Tuesday, August 6
GRANTS from a major bank and Gannawarra Shire Council have turned the passionate idea of Kerang Neighbourhood House manager Claire Fry into a reality that will benefit many smaller communities surrounding Kerang.
Ms Fry initially applied for a grant of $25,000 to help prepare the outlying communities around Kerang to better deal with disasters after her own experience during the 2022 floods.
The NAB Foundation awarded her project not only the $25,000 for supplies to help prepare communities for potential disasters, but added a further $25,000 because of the merits of the program.
Seven communities will receive the disaster-preparedness kits which include a generator, petrol-powered pump, fire extinguisher and emergency boxes.
The emergency boxes contain basic essentials such as gloves, masks, lighters, candles, torches, battery operated radios, a first-aid kit, and even colouring books and pencils, based on the needs that a family of five are likely to require in the short term to get them through an emergency
BOTH the proponents and opponents of the proposed Goschen rare earths and mineral sands project set up stalls at last week’s Mallee Machinery Field Days in Speed.
Mine Free Mallee Farms were at the event building awareness of the impact it says VHM’s proposed mineral sands mining would have on farmland and surrounding communities.
MFMF spokesperson Craige Kennedy said the group received positive feedback from the farming community for being able to answer questions.
“People were continually coming to learn more about what the impact of this mine will be on the Mallee, the consequences of the processing and the effects on groundwater radiation and the economic benefits,” Mr Kennedy said.
He said farmers who had experienced mining on their farmland also visited the stall to share their stories
Tuesday, August 13
AFTER months of speculation, local health services will not be forced to amalgamate with other public hospital services across northern and central Victoria.
The Victorian Government last week received the final report on the state’s health services plan from an expert advisory committee, recommending the amalgamation of 76 public hospital services to 11.
The report suggested amalgamations would allow effective use of hospital resources, attract more workers and reduce costs, decreasing fragmentation across the state’s public health system.
The report also stated Victoria’s health-services system was “no longer fit-for-purpose”, handing down 27 recommendations, including the establishment of a new agency, Hospitals Victoria, and supporting amalgamation.
However, the State Government accepted 26 of 27 of the recommendations defying the advisory committee’s suggestion of amalgamation.
Instead, the State Government proposed grouping public health services into Local Health Service Networks five rural and regional networks and six metropolitan networks.
A MAN who claimed he was God and was told to “strike everyone down” before brutally punching his father in the head multiple times has been jailed.
The offender, who resided in the area but can’t be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to two charges of making a threat to kill and single charges of intentionally damaging property, aggravated burglary, and causing injury intentionally.
Judge Martine March told the County Court the victims were his parents, and the offending happened against a backdrop of family violence intervention orders.
The court heard the then 28-year-old entered his parents’ property on December 28, 2022, and approached his mother who was sitting on a chair in the garden.
“The prosecution alleges that you approached her and stood over her, putting your face up close to hers,” Judge Marich said in sentencing on June 26.
Tuesday, August 20
ABORIGINAL and Torres Strait Islander babies and children have been celebrated and “welcomed” with a smoking ceremony.
On Wednesday, August 14, Mallee District Aboriginal Services (MDAS) held a Welcome Baby to Country ceremony at Kerang on Barapa Barapa country to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies and children in the community.
MDAS family support worker Malinda Loats said the event coincided with National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Children’s Day, which is held each year in early August.
GANNAWARRA Council has been praised for its collaboration with local Indigenous Elders in working towards reconciliation.
The council recently adopted the draft Gannawarra Reconciliation Action Plan 2024-2026, which outlines the organisation’s ongoing commitment to partnership work with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Developed with the Kerang Elders and Leaders Group and supporting agencies, the document which is the first Reconciliation Action Plan by the council has been conditionally endorsed by Reconciliation Australia, the peak organisation in Australia overseeing reconciliation action plans.
Council manager of community health Narelle O’Donoghue said the plan put in place actions for a future based on respect, harmony and collaboration.
A CROWD of 60 people gathered at Cohuna’s Memorial Park on Sunday to pay respects to all Vietnam veterans.
Cohuna-Leitchville RSL sub- branch president Trevor Powis conducted the service Sound & Duty and spoke briefly on the history of Long Tan.
Nine Vietnam veterans from Cohuna-Leitchville, Barham and Koondrook HSLs attended and wreaths were laid in honour.
Tuesday, August 27
STRONG winds and thunderstorms late Sunday cut power to hundreds of homes in the Kerang and Swan Hill region.
Uprooted trees and branches brought down powerlines and plunged homes into darkness for hours until energy crews could arrive on scene to assess the impact.
Powercor crews worked yesterday to restore power to 680 customers across central, north and western Victoria.
“This includes three outages impacting 39 customers in the Swan Hill region, with these customers expected to have their supply restored by 12.30pm, ” a spokesperson said.
Some customers were without power from 5.30pm Sunday until 1.30am yesterday morning, however the “vast majority were back online within two hours
KERANG’s central business centre was a hive of activity on Friday as children took the streets to parade as characters from their favourite books.
More than 500 people lined the streets to watch the children march in the annual Book Week parade.
Roads were closed to allow safe passage along Albert, Scoresby, Victoria and Fitzroy streets as the primary-school-aged children made their way to Victoria Street, where they gathered to have each book they represented introduced.
Students from Kerang, St Joseph’s, Kerang South and Murrabit primary schools, alongside Kerang Christian College and Gannawarra Shire Children’s Centre, brightened the town with colourful costumes, props and banners.
The Kerang Book Parade has a long and proud history, and this year celebrated its 47th year
