Vol. No. Vol. 2418No. 4627
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Eyes on neglected corridor A
BY MICHAEL SCALZO
municipal leader has noted the launch of Horsham’s latest artistic centrepiece has re-highlighted communal significance of a maligned vacant land-corridor in Horsham North.
The completion and public launch of Horsham’s silo-art mural last week has narrowed public attention towards the community-wide potential and importance of the disused railway corridor it abuts. Horsham Rural City Council mayor Robyn Gulline said it would have been ‘ideal’ for the proposed land-upgrades to have been completed before the silo launch, but council was still dependant on VicTrack’s remediation timeframes. The official launch of the Yangga Dyata – Walking on Country silo artwork during National Reconciliation Week attracted a crowd of eager celebrators to hear from Aunty Jennifer Beer, Barengi Gadjin Land Council chair Dylan Clarke and Helena Plazzer right beside the overgrown land block, with many photographers and visitors using the old railway-corridor for its view of the large new cultural additions. Horsham council plans for the railway corridor, vacated since relocation of freight operations from the site to Wimmera Intermodal Freight Terminal at Dooen in 2012, have hinged on an environmental clean-up and historical fuel-infrastructure management by corridor owner VicTrack. While the silo’s popularity might have recalibrated a visitor and community spotlight on the proposed six-hectare linear parkland, the corridor’s upgrade has remained contingent on a VicTrack March 1, 2023 clean-up due date. Cr Gulline said the silo art would better inform how the area should be developed moving
Wednesday, January 2016 Wednesday, June13, 1, 2022
FLYING HIGH: Hamish Irvine, from 5AngryMen public space theatre company, gets airborne during a performance at Stawell Gatherings 2022. The celebration, titled ‘Outof-the-Box’ saw Stawell’s main street become a scene of live action, performances, music, art, installations and sound. For more pictures, visit theweeklyadvertiser. com.au. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
forward. She said its launch had generated a ‘greater focus’ on the land corridor in Horsham North. “But the importance of the corridor upgrade has always been there and was first identified in the rail-corridor master plan in 2016,” she said. “The council is currently in the process of developing plans to be implemented once land purchase or lease negotiations are finalised and will also be seeking funds from the State Government. “The timing of full construction on the site would still depend on the outcome of purchaselease negotiations and due-diligence assessments of the various lots within the corridor.” However, Cr Gulline said the council hoped to ascertain the timing of any of the land lotpurchases or leases with an eye to starting preliminary landscaping, as well as increased car-parking to cater for the silo artwork visitors, ahead of the March 2023 timeframe. Horsham council’s 2022-23 draft budget released last week has taken further steps and proposed $214,000 for VicTrack land development south of Mill Street. Cr Gulline said there was ‘definitely a need’ for more open space in Horsham North. She said the railway-corridor development was part of that solution. Cr Gulline said she also understood there was no intention to have the northern side of the silo painted at this point, as it might detract from the recent mural, however that remained the siloowners prerogative. She said the Horsham council hoped the proposed parkland development would provide a ‘recreational and open space’ that helped connect the Horsham community, provide access across the railway line and be a space for community activities.
IN THIS ISSUE • Crisis accommodation residents strong • Football-netball action IN THIS ISSUE • Webster: Work plan to do• Quantong • Gum San in newstand hands • Volleyball finals start Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
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