FEBRUARY 28, 2017 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
Dancers off to Dublin
(Joe Mastroianni)
Sunbury dancers Ciana O’Neill and Alexandra Heming need a bit more than luck to get them to the world Irish dancing championships in Dublin later this year. The teenage toe-tappers are among just six Irish dancers from Victoria selected to compete at the April event. A shot at the world champs has been eight years in the making for 14-year-old Alexandra. Her teammate Ciana, 13, moved from Queensland five years ago and joined Mayne Irish Dancing in Sunbury – a small school of just 35 students. Their teacher, Charmayne Dulley, says competing for Australia is a “big deal” for the girls and their dance school. “The qualification process involves them dancing at the highest level,” Ms Dulley says. “They had to qualify in the top 10 dancers in Australia, and they did. “Both of the girls committed themselves to practising more than 15 hours a week over a very hot Christmas summer break, and we’re so proud of them.” Ms Dulley says that Irish dancers are self-funded because they don’t qualify for arts or sports sponsorships, so the school needs to help the girls raise $5000 each to cover their costs. The school’s fundraiser will be a family day event at Jack McKenzie Bulla community centre on March 5. Details: bit.ly/2ltlG8f Esther Lauaki
Horse centre plan dumped By Esther Lauaki Macedon Ranges councillors faced the wrath of horse enthusiasts last Wednesday when they withdrew support for a controversial $40 million equine centre in the east of the shire. Supporters of the equine centre plan packed the council chambers last Wednesday, having arrived in a convoy of floats loaded with horses. Councillors shelved the long-standing proposal, which has split community opinion over recent years, despite once adopting it as the central plank of its own equine strategy. Their backflip drew boos from supporters, while councillor Roger Jukes, the only councillor supportive of the plan, lodged his intent to have
the decision overturned at a special meeting next Wednesday, March 8. Macedon Ranges Residents Association secretary Christine Pruneau said there had been widespread opposition to the equine centre proposal. “This is something that has gone out of all proportion to everything else,” Ms Pruneau said. “It’s been sucking the resources, the focus and the priorities of council at the cost of other things.” But Ranges Equine Industry Network spokeswoman Tracy Robertson said the council’s decision buried five years of work. “This is a plan to bury the project altogether – regardless of the fact the centre will provide
and create local jobs,” Ms Robertson said. “This action by council shows a marked disrespect for the hard work and dedication shown by the Macedon Ranges community, which freely gave its time and resources to ensure the project has gone from strength to strength.” The equine strategy expired last year, and on Wednesday councillors voted to no longer use it to guide its investment decisions. It also withdrew $25,000 already set aside in its budget to prepare a specific business case. The equine network had secured another $16,000 to add to state funding for its case, but it is not known what will happen to these monies. Cr Jukes said the consequences of council’s withdrawal needed more debate.
“I’ve got a tough road ahead of me to explain to the councillors the ramifications of their decision,” Cr Jukes told Star Weekly. “If [new councillors] don’t fully understand what a decision like this will mean, then they should not be voting in support of it. “I think that there are some ideas that have been put forward in the media by certain groups that council would be subjecting ratepayers to millions in extra costs to go towards this project … that is just simply not the case.” But new councillor Mandi Mees cast doubts on the benefits of the plan at the meeting. “I’m yet to be convinced that it is a world-class equine centre that we need here … grassroots assets that we all can use is what we need.”
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