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St. Arnaud, Charlton, Wedderburn & Surrounding Districts
Est. 1864
18 Napier Street, St. Arnaud. 3478. - Advertising & Editorial Material - Ph.: (03) 5495 1055; Fax.: (03) 5495 1937. Email: ncn@iinet.net.au Published weekly. Registered by Australia Post, Publication No. VAC 4217.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23rd 2024.
$2.00
Circulating in:- St. Arnaud, Charlton, Donald, Rupanyup, Bealiba, Stawell, Marnoo, Navarre, Dunolly, Wycheproof, Wedderburn, Birchip, Korong Vale, Stuart Mill, Redbank, Avoca & Moonambel.
(Incl. GST)
Kara Kara Candidates get together to appeal to residents SCAN held a Meet and Greet evening at the Senior Citizens Club rooms last week so that residents of Kara Kara could listen to the words of all five candidates for the ward and answer appropriate questions. Each candidate spoke for a stipulated time either about themselves and their journey or about how they would be an effective councillor. No surprises much for anyone present except for the speech by John Farrell which was more about his ‘trouble’ with current Mayor Councillor Rob Haswell, defending his position on the Intervention Order that Cr. Haswell has taken out against him. Cr. Murray Emerson, who has been vocal on social media taking the Mayor’s position, rightfully did not acknowledge John Farrell’s grievances and spoke of what he has already achieved and why his position and experience make him the most obvious choice as a Councillor for Kara Kara Ward. Karen Probst and Terence Robertson, both residents of St. Arnaud, spoke of the value of having a Councillor reside locally. Both candidates believed that casual conversations and presence in St. Arnaud (the largest town in Kara Kara ward) were critical to understanding the views of residents. The third locally residing candidate, Ross Hudson, was largely unknown to many of the people in the audience and gave
a well-rounded and comprehensive history of where he has been and what makes him tick. The question of whether or not to appoint a Deputy Mayor was mooted and Cr. Emerson although he believed his stance was mellowing somewhat believed that the position was a financial impost on the shire that is not needed. Other candidates proved that knowledge of issues and the workings of Council would be beneficial to their views, with some answers lacking clarity of how Council operated. Representing SCAN and Host for the event, Barry Batters, gave each candidate the chance to answer some set questions and then opened up questions to the audience. These questions largely revolved around current issues but showed a lack of understanding of the restrictions on Council by State Government regulations and funding issues. Some notable points were that John Farrell could not remember the name of our only female Prime Minister and that Murray Emerson repeatedly called this ward the ‘Kara Kara Shire’. All in all, it was a courteous and polite event that allowed those in attendance to feel a
Above: Candidates for Kara Kara ward of the Northern Grampians Shire Council (left to right) Karen Probst, Ross Hudson, John Farrell, Murray Emerson, Terence Robertson and SCAN Host Barry Batters. sense of knowledge about each candidate.
Voting closes soon The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is reminding voters in Northern Grampians Shire Council and the Buloke Shire Council that they have until 6pm on Friday 25th October to vote in the local government elections. Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel said that you will need to post your completed ballot pack before 6 pm on Friday 25th October, noting local clearance times may vary.
Bush poets use rivers of words at Kyabram THE Kyabram Bush Verse Group in conjunction with the Kyabram Lions Club held their annual Around the Campfire event on Sunday 20th October. Ross and Kathy Vallance attended and competed against poets from Deniliquin, Echuca, Shepparton, Numurka and Kyabram and districts. Kathy was awarded Best Bush Poet and Des Guinnnane (Numurkah) was awarded Best Yarn-spinner. Don McQueen won the award in 2023.
Any voter who still hasn’t received their ballot pack by Tuesday 15th October should go to vec.vic.gov.au to complete an online replacement ballot pack form. Extended hours for voters to hand deliver their completed ballot pack apply from 9 am to 8 pm on Thursday 24th October and 9 am to 6 pm on Friday 25th October. Voting is compulsory for voters who were on the state or council roll for this election at 4 pm on Wednesday 7th August. Enrolled voters who don’t vote may be fined.
Above: Kathy Vallance (left) awarded Best Bush Poet at the Kyabram Around the Campfire event.
Show and Shine gathers momentum with this year’s event topping last year Above: On a glorious Sunday last weekend the Show and Shine was an ideal opportunity to stroll around the vehicles. - Full report in next week’s edition.