcase creativity
An arts trail created by artists for artists is set to showcase talented individuals across our region.
The Loddon Valley Arts Trail will be held from 23 to 24 October 2021 at venues across the Loddon Shire. The arts trail will feature at least 24 artists, as well as one venue featuring around 20 artists alone.
Art will vary from paintings (in a range of different mediums), knitting, metal and wood craft, mosaics and garden art – to name but a few.
Venues for the arts trail include Secret Platypus, Eastville Farm, Rostrata (eight artists will feature at this venue), Tarnagulla Community Centre, Red Balloon Farm, Arts of Olde and Melanie Young’s Studio. Cardinal Studios, Octopus and Queen, Coach House Gallery and Museum, and Mal Gilmour’s Studio and Gallery will also feature artists as part of the trail.
A map and brochure for the trail is available from the Visit Loddon Valley website at www.bendigoregion.com.au/visit-loddon-valley/whatson/loddon-valley-arts-trail and the Loddon Visitor Information Centre.
Pool and spa registrations reminder
With summer fast approaching, pool and spa owners are reminded they must register their pool with Council.
On 1 December 2019, new laws to improve swimming pool and spa safety came into effect in Victoria. They introduced new registration, inspection and certification requirements for property owners.
As part of the changes, owners are required to register their pool and spa with Council. Owners are also required to have their pool safety barrier / fence inspected every four years or if they are selling a property or leasing a property that has a pool or spa capable of holding more than 300mm of water.
The requirements to provide a safety barrier / fence applies to all pools and spas with the exception of a relocatable pool that are only capable of holding a depth of water less than 300mm.
More information, including a link to the application form to register your pool or spa, is available from Council’s website:
www.loddon.vic.gov.au/Our-Services/Building-services/Swimming-pool-and-spa-barriers
You can also find more information at the Victorian Building Authority website, including self-assessment check sheets to help check the level of compliance of your safety barrier/fence. Visit: www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumers/swimming-pools/pool-safety-barriers
Enhancing Remnant Vegetation Pilot
Applications are now open for the Enhancing Remnant Vegetation (ERV) Pilot, which is trialling new cost-effective ways of engaging and rewarding farmers for providing biodiversity services through market-based processes.
The ERV Pilot aims to pay farmers for improved on-farm biodiversity outcomes. It is part of the Agriculture Stewardship Package, which includes the Carbon + Biodiversity Pilot, which I highlighted in a Mayoral Column in late April this year.
The pilot recognises that farmers and land managers play a key role in biodiversity stewardship, and is trialling tools to help farmers adapt to a changing climate and create new income streams.
Farmers could receive payments to manage and enhance remnant native vegetation on-farm. Examples may include installing fencing, carrying out weeding, pest control and replanting.
Eligible management activities will improve the condition of remnant vegetation, leading to biodiversity benefits as well as other potential benefits on farm. The trial will prioritise funding for projects with the most biodiversity benefit per dollar.
For more information, visit:
www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/natural-resources/landcare/sustaining-future-australian-farming/enhancing-remnant-vegetation-pilot
Applications to the ERV Pilot close 5.00pm on Wednesday 27 October.
Website helps food and beverage manufacturers invest in rural Victoria
A new website created by Rural Councils Victoria aims to help food and beverage manufacturers expand their businesses or to invest in rural Victoria.
The website showcases opportunities for businesses across rural Victoria (including Loddon Shire) and provides the contact details of Council employees for businesses to follow up with.
The website provides information about industrial assets across rural Victoria, including location, type (land, greenfield, brownfield), value (relative sales prices from the Victorian Valuer-General), contact details for the councils where the assets are located and informative interactive maps of locations.
The website also features a downloadable database of all assets across rural Victoria and information on economic trends for food and beverage manufacturing in rural Victoria.
To find out more, visit http://ruralcouncilsvictoria.rezme.com/
Building boom for agriculture worker accommodation
Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas visited Boort Lakes Holiday Park to meet owners Tim and Wendy James and unveil new facilities for seasonal workers, which will boost accommodation for the region’s workforce for the upcoming harvest and for years to come.
Congratulations to Tim and Wendy who received $500,000 to build sixteen new cabins and eight ensuites for existing caravan sites, providing accommodation for up to 77 workers to support the region’s agriculture industry.