Politics & Council
24 April, 2024
Rivals always but our towns are one
By DAN STRAUB IN MY last column, I questioned the real possibility of our country and its unique characters, being at risk of getting lost to influence and changed values of people coming to country Victoria. People taking advantage of a better way...
By DAN STRAUB
IN MY last column, I questioned the real possibility of our country and its unique characters, being at risk of getting lost to influence and changed values of people coming to country Victoria.
People taking advantage of a better way of living, cheaper housing stock, coming with that, the inherent risk of people’s expectations to have all of what the city offers in our country towns, and the desire to replicate from where from they had come.
Country Victoria is special, in the sense of being somewhat isolated and offers a connection to land and community that is not found anywhere else, where we enjoy simplicity, self-reliance and the ability to work hard and thrive.
Loddon is even more unique, we don’t have just one town centre but four, supported by smaller towns and communities branched out across our region.
We are a community of communities; we are one Loddon and in this short column I would like to convey the message that we might live in opposite ends of the shire, but we have all the same connection to the bigger picture and the greater outlook of our region.
For me, I love every minute of representing the people of the Loddon Shire. Yes, we have rivalries but healthy rivalries between sporting clubs, with player or supporter, we have sometimes rivalries between towns, continuing to not just better each other but to better themselves.
Competition is good, competition is healthy and within our nature to progress.
When it comes to our towns and areas across Loddon, we as individuals and communities within have a sense of ownership and pride in where we chose to live. In saying that, our opportunities are great. No matter where we live across Loddon, we have the ability to utilise a vast array of services, and each corner of our great unique shire offers something different for all to enjoy and make our day to day lives that much better.
My message today is we are all One Loddon, be proud of where you’re from, hang on to what is important to you, utilise and embrace what our whole community has to offer.
This is so important to a shire like ours with a ward-based structure of broadly an even distribution of population and representation.
The Terrick Ward is a prime example of a community of communities, where we see one main small town (Pyramid Hill), complementing an array of smaller villages and hamlets, to me each one as important as the other and each offering something different for us all to utilise.
This positive also comes with some inherentt negatives, we have a vast network of community assets some are owned by Loddon Shire Council and managed by community groups under Section 65 assets committees, some are Crown land assets owned by DEECA and managed by community groups. Whatever it is, council has had a role to play for the benefit of the greater community. As more and more assets are becoming unutilised and more coherent community ambitions for new up-to-date multi-use facilities, and the need to keep progressing the number one issue across the shire being roads, the conversation needs to be had on which direction we take from here.
Across the Terrick Ward we have a great volunteer base involved in the creating of and planning for their communities though their community plan framework, the senses of these groups are simple and united - roads and accessibility, appearance and tidiness, support of local business and economic stimulus and development to support population growth.
With Budget delivery time upon us again, myself along with the Mayor and fellow councillors will be scrutinising and questioning this Budget striving to make the most out of every dollar for the benefit of the greater Loddon Shire communities and its people within its remit.
Cr Dan Straub is the Loddon Shire councillor for Terrick Ward