The North Park grant enables us to update North Park sporting facilities in Stawell.

Providing modern sports facilities for the community highlights the value that council puts on community participation in health, fitness and teamwork.

The clubroom upgrade will benefit many sports clubs and encourage community members to participate.

Another grant will bring new life to the Stawell streetscape. This is exciting for existing business owners and is anticipated to bring new business activity into Stawell.

Coupled with our work with the Retail Doctor to identify revitalisation strategies in Stawell’s CBD, this grant to enhance Stawell’s streetscape will transform the area and bring more shoppers and tourists into the town.

We also have a grant for an overdue refresh of Halls Gap. The Grampians are a stunning tourist attraction, but the entrance to Halls Gap is tired and dated.

The Peaks Trail is in progress and we can capitalise on the natural attraction of the area by creating an appealing and user-friendly town centre.

This will be done in part through enhancing the Stony Creek boardwalk and beautifying the gateway to the Grampians.

The Marnoo community has been without a post office since its milk bar which was also an Australia Post agency closed in March, resulting in residents having to make a 50km drive to Stawell to collect their mail.

I recently spoke with Australia Post and am hopeful that we can find a better solution for this community soon.

We are joined by many other rural councils in another problem that needs to be addressed.

Undertaking our land valuations earlier this year, it was clear that farmland has increased in value quite considerably, which of course influences the cost of rates levied to the farmer.

We are in talks with both the Victorian Farmers Federation and state government about this.

I believe that our concerns have been heard and are understood.

Council will continue to advocate for an equitable outcome for our community.