2014 a year February
January
DRIVERS across the state were set to save millions of dollars after the Victorian Government made the decision to abolish the need to display registration stickers for light vehicles. CONSTRUCTION began for a multi-million dollar health hub to unify a range of GV Health’s health and wellbeing services at the historic WB Hunter site on the corner of Corio and Edward Streets in Shepparton. LOCAL BUILDER, Kane Constructions was appointed for the new $18.3M Numurkah Hospital, after the building suffered significant damage in the 2012 floods. l SHEPPARTON rocked out to the chart topping hits of home-grown pop star, Jessica Mauboy, when she visited the region as part of her nationwide tour, NESCAFÉ Presents: Jessica Mauboy To The End Of The Earth.
l THE future of the last fruit and vegetable processing plant in Australia, SPC, was left hanging in the balance after the Federal Government decided not to invest $25M as a oneoff grant to help with the companies planned upgrade. AFTER holding the fort as Member for Shepparton for 18 years, the Hon Jeanette Powell made the announcement she would be stepping down from the seat at the November election. GREATER Shepparton City Council announced it would be conducting a $250,000 feasibility study, to determine a new home for the Shepparton Art Museum. 52 JOBS were to be created locally after Pactum Dairy announced it would be completing an expansion thanks to a $950,000 investment by the Victorian Coalition Government.
March
• FIRE devastated the region when 10,000ha were destroyed by the Wunghnu Complex Fire, but some people in the region were surprised by the generosity that followed including when Shepparton Marketplace partnered with the GMCU to kick start a Bale Out Fodder Appeal. • GREATER Shepparton City Council officially launched the Make Shepparton Greater Campaign, which aimed to highlight five infrastructure projects needed to help meet the needs of a growing community, kicking off with focus being placed on inadequate rail services. l A NEW proposal to close Andrew Fairley Avenue and sell the land to SPC was put out for public consultation, with SPC planning to utilise the road for its expansion.
August
July
l THE Committee for Greater Shepparton put the need to improve logistics in the region into the spotlight, meeting with the Parliament of Victoria Rural and Regional Committee to discuss the potentials of introducing High Productivity Vehicles and Bonded Warehousing to the region. ANOTHER prisoner fled the grounds of Dhurringile Prison, making him the sixth in 10 months. STATISTICS released by Victoria Police stated that there had been a 53.3 percent rise in burglaries on businesses over the prior 12 month period, leading police to urge the community to be cautious. AFTER 26 years in its current condition, it was announced that the Shepparton Library would get a $650,000 upgrade.
GOULBURN Valley Grammar School’s music department would get a $3M facelift, giving the 30 year old building a major overhaul. HOSPITALS across the region shared in $170M of funding to help with operation and employment costs. GROWERS, residents and businesses alike let out a sigh of relief when Coca-Cola Amatil made the announcement it would be recommencing its planned $78M investment into Shepparton’s SPC plant. l THE Shepparton Gators broke an 11 year drought, taking out the Big V Basketball Championships and beating the Casey Cavaliers by just one point.
Page 10 – The Adviser. Australia No. 1:1231 Friday, December 26, 2014
September
THE Great Escape Car Rally left from Shepparton for the first time in its 12 year history, seeing an array of colourful characters take on the 10 day adventure in the name of Cystic Fibrosis. l $2.5M of muscle car mastery went on display at the Shepparton Motor Museum as part of their month long Shelby Exhibit. AFTER being destroyed by fire at the start of the year, the Shepparton Golf Club was ‘restored to a tee’ after a $1.4M rebuild was completed.