It has been a very exciting start to the year, with Hindmarsh Shire Council successful in securing Community Sports Infrastructure funding from the state government.
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This funding will enable skate parks to be constructed at both Dimboola and Rainbow.
This is a great result - especially for the youth of our shire, who identified the need for better skate park facilities in the Hindmarsh Youth Strategy 2016-2020.
Congratulations to all of our past youth councillors for your part in developing the youth strategy, which has already achieved a positive outcome for your peers.
Nominations have now closed and interviews will soon be held to select the youth councillors for 2017.
Four youth councillors will be selected from each of the secondary schools in Dimboola, Nhill and Rainbow.
Elections will also be conducted for the Municipal Association of Victoria board representative and president positions.
The MAV is the legislated peak body for Victorian councils and lobbies government on our behalf.
Hindmarsh is included in the Rural North West region of the organisation.
A MAV strategic planning meeting was conducted last week to identify the issues and priorities of all councils within our region.
Hindmarsh Shire, along with four other Wimmera councils, will also visit Parliament House in Canberra next month to directly lobby ministers for funds for projects for our individual council and also regional projects.
Another exciting project in Hindmarsh Shire, the Kiata Wind Farm, is scheduled to commence in the coming few weeks.
The wind farm will not only create ongoing jobs but will also provide a significant economic benefit to our community.
Councillors spent valuable time last week working on the development of the Council Plan 2017-2021.
The Council Plan takes into account the needs and wants that communities throughout the shire have identified at community planning sessions.
Once completed, the priorities identified in the Council Plan will guide the formulation of the Budget for 2017-18.
Debra Nelson is the mayor of Hindmarsh Shire Council.
The Mayoral Matters column appears in Wednesday’s edition of the Wimmera Mail-Times.