General News
12 June, 2024
Donaldson Park: Journey of partnerships
By CHRIS EARL COMPLETION of Wedderburn’s Donaldson Park community hub has been hailed as result of partnerships between community, council and government. Loddon Shire CEO Lincoln Fitzgerald said at Saturday’s official opening: “It has been...
By CHRIS EARL
COMPLETION of Wedderburn’s Donaldson Park community hub has been hailed as result of partnerships between community, council and government.
Loddon Shire CEO Lincoln Fitzgerald said at Saturday’s official opening: “It has been a journey of partnerships to make this happen.”
Mayor and chairman of the Donaldson Park committee Gavan Holt told community and government representatives the opening marked a grand day for the shire.
“This demonstrates what can be achieved when a community works together,” Cr Holt said.
“We started with half a million dollars from the shire in seed funding and went from there.”
Cr Holt said funding from successive federal governments and the State Government had helped the community to achieve its vision.
“There was so much co-operation in our community to produce what we have here and it’s very special. Here is a great facility to use.
Cr Holt said local organisations based at Donaldson Park would continue to make a tremendous contribution to the community.
There was also praise from Cr Holt for members of the project steering committee for their many hours of work from initial discussions through to completion and for council staff who had been part of the journey.
Ripon MP Martha Haylett also praised the community for its team effort.
She said communities, no matter where they were, deserved good facilities.
Ms Haylett said Donaldson Park was one of several exciting projects in Wedderburn.
Others underway include a $12.9 million upgrade at Wedderburn College, a child care centre to open for the start of the 2026 school year and recent Budget funding for pedestrian crossing lights in High Street after a community campaign last year.
Sporting matches were timed to start after Saturday’s official opening with footballers, netballers and hockey players among the large crowd in front of the new hub to see Cr Holt and Ms Haylett cut the ribbon.
Former shire councillors Frank Maher, Geoff Curnow and Colleen Condliffe were among guests, recognising their contribution to the journey of more than a decade to upgrade Donaldson Park.
Guests, including Inglewood and Districts Community Bank chairman Linda Younghusband and bank manager Michael Prowse, later toured the new facilities while footballers and netballers played out thrilling draws in their North Central league encounters with Birchip Watchem.
The matches at Wedderburn were the first for the season after final tests of fire services to the building fell short of requirements despite design and construction meeting regulations.
Home games were swapped while Loddon Shire quickly put additional features into fire pump capacity.
More than 200 returned to the new Donaldson Park facility in the evening for a cocktail party organised by Wedderburn Redbacks.
Players were joined by former members and officials and community leaders for the celebration.
Cr Holt had earlier said that investment in community facilities across the shire were part of the strategy to improve liveability in local towns.
“These investments are about our future,” he said.