General News
27 October, 2023
Respite weekend before heading towards the festive season
LOCAL PERSPECTIVE By CHRIS EARL THERE’S something about October. One year on from the flood emergency that had Loddon residents devoting hours to relief and initial recovery and roads closed for days and weeks on end limiting travel, 2023 has made...
LOCAL PERSPECTIVE
By CHRIS EARL
THERE’S something about October. One year on from the flood emergency that had Loddon residents devoting hours to relief and initial recovery and roads closed for days and weeks on end limiting travel, 2023 has made equal demands on the time of communities.
The difference of 12 months is that travel is a freedom being enjoyed for the first time since the days before COVID and an event calendar across the shire that has been crammed to the max - some events part of the flood anniversary recovery program, others grand annual gatherings and activities or special occasions marking milestones.
A calendar that has provided Loddon residents with a multitude of options to get out and be part of their own and neighbouring communities.
The calendar has also been putting Loddon Shire before the eyes of visitors from other parts of Victoria, positioning our area as a destination they must see.
More events, new events are great for our region. Yes, a crammed calendar this October but hopefully in the future, not as cramped with events more spread across the whole year.
Successive weekends of multiple events can lead to unwelcome fatigue among volunteers who are the backbone of our communities. We don’t want that.
This weekend is more “routine” in the life of Loddon communities. A respite, that chance to take a breath, before one more returning major event with Inglewood Alive and then the countdown to the festive season.
October 2023 has certainly put Loddon front and centre - and for all the right reasons. Foundations in place for greater visitation in coming years. We hope for not just one month, but all 12.