Vol. 19 No. 28
FREE PUBLICATION
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Australian Editorial Award 2016
COOLING OFF: Jenna Lockhart, 4, enjoys an ice-cream while cooling off in the shallows of Lake Charlegrark near Goroke. Jenna and her family, from Naracoorte, have been among the many water-sport enthusiasts making the most of idyllic summer conditions. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Mini boom for west A
BY DEAN LAWSON
ustralia’s geographically unique west Wimmera is building towards a mini eco-tourism boom as people flock to the region to experience conditions in the state’s most expansive wetland system.
Water-sport, wildlife and environmental enthusiasts from across Victoria and interstate have been joining regional holiday-makers in response to the return of water after two years of
IN THIS ISSUE
drought. The arrival of water and influx of visitors, combined with strong harvest results, is generating renewed confidence across the region. The west Wimmera, while part of a broad and rich agricultural region, is also renowned for its extensive lakes network, the result of north-south swales and ridgeways created millions of years ago by an ever-retreating inland sea. The landscape is now a profound and nationally significant example of
an Australian boom-and-bust wetland environment where ‘boom’ periods extend beyond the landscape to influence socio-economic community health and vibrancy. West Wimmera Shire Council chief executive David Leahy confirmed a significant lift in confidence across the municipality. “Community confidence level of the shire is exceptional,” he said. “The water flowing into the lakes and wetlands combined with the farm-
water-sport destination near Goroke. Lake Charlegrark, at one stage the unofficial Murray cod angling capital of Victoria, is in line for an overall $750,000 to $800,000 amenities overhaul. The shire council, working closely with a busy Lake Charlegrark community group which will provide more than $100,000 for the project, also has federal funding and also has applications in for state money. Continued page 3
• Wimmera solar potential • Monthly AgLife feature • Cricket previews and reviews
Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
LI M I T E DLY TIME ON
ing yields, particularly from the northern part of the shire, has given everyone a major boost. “Lake Wallace at Edenhope has had water skiers on it for the first time in decades and it’s these types of changes that are promoting a degree of confidence that hasn’t been there for a long time.” The lift in activity at west Wimmera lakes and wetlands is providing impetus for a major redevelopment project at Lake Charlegrark, a popular
AUDITED: 22,524 COPIES
April 2016 to September 2016
Source: AMAA; CAB Total Distribution Audit for further information visit www.auditedmedia.org.au
Rotisserie Style
CHICKEN