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PREMIER PRIDE: Laharum forward Jason Przibilla celebrates with his family after the Mountain Men comprehensively won the Horsham District Football Netball League senior football grand final against Kalkee on Saturday. Przibilla is pictured with wife Amanda, and children Zara, Maya and Max in the changerooms after the match. Thousands were at Horsham City Oval to watch an action-packed day of football and netball grand finals. For more on the grand finals, see pages 54 and 55. Premiership poster of Laharum and A Grade netball winners Natimuk United, middle pages. Picture: WILLAMY IMAGES
Refugee safe haven That’s the blunt assessment of Wimmera development leaders who are otherwise confident the region is well placed to provide a safe haven for some of the families. They have also listed housing and language as critical areas to consider. Wimmera Development Association executive director Jo Bourke said Wimmera and southern Mallee councils had made it clear that the doors to the region were ‘well and truly’ open to refugees. “All of the five councils the as-
sociation represents agreed about three months ago to register interest in being involved in a Safe Haven Economic Visa program introduced by Federal Parliament last year,” she said. “All agreed to be part of the program in bringing refugees here, based on employment opportunities and government support.” The Safe Haven Economic Visa, or SHAV, is a five-year visa that allows authorities to send visa holders to remote and regional parts of Australia experiencing labour shortages. Mrs Bourke said although the SHAV agreement wouldn’t apply to the Syrian refugees, the Federal Government had made it clear it would target regional areas for re-settlement. She said the region needed to quick-
ly assess where and how a relocation program might work and appealed to the community’s sense of humanity. “What we’re seeing is an international disaster and as a country we have a duty of care, as an international citizen, to be involved,” she said. “Wimmera people have a reputation for helping others when in need and what better way in this circumstance than to open our arms to families in desperate need? “If we can get support to help families with jobs, training and dealing with emotional upheaval, we have the capabilities. “The government is saying we’ll have people arriving in Australia before Christmas so what we need now is to have the conversations in the community so we can identify poten-
tial jobs, housing options and ways for communities to help. “Where do we need a workforce? We have to think practically about how this might work so we urge businesses, councils and communities in general to start talking about it and asking questions such as: where do we need a workforce or what positions can’t we fill? “We’re unsure of what numbers we could accept or in what towns they could be housed. But the reality is that we’re talking about 14,000 people, less than the population of Horsham, being spread across Australia. This means it might only be relatively few. So while it would be an enormous challenge, it is doable and imagine how good it would be if we managed to pull it off.”
Mrs Bourke said it would be a misconception to believe the majority of the refugees would be from bluecollar working backgrounds. “That won’t necessarily be the case. We’re most likely talking about families from across a broad spectrum of society that have been suddenly uprooted,” she said. “There will be diversity, not only in skills, but also in economic and social backgrounds. “History has already taught us that the long-term cultural, social and economic benefits to our communities in providing sanctuary and new homes for refugees can be considerable.” Mrs Bourke confirmed she had already taken several calls from Wimmera people asking what the region’s response would be to the crisis.
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can a platypus breathe underwater? where is it safe to touch an echidna?
These questions and many more will be answered when Museum Victoria comes to Horsham Plaza. Experts will be on hand to answer all of your questions, and you will be given the opportunity to handle museum objects, one-on-one.
Mon Sep 21 to Fri Sep 25 11am to 3pm daily
WEEK 2 - MAKE A LADY BUG HOUSE OR FARM BARN TO TAKE HOME - $5
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BY DEAN LAWSON
he Wimmera’s ability to provide a haven for some of the 12,000 Syrian refugees seeking new lives in Australia will hinge on the region’s ability to find them jobs.