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The Moorabool News – 17 May, 2022 Page 7
Autumn festival springs ahead
New track a walk in the park
The Mayor of Moorabool Shire has joined a local Friends Group and Parks Victoria to open a new all-abilities trail, with works ongoing to revegetate the area. The official opening ceremony for the Discovery Walk started at 10 am on Saturday 7 May, with Mayor Cr Tom Sullivan cutting a ribbon to officially open the circuit. Located in woodland at Meikles Point Picnic Ground, the Discovery Walk is an easy 400-metre circuit completed by the Friends of Werribee Gorge & Long Forest Mallee (FOWGLFM). Cr Sullivan joined Council’s Community Strengthening Liaison Advisor, Ashley Malloy, Parks Victoria representatives Ranger Team Leader Andrea Witty and Ranger Mike Frislie, members of the FOWGLFM and 30 guests in attending the opening.
Mayor Sullivan and Mr Frislie spoke at the launch along with FOWGLFM Secretary, Gordon Littlejohn, Co-Ordinator Kristy Reid, and Historian Bob Reid. Attendees walked the track, took in the interpretative signage and new seating, and examined the revegetation project, with volunteers then planting 200 indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses. Morning tea and a light lunch were provided for the attendees, with the event concluding at 3 pm. The seating around the Discovery Walk was designed and built by local builder Lincoln Powell. FOWGLFM have been revegetating the land, which is located on a plot of old farming land in the Werribee Gorge State Park, for many years, with the first planting beginning in 1984.
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Superhero volunteers Deryck, Van and Nigel from the Ballan Autumn Festival (BAF) committee are ready to showcase Ballan to the expected 10,000 visitors this Sunday. Photo – HELEN TATCHELL
By Helen Tatchell
IT’S SHOWTIME
It is only five more sleeps until the themed Autumn Festival in Ballan begins. Anyone can dress up and ‘celebrate local superheros’ on the day, or as the 1st Ballan Scouts have done prior, decorated haybales to complement the theme. Volunteer organisers are expecting 10,000 visitors to the otherwise quiet township, with the festival the highlight of Ballan’s public calendar. President (BAF), Deryck Carruthers said the festival theme of “celebrating local superheroes” has ensured a jam-packed programme of events and activities. “In addition to an all-ages costume competition with prizes sponsored by Oz ComicCon, the festival has added a number of free workshops, on the superhero theme.
“To hone some of those superhero physical skills, Circus Lab will be teaching circus tricks and aspiring “mad scientists” can learn the basics of how to build machines with SciencePlay Kids,” he said. Local artist and animator Jonny Hall will be teaching the basics of comic character design with a ‘Create Your Own Superhero’ workshop. With the Ballan Autumn Festival running for the past 45 years and costing close to $40,000 per year for volunteers to raise and deliver, the changing theme offers something fresh and different. “We are super excited about this year’s superhero offering, and are really impressed at what it’s inspiring,” Mr Carruthers said. “It’s thrilling be able to offer local people so many fun and diverse activities on the superhero theme. We can’t get over just how excited people are for this year’s festival.”
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In addition to the workshops, there’ll be the annual parade, rides, over a hundred stalls, street food, a petting zoo, a pet show, a high tea organized by the CWA and wandering superheroes organised by Moorabool Wind Farm. The Gorden Gospel Choir will be performing “superhero songs” and dance group L2R will be busting some moves to a superhero theme. But wait, there’s more. “Straight Outta Wakanda!” an African Star Dance and Drumming Company will be leading a fabulous drumming workshop. You can’t miss this year’s event. Put in in your diary, now. The Ballan Autumn Festival will take place in the main street this Sunday, March 15, 2020 from 9am-4pm. For further information and the full programme of events, go to the BAF website www.ballanautumnfestival.org or find them on Instagram or Facebook.
