20th September 2023

Page 1

Weather

WEDNESDAY min 10° max 18°

THURSDAY min 4° max 18°

FRIDAY min 4° max 18°

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 SEPTEMBER 20th 2023.

$2.00

Circulating in:- St. Arnaud, Charlton, Donald, Rupanyup, Bealiba, Stawell, Marnoo, Navarre, Dunolly, Wycheproof, Wedderburn, Birchip, Korong Vale, Stuart Mill, Redbank, Avoca & Moonambel.

Great Western residents fight to save its heritage tourism town

Fast electric vehicle charger coming to Golden Street DESTINATION Charging Across Victoria program is providing $5 million in grants to establish a public electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging network across Victoria.

GREAT Western residents up in arms over a planning permit that has been granted by the Northern Grampians Shire council to a developer to raise a two-storey single roomed hotel in the middle of their heritage village, are taking their case to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The planning permit was issued at the Council’s meeting of 7th August and the Great Western community quickly started a GoFund-Me page to raise funds to engage a solicitor to take the case further. Brett Tunstall, an organizer of the campaign against this development, said at that time that the proposal was oversized and in a bad position. Brett was contacted this week for an update on how things were progressing. “We have raised the necessary funds, a lawyer has been engaged and we have a mediation date”

Brett said. The group has been given a date of 31st of January for the mediation, which will follow a Ministerial review into the proposal. Council had declined an earlier proposed Ministerial review before the planning application was approved so that now that review will be undertaken. “The process is quite fluid” Brett said “because of the Ministerial review that now must be undertaken so we are continuing to raise funds, there is also an online petition and a fundraiser will be held in the near future.” Brett said that no

(Incl. GST)

Grants have been awarded to 32 applicants with Northern Grampians Shire having a charger to be installed in each of St. Arnaud and Stawell. The objective of the program is to make it easier for Victorians to charge their EV and the program has been established in tourist destinations and regional towns across Victoria so that they are readily available. Evie Networks DC fast charging across Victoria have 56 sites all with one charger. Twenty nine of the sites are in progress with St. Arnaud being one. The St. Arnaud EV charger will be established in Golden Street.

Above: Nerrida Majors enjoys her garden, but for how long as her home is right next to the proposed 2-storey building. one in the community is against progress or change, however, this proposal is against what the town stands for. “We are a tourist town. “We do not want a huge monstrosity here. “The Great Western

Future Plan clearly says that we develop in line with the heritage values of the town. “This development is not. “Although the developer says it is ‘for tourism’ it is clearly not. “With single rooms

only and no additional family spaces or kitchens, you can only speculate about the real reason for the development” Brett said. The hearing date will be the middle of next year.

Above: Evie network fast charger is coming to Golden Street.

Stawell and two other PrePrep Modulars to open for start of 2024 PRE-PREP kindergartens will open in Stawell, Koo Wee Rup and Portland next year with the Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep Ingrid Stitt announcing the locations of the three new kindergartens, delivered through a total of $6 million in Building Blocks Capacity grants, which will provide local early learners with new, modern facilities to begin their education journey in.

A father and sons’ dream Most fathers would only dream about playing with their sons in a completive sport on a weekend, but Peter Knights was all smiles after winning a Premership for St. Arnaud in the Mens hockey at Boort. His two sons Harry (left) and Patrick were even happier being able to play along side their father. - See hockey report pages 18 & 19.

Ms Stitt said that the State Government was delivering more early childhood services right across Victoria, so more children and families can benefit from two years of quality play-based learning before they start school. “These new modular kinders will give more children in Koo Wee Rup, Portland and Stawell the chance to attend a great local

kindergarten, where they can learn, play and m a ke new friends.” Marrang Kindergarten and Early Childhood Centre in Stawell will receive two single-room modular kindergarten buildings. The additional rooms at the service will support a new sessional kinder program from Term 1, 2024, and provide up to 90 more

kindergarten places. A two-room modular kindergarten will be built on the Koo We e Ru p P r i m a r y school site, creating up to 90 kindergarten places, opening in Term 1, 2024. Fa m i l i e s i n t h e growing region will also get more child and family services in one convenient location, with Cardinia Shire Council to run a maternal and child health

service from the new kinder. Children in Portland are getting bigger and better early learning spaces, with new kinder facilities providing up to 90 kindergarten places. The new kindergarten will be delivered via modular construction at Bundarra Primary School, in time for Term 1, 2024


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.