Wangaratta Chronicle 201023

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TODAY

26o Fog then sunny

26o 17o 20o 25o SAT

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www.wangarattachronicle.com.au

Phone (03) 5723 0100

FRIDAY, October 20, 2023

Weekend Edition $1.80 INC. GST

FESTIVAL’S FINAL COUNTDOWN Page 3

STANDOFF OVER ROAD UPKEEP

SET FOR FUN AND GAMES NORTH East Multicultural Association team members (from left) Sharon Squires, Kulvir Kaur and Faryal Khan are all set for tomorrow’s children’s week celebration in Wangaratta. All members of the community are welcome to attend the free event at Batchelors Green from 11.30am to 2.30pm. ■ Full story page 15

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HILL’S STATE AWARD Sport

Flaming shame Wangaratta g Landcare and S Sustainabilityy left f reeling g after f equipment q p destroyed y in fire

WANGARATTA’S Landcare and Sustainability (WLS) community will be hoping to emerge from the ashes, after a fire at their Mullinmur Billabong storage shed destroyed thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment at the weekend. An 11-year-old boy was rescued from the site by a passer-by and treated for smoke inhalation by paramedics around 7pm on

BY RYAN MALCOLM rmalcolm@ nemedia.com.au

Sunday evening, as emergency crews converged on the Phillipson Street site, in the vicinity of Galen College and the Borinya Community Partnership. The fire was investigated by police as a suspicious

blaze, with other youths located in the immediate area. WLS vice-president Tony Lane confirmed the blaze had destroyed an estimated $12,000 worth of equipment including mowers, whipper snippers, rakes, shovels and hand tools, most of which was unlikely to be covered by the group’s insurance package with Landcare Victoria. A firefighting pump, backpack spraying units,

pop-up gazebos and nets used to examine aquatic life in the billabong were also lost in the fire. “The loss of important equipment in the fire is a major setback for WLS volunteers, however, these concerns are minor compared to our relief that no other young people were severely injured in the incident,” Mr Lane said. “WLS will now explore

options to access replacement mowers, whipper snippers, shovels, rakes and other hand tools in preparing for summer. “Our equipment has been progressively gathered over the years through funding grants, plus some items were donated by the local community – replacing the lock-up storage facility will be a further challenge, however, at present we have little outdoor

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equipment left to store. “WLS exists to work with the community on a range of issues relating to the environment and sustainability – in particular, the project at Mullinmur has been a journey of 11 or 12 years to restore the billabong area that was previously inaccessible and surrounded by blackberries and old barbed wire fences.” ■ Continued page 3

Mason Park Funerals


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