Netball Victoria was pleased to be part of the project control group along with regional sporting organisations, Sport and Recreation Victoria, Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly, consultants and council staff.

The project control group’s vision is: “The Wimmera Sports Stadium will serve as a regional facility that will support and foster increased participation in sport and recreation, and community activities into the future.” 

The project control group met regularly for discussions on proposed sites, proposed plans and to understand the various sports’ requirements for a multi-purpose stadium that caters not only for current use, but for the future needs for netball, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, squash and badminton.

Other considerations which were debated included attracting elite competition and major tournaments for a number of sports to allow Horsham residents to participate at home and to provide visitors to the region with a modern and attractive facility.

Encouraging community use of the facility is in line with Horsham Rural City Council’s Municipal Health and Wellbeing Plan which was a major consideration for the project control group ensuring more people, are more active, more often.

The proposed Wimmera Sports Stadium will be compliant, inclusive, accessible and sustainable.  

Netball Victoria will assist the new committee of Horsham City Netball Association to become participants in the exciting new facility which provides eight new compliant indoor and outdoor courts; which will be a great outcome for the community.

Rosie King, chief executive, Netball Victoria

THERE seems to be some funny money or creative accountancy in the Canberra buy-out of the Snowy Mountains Hydro scheme that is sending some Victorian movers and shakers cock-a-hoop (Article titled: ‘Use Snowy for rail’, Wimmera Mail-Times, Friday, March 9). 

This set-up, built circa 1950, has been jointly owned by the federal government, the New South Wales and Victorian state governments. 

Wasn’t it privatised when the State Electricity Commission was privatised by the Kennett Government under the financial directive to “privatise everything not bolted down”?

Now this Turnbull Government in Canberra, focused on pinching the pennies of pensioners to get their budget back into surplus can find $6.5 billion to buy out its two minor shareholders. 

The expressed reason for the purchase is to enable the building of Snowy Mountains 2.0 for several more billions to ensure our electricity supply into the future.

Why is it necessary to ensure our electricity supply? 

Because the wholly reliable coal fired generation system is being sabotaged by the bogus scare of the carbon dioxide emissions of the coal fire. 

The Snowy 2.0 plan is to pump the water that has already been used to generate electricity back up to the high dam at night so it can be “recycled” to meet peak demand come the new day. 

How will they find this electricity? Solar won’t do it, and if the wind don’t blow we’d still be in a hole.

Ron Fischer, Horsham

THE Andrews Labor Government is helping ensure no child falls between the cracks by allowing health, education and family services to share information of those in their care. 

Legislation passed the Victorian Parliament last week, creating the most streamlined information sharing system the state has ever seen, giving professional entities the tools they need to protect Victorian children. 

Health, education and family service entities – such as Maternal and Child Health, hospitals and schools – will be allowed to request and share information to better respond to the needs of children, creating a more collaborative, integrated system. 

Workers at these services will be trained to understand the circumstances under which details can be shared, with only prescribed professionals having access to the information. 

Tragic cases concerning the death of children and infants in recent years, as well as recommendations by the Coroners Court of Victoria, the Commission for Children and Young People amongst other inquiries, have all highlighted the need for an improved information sharing regime. 

It was also a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. 

There will be penalties for unauthorised use or disclosure of information, and the reforms reviewed within two years of operation. 

The move comes as the Labor Government continues implementing its $168 million Roadmap to Reform to shift the focus of child and family services from crisis response to prevention and early intervention. 

Jenny Mikakos, Victorian Families and Children Minister