Loddon Shire Mayoral Column

Published on 09 December 2019

Introducing locum CEO, Mr Allan Bawden

As Loddon Shire’s CEO Mr Phil Pinyon will be taking leave for an extended period for family reasons, Council has appointed a locum CEO. Mr Allan Bawden commenced with Council on Wednesday 27 November and is expected to be with us until mid-February.

Allan has worked in the local government sector most of his working life including over 20 years as a CEO across regional cities, coastal and peri urban settings. He embarked on a new career in 2015 as a company director, consultant and pursuing his interest in primary production. He has taken on a number of interim CEO roles over the past two years at Ararat, Mildura and now Loddon.

Spirit of CFA Awards

Nominations are now open for the Spirit of CFA Awards which recognise outstanding achievements and significant contributions made by CFA staff and volunteers in local Victorian communities.

The awards have the potential to positively impact members and improve the CFA’s standing in the community as an organisation of choice for volunteering and employment. There are a broad range of categories, encompassing youth, seniors, leadership, innovation, community engagement and inclusion, with the aim of celebrating members who exemplify the CFA’s values and acknowledge contributions to the organisation and community.

Nominations are open to individuals and teams until 3 January 2020. Visit the website to apply www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about/spirit-of-cfa-awards.

Haystack warning for dry weather

While on the subject of the great work that CFA does in our communities, dry conditions in our area have led to a warning from the CFA about managing the cutting, baling and storage of hay. Haystacks can pose a great danger and occupy crucial firefighting resources during a potentially extreme fire season.

Haystack fires can start quite easily from lightning, equipment and machinery or spontaneous combustion. This occurs when hay is either not properly cured before baling or not stored with protection from rain or damp conditions.

Hay bales to need to be protected from moisture and have adequate airflow to avoid a chemical reaction that leads to fire. Farmers can download the detailed guide on how to prevent haystack fires from the CFA website: bit.ly/2Rcrk0j

Bridgewater-On-Loddon Summer Exhibition

I would encourage residents to make time to visit the Summer Exhibition at Mulwarrie Studios at Serpentine Road, Bridgewater. The exhibition, which follows the success of the studio’s recent ‘Meet the Artists’ Exhibition, features the work of some of our best-known local artists, craftspeople and producers.

The scope of the work on show includes acrylic and watercolour artworks, jewellery, Indigenous handcrafts, photography, leatherwork, stone and metal works. The studio is open from Fridays to Tuesdays from 10am to 4pm. For further information contact Robert Scholes on 0447 036 952 or visit the website robertscholes.wordpress.com/.

The studio also stocks a range of local and Indigenous food ingredients and gift products, craft supplies and plants. This provides a great opportunity for locals and visitors to shop locally, especially over the Christmas period, to support local artists and producers.

Good Sports at Pyramid Hill

The Pyramid Hill Football Netball Club has been named ‘Safe Transport Club of the Year’ in the national Good Sports Awards. Good Sports works together with local sporting clubs to build a healthier, more inclusive sporting nation.

The annual awards recognise clubs and volunteers that are committed to making their communities the best they can be, by creating healthier, more family-friendly club environments both on and off the field.

The club at Pyramid Hill has taken positive steps to protect its members by recognising that country communities can be over represented in the road toll, due to the distances people need to travel to attend sport, recreation, work and social events.

To ensure their players get home safely, the club purchased a bus which provides safe transport options which wouldn’t normally be available in the local community.

International Volunteer Day

While on the subject of volunteers making a difference in our community, I would like to acknowledge that International Volunteer Day (IVD) was celebrated across the world last Thursday 5 December. Loddon Shire proudly supports IVD, to raise awareness of the important role volunteers play in responding to challenges facing the world.

Loddon Shire has an impressive volunteering record. In 2016, 31.7% of the Loddon Shire population reported performing voluntary work through an organisation or group, compared with 24.3% for Regional Victoria, and 20.8% across Victoria generally.

Volunteers are the backbone behind any community and in Loddon Shire volunteers undertake a diverse range of roles which greatly contribute to the liveability of our region. Thank you to each and every one of you for your wonderful work and caring examples of community building.

Did you know

A group celebrating volunteers in the lead up to IVDay is the Inglewood Development and Tourism Committee. They recently coordinated a Community Organisation and Volunteer Groups Expo in the Inglewood Town Hall. The expo gave groups an occasion to showcase their volunteering opportunities and hopefully attract new volunteers.