Former mayor to lead Ararat group F
ormer City of Ballarat mayor Judy Verlin will chair Ararat Rural City Council’s new Rating Strategy Advisory Group. Ms Verlin has a strong background in municipal rating strategies and has been appointed independent chair of the group, which will meet for the first time this month. Municipal Association of Victoria senior economist Trevor Koops has the external rating expert role. Ararat chief executive Allan Bawden said the council received a strong cross-section of applications during the expressions of interest period. “We have ended up with good
representation of ratepayers on the Rating Strategy Advisory Group from the farming, residential, industrial and commercial sectors,” he said. Mr Bawden said he expected the group to meet on Wednesday next week. “A citizens jury, or similar structure, will also be convened to review the RSAG findings, and the results of this process will also be presented to the council,” he said. Ararat ratepayers who successfully applied to join the group are Jane Goninon, Andrea Hamilton, David Hucker, Sam King, Rhys McAskell, Colin McKenzie, Norma Cosson, Nancy Panter, Terry Pye, Stephen Reid, Robert Sanders,
Steve Shannon, John Walter and Peter Wigg. Municipal monitor Janet Dore, Mr Bawden, and Ararat Rural City Council officers Don Cole, Alistair Rowe and Jenny Woolcock will support the group. Formation of the Rating Strategy Advisory Group was one of the recommendations from a Commission of Inquiry into Ararat Rural City Council. The commission was established to look at the council’s governance processes in the development of its budget, including its consultative processes and the capacity of the council’s administration to deliver good governance for the council and the community.
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Art Matters showcase Art Matters will launch its Summer Show exhibition and dance demonstration on Monday next week. Art Matters enables people living with a disability to participate in a broad range of art projects. The Summer Show opening will be in Horsham’s Jubilee Hall in Roberts Avenue at 7pm. A Wings of Summer parade will follow at 8.30pm, with participants making their way from Jubilee Hall to Horsham Town Hall. The Light in Laneways public art exhibition will be launched in the laneway alongside the hall in Pynsent Street and the opposite corner of the Ward Street car park. Horsham Rural City mayor Pam Clarke will open the exhibition, featuring work of artists from the Artz ConneXion program. Cr Clarke said the council’s Public Art Committee had developed the Light in Laneways program to activate the city’s laneways. “The laneway project has created a unique opportunity for the work of 12 of the Artz ConneXion artists to be highlighted in an ongoing way across the year,” she said. “These talented artists have also been working with Mary French to create amazing lighted-winged puppets which have featured at the Nati Frinj festival parade and silo show.” Artz ConneXion artist support worker Anthony Pelchen said the artists made surprising and creative projects. “For the Summer Show the artists have buried themselves in the excitement and frenzy
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MOVEMENT: Art Matters Shake ‘n’ Groove members Erin Kearns and Adam Werner rehearse for the group’s Summer Show launch. of painting,” he said. “Some are based on the unique camera obscuras and others either representational or abstract that capture the full voice and imaginative expression of the artist at this time or place.” New to Art Matters this year is the Shake ‘n’ Groove program for dancers between the ages of 12 and 20, led by Shake ‘n’ Groove dance support worker Amy Anselmi. “This new dance and performance troupe have been a delight to be part of,” Miss Anselmi said. “We cover a huge range of dance including dance skills
training, body awareness, improvisation, fitness, creative movement, choreography, and performance.” Shake ‘n’ Groove has so far entertained audiences at the Nati Frinj, Richard Morris Memorial Concert and Kannamaroo. The Summer Show exhibition will be open daily from December 12 to 15, between noon and 2pm. Entry to the show is free. People can call cultural development officer Jillian Pearce on 5382 9594 or 0417 821 076 for more information on Art Matters.
Community funding available Member for Mallee Andrew Broad has urged organisations in his electorate to apply for federal funding under the second round of a Building Better Regions Fund. He said applications for the funding round had opened with the stream supporting further job creation and economic growth across the Wimmera, Mallee and Mildura. Wednesday, December 6, 2017
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The Building Better Regions Fund has two separate streams, one for infrastructure projects and one for community investments. Mr Broad encouraged organisations with project ideas that would drive economic growth to apply. Applications close on December 19. More information is online at www.business.gov.au/ assistance/building-betterregions-fund.
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