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Wangaratta Chronicle 250823

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www.wangarattachronicle.com.au wangarattachronicle.com.au

FRIDAY, August 25, 2023

Phone (03) 5723 0100

Native flora puts brakes on Warby bike trail bid

North N th East

Wedding Guide Inside

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$1.80 INC. GST

Higgs forging a fresh start

Bring on O&K finals

Sport

Sport

A FACELIFT FOR WANGARATTA’S GRAND OLD LADY WANGARATTA’S grand old lady of education, Chisholm Street’s Wangaratta Primary School building, is undergoing a longawaited makeover valued at close to $1 million. School principal Jacinta Kubeil and learning specialist Jaxon Leith are thrilled the school is receiving improvements which will further highlight its rich history. Full story page 2 PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

Look to the future IT’S time to move on from discussions about the old days of Reid Street, and to look to the future in terms of major events with the potential to succeed the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues, according to Rural City of Wangaratta Mayor Dean Rees. Jazz festival chair Dave Fuller announced this week that this year’s event would be the current format’s ‘last hurrah’, with financial constraints, uncertainty around music festivals, and diminished board

offer an idea of what Mayor says it’s time to progress from Reid Street discussion and could happen.

BY SIMONE KERWIN skerwin@ nemedia.com.au

and volunteer resources cited as reasons for the board’s decision to wind up operations. As a result, a reduced event will be staged on the weekend of November 3 to 5. Cr Rees said he had been saddened by the news, saying “it was always an

Spring

event I looked forward to every year”. He said while he, too, had enjoyed the social atmosphere created by the free stage which operated in Reid Street during the festival’s heyday, the current climate meant that concept was no longer financially feasible. “It costs in excess of $100,000 to close off Reid Street,” Cr Rees said. “It’s too expensive, and the government is not going

to give us that $100,000 to close the street anymore, when we have parks and green spaces so close. “I agree with people that it was fantastic in Reid Street, but we’ve got to move on. “ We can’t do Reid Street, so we need to look to the future.” Cr Rees said he was not confident the jazz festival could be revived via next year’s annual general meeting, but said council was open to approaches

from event organisers and promoters with ideas which could potentially create a new event drawcard to the city. “I commend the ( jazz festival) board for what they have done; they are a board with a good heart and a big heart trying to make things work,” he said. “At the moment, we don’t have anything that could go in that spot, but we are very open to any organisation that wants to come through

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“I can see, with the popularity of the genre through artists like Keith Urban and Taylor Swift, that maybe a country music event could work, and might attract young people. “We are open to ideas people want to present to us, not as a Rural City of Wangaratta-run event but by independent promoters, and would like to see another major event happening in the city.” ■ Continued page 2


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