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For all your Domestic BEST by aover Deryck for the sterling workShedding, that he’s done EUREKA PROOF Farming and Industrial Structures Country Mile! his time as President…we’ve been grateful for his guidance and his abilities,” he said. The Committee has thanked both the State Government and Moorabool Shire Council for providing funding, which will be used to plan the festival in a sustainable, COVID-safe manner. A community survey has also been conducted as part of the planning process, with the parade deemed the most important part of BAF by the community, followed by food and drink. Planning for BAF 2022 is still in its early stages, but more exciting news will be revealed in the months ahead. Garages & Sheds
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W E ST E R N V I CTO R I A T R A NS M ISS I O N N E T WO R K P R OJ E CT U P DAT E
Why can’t Western Victoria’s proposed transmission line just go underground?
TM
Communities and landholders provided feedback that underground construction should be considered for this project, and we have been investigating undergrounding as part of the Environment Effects Statement (EES). In response to community requests for information, we shared our preliminary findings at the end of last year.
While placing the cable underground may improve visual impact, there are restrictions on permitted activities within the easement. For example, no cropping is permitted within the 30 metre easement. Similarly, excavation beyond 300 millimetres is not typically permitted above underground cables, which may prevent certain farming activities.
Independent experts covered key areas of community interest with regard to environmental impacts, farming restrictions and the cost of undergrounding the transmission line versus overhead construction.
Then there’s the cost – while it isn’t everything, cost is a major consideration as Victoria’s electricity users will ultimately pay for this project. The investigation found undergrounding the project would cost approximately 16 times more than overhead construction.
It was found that underground construction has less visual and landscape impact compared to overhead except where above ground facilities and easements through vegetation are required. Experts also found that underground construction requires digging 1.5 to 2 metre deep open trenches along the length of the project, requiring the removal of trees and vegetation within a 30 metre wide easement causing significant ground disturbance. By comparison overhead construction results in less disturbance to agriculture, flora, fauna and Aboriginal cultural heritage. Overhead transmission lines have a smaller construction and operational footprint and can span over sensitive areas such as flora and fauna. Another key consideration is restricted farming operations along the proposed route.
desktop www.westvictnp.com.au phone 1300 360 795 � info@westvictnp.com.au � PO Box 638, Ballarat VIC 3353
MN140401G2
(L to R) Kirsty Reid, Gordon Littlejohn, Mike Frislie and Cr Tom Sullivan at the Discovery Walk Trailhead. Photos - supplied
The Ballan Autumn Festival (BAF) has been sorely missed with cancellations in 2020, 2021, and Autumn 2022 – but the Festival will be making a spectacular return, this time in spring. The BAF Committee has announced that BAF will return on November 26 this year, with Ballan’s last Autumn Festival held all the way back in March 2019. Kevin Harper is Acting President of the BAF Committee, after former President Deryck Carruthers stepped down in April. He said this year’s BAF was still a work in progress, but it would be exciting to have one again after a long hiatus. “The Autumn Festival won’t be the superherothemed event that it was planned to be, that’s still to be decided as to whether that’s going to happen next autumn…but there will be a Festival next autumn as well,” Mr Harper told the Moorabool News. “Safety is paramount, and BAF has always been the largest event in town, bringing 10,000 people into the town. So we’ve had to work around an event that’s COVID-safe and sustainable. It’s not just the Committee that’s been disappointed with the festivals being cancelled, but the whole town...so I think there’s general excitement that something will be happening again.” Mr Harper also thanked Deryck Carruthers for his hard work and commitment as President of the BAF Committee. “On behalf of the Committee, I’d like to thank
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This extra cost would be paid for with higher power bills. We’re continuing to investigate partial undergrounding as part of the EES process, but we’ve shared the preliminary findings because we know it is important to local landholders, communities and stakeholders. The detailed findings will form part of the EES, which is expected to be lodged with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) at the end of this year. The EES will be reviewed by DELWP before being exhibited for public comment. If you’d like to read the preliminary findings on undergrounding, you can download the Underground Construction Summary from the resources section of our website at: westvictnp.com.au/resource/