Loddon Shire Mayoral Column

Published on 24 February 2020

Locals named as finalists

Congratulations to Katrina van Eyk from Pyramid Hill who is one of four women announced as finalists for the Victorian 2020 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award. The award recognises innovative ideas to support Australia’s rural and regional communities and encourages women to be more active in community decision-making.

Katrina is an experienced swimming coach and is passionate about teaching safe swimming practices. She wants to expand an affordable eight-week summer Learn-to-Swim program in regional communities. Her program focuses on developing the community connection of pools as a local meeting place, improved physical and mental health and the opportunity to upskill locals to be qualified swim teachers.

The Victorian winner will be announced on 24 March and will receive a bursary of $10,000 to implement her project.

Congratulation also to the Hooke family of Willera Merino in Serpentine, who have been named finalists for the Weekly Times Coles 2019 Farmer of the Year Awards.

The Hooke family are finalists in the category of ‘Sheep Farmer of the Year’ for their merino operation which runs 1000 registered ewes and 13,000 commercial ewes. The winners will be announced on 26 February.

Internet of Things

Agriculture Victoria is partnering with the National Narrowband Network Company to deliver the Internet of Things network connectivity to farmers around Serpentine.

The Internet of Things is about embedding sensors in devices so that they can connect and interact with each other via the internet. Devices such as weather stations, sheds, tanks, tractors, or pumps can be remotely monitored and controlled and interact with each other.

The new long-range network will allow for thousands of sensors to be securely connected to the internet, providing farmers with real-time data to improve their on-farm productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

Data from devices has the potential to allow farmers to adapt more quickly to changing conditions and free up time and labour. To find out more about the On-Farm Internet of Things trial, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/digitalag

Farm water planning workshops

Workshops will be held on Friday 28 February at the Mitiamo Sports Club for people who are planning a reticulation system to bolster their farm water supplies under the Mitiamo Pipeline Project.

The workshops will assist landholders to understand farm requirements, understand the process involved in working with the pipeline, tanks and storage infrastructure and understand the reticulation principles.

The workshops take place from 9.30am and will include representatives from Goulburn Murray Water who will give updates on the Mitiamo Pipeline Project and explain the connection process.

To register for the workshops, contact Martin Hamilton (Agriculture Victoria, Bendigo) on 03 5430 4802 or martin.hamilton@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Changes to building regulations

Recent State Government changes to the Building Regulations require all owners of existing swimming pools and spas to register their swimming pool and spa with Council’s Building Services by not later than 1 June 2020.

This requirement applies to all pools and spas capable of holding water with a depth of 300mm or more, regardless of whether the pool or spa is permanent or movable. Significant penalties apply for not registering swimming pools and spas by 1 June 2020.

Anyone building a new pool or spa will have 30 days from the date of an occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection being issued to register their pool or spa with Council.

The requirement for registration of pools and spas is part of a program to help ensure child safety and to ensure that the standard of fencing and safety barriers around swimming pools and spas on properties is maintained.

Further information can be obtained from the Victorian Building Authority website www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumers/swimming-pools/registration-requirements .

To obtain an application form please contact Council’s Building Services on 5494 1242 or email building@loddon.vic.gov.au or download the form from our website: www.loddon.vic.gov.au/Our-Council/Forms-and-permit-applications.

Hard Waste Collection 2020

Loddon Shire Council will be conducting its annual kerbside hard waste collection of metals, e-waste, furniture and white goods to coincide with Clean Up Australia Day on the first Sunday in March.

Residents within the township boundaries (excluding business) of Boort, Pyramid Hill, Mitiamo, Dingee, Serpentine, Borung, Wychitella, Korong Vale, Wedderburn, Inglewood, Bridgewater, Newbridge, Tarnagulla, Laanecoorie and Eddington may place items up to a total of one cubic metre out on the nature strip on Sunday 1 March 2020 (not before) and Council staff will collect these items commencing Monday 2 March 2020.

Items are to be sorted into piles, i.e. metal items, furniture, e-waste and white goods. Total volume is not to exceed 1m³ in size. Excessive or unsorted piles will not be collected. Please note that general waste, green waste, tyres, oils, batteries, paints and chemicals, car parts and mattresses will not be picked up. Any unsuitable items left behind after collections are to be removed from the nature strip immediately.

For more information go to: https://www.loddon.vic.gov.au/For-residents/Your-home/Garbage-and-recycling/Hard-waste-collection

Did you know

Council provides library services to the municipal community in collaboration with Goldfields Library Corporation at six agencies – Boort, Dingee, Inglewood, Pyramid Hill, Tarnagulla and Wedderburn. In the last financial year, our agencies recorded 11,333 library visits and 29,864 loans made.

A wide range of relevant, contemporary library collections and programs are offered, including adult and children’s programs and activities.

The Storytime sessions aim to nurture listening, language and learning skills of pre-school children, with fun-filled sessions of songs and rhymes running each week during school terms. This week is Bridgewater and Wedderburn’s turn for Storytime. Check the library website for session details ncgrl.vic.gov.au/storytimes