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www.wangarattachronicle.com.au
Monday, May 9, 2022
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MUM’S THE WORD FOR HAVING FUN
Heartwarming comedy at Stage Door theatre
MUMS throughout Wangaratta and district celebrated Mother’s Day yesterday. Hugs and kisses and messages of “I love you” abounded everywhere, with flowers, cards and chocolates among family favourites to show their appreciation. Eateries did a bustling trade as many mums were given the day off and pampered to their heart’s content. For Wangaratta grandmother Vicki Patrick, it was indeed a special day. Her daughter Kylie and grand daughter Amelia, 4, recently moved back to Wangaratta, and they enjoyed lunch at Cafe PreVue, followed by a little shopping spree, and fun time at the King George Gardens’ playground. “This is our first mother’s day together for several years, as I’ve just moved back from Western Australia,” said Kylie. “It’s great to be home, and spending time with Mum.” PHOTO: Jeff Zeuschner
Page 9
Beef outlook remains upbeat Page 13
Bright end the Demons’ unbeaten run
Back in control SPORT
CFA District 23 incident control centre to return to Wangaratta, g , but Group p still homeless
WANGARATTA’S District 23 CFA building is set to be bolstered ahead of next fire season, with the welcome return of the region’s incident control centre (ICC) to the Ely Street headquarters. Traditionally housed on the top floor of Wangaratta’s District 23 headquarters, Wangaratta’s Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) ICC was vacated ahead of last summer’s fire danger
BY RYAN MALCOLM rmalcolm@ nemedia.com.au
period, after an uncharacteristically wet spring left the building to suffer from damp and mould. The long–standing emergency response hub was subsequently split between Wodonga’s CFA District 24
headquarters, Shepparton’s CFA District 22 headquarters and Ovens’ Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning headquarters. While the region experienced a quiet summer due to unseasonable rainfall figures, local stakeholders, such as Wangaratta–based state MP Tania Maxwell, had championed the need for District 23 to have facilities which allowed the
region to manage its own emergency response. However, with planning underway for the 2022/23 FDP, Wangaratta’s ICC is set to return to Wangaratta in the coming months, with the interior of the building having undergone significant works to minimise further interruptions. CFA District 23 acting assistant chief fire officer Paul Scragg said officials had
long–expected the ICC to return to the rural city. “The ICC was shut because of building issues last year – it requires a large area and EMV have requested we have to get the ICC up and running for this fire season,” he said. “The CFA have done a lot of work inside, resealing windows and joints of the building, while on the top of the building the capping has been replaced and resealed.
“It’s semi–functional now, we’ll look to modernise it and make it more user friendly – it’ll just have to be back up and running before fire season.” However, the ICC’s return to Wangaratta will also see the eviction of Wangaratta Group, which has called the Ely Street headquarters home since the dissolution of Wangaratta’s ICC last year. ■ Continued page 2
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