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Wednesday, July 5, 2023
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EXPERIENCE THE WINTER WILDLIFE TRUST for Nature’s Will Ford and Blake Hose, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Education’s Ji Atkinson and Rural City of Wangaratta council’s Vanessa Thompson are excited to be bringing the Kids on Country NAIDOC Week free family event, this Friday at the Northern Beaches. The day’s activities will include a wildlife presentation of native animals, activities, face painting, an Elders lounge, art, games and a barbeque lunch. It all starts at the Scout Hall from 10:30am-2pm. Full story page 5. PHOTO: Kurt Hickling
Wareena Park limbo Council awaiting g external funding g opportunities pp needed to advance p project j
WHILE there are no funding applications currently lodged for the project, development of Wangaratta’s Wareena Park area remains one of the Rural City of Wangaratta’s 13 advocacy priorities. Marcus Goonan, Rural City of Wangaratta director community and infrastructure, stressed that external funding would be required to complete the “transformational” project,
BY SIMONE KERWIN skerwin@ nemedia.com.au
which was adopted by council in mid-2020. The masterplan for the area takes in the former Olympic Pool site, which was cleared in 2021, and nearby Wareena Park Oval, Coronation Kindergarten
and Wareena Park Bowls Club. Its vision is to transform the area into a “multigenerational place for all”. This will include a community hub building expected to cater for the Wangaratta Senior Citizens Club; a seniors’ exercise area; picnic and gathering space; nature-based adventure play/recreational area; events lawn; main carpark reconfiguration;
wayinding/signage/ improvements to Wareena Park Oval; new sports entrance, drop–off area and car park; junior play and spectator viewing area; seating options; Coronation Kindergarten entrance/ exit; cycling launch spot; and fitness circuits, with preservation of existing significant trees. Mr Goonan said planning already completed on the project meant council was
well-placed to be able to lodge an application when opportunities arose, and based on council’s longterm financial plan. “The reality is it is going to take external funding to get it done; more than likely state funding, but there are sometimes federal opportunities,” he said. “It needs joint funding.” Mr Goonan said government funding streams were starting to
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revert to pre-COVID levels. “There was a lot of COVID stimulation out there, and it is now returning to what it was,” he said. “(Wareena Park) is one of a really significant number of projects council would like to see go ahead, but as with everyone, we need to look at budgets, and unfortunately these projects take time to come to fruition.” ■ Continued page 2
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