The Weekly Advertiser – Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Catastrophic risk

TBY LAUREN HENRY

oday’s catastrophic fire danger rating in the Wimmera has an already fire-affected region on high alert.

An extreme fire danger rating has been forecast for the Mallee, Central, North Central, Northern Country, and South West districts, with a total fire ban declared for all six districts.

It is the second time in a fortnight a catastrophic warning has been issued for the Wimmera.

Temperatures are forecast in the mid 40s in north-west Victoria and high 30s across the Wimmera, with winds ranging from 30 to 40 kilometres an hour, gusting at 60 to 80 kmh, while a wind change and dry lightning are

also expected. The Ararat municipality has been hit twice in 10 days by major bushfires.

A relief centre remains open at Ararat’s Alexandra Oval.

The Bayindeen-Rocky Road bushfire, south-east of Ararat, is not yet under control and has burnt more than 21,000 hectares in size with a perimeter of 173 kilometres.

The fire, which started on Thursday, has claimed six houses and 10 outbuildings, with various warnings issued for areas including Bayindeen, Mount Cole, Glenlogie, Eversley, Elmhurst, and to Beaufort in the south. Emergency services personnel, as well as heavy plant machinery and aircraft were used to fight the fire and burn out areas on Monday and

Tuesday ahead of today’s predicted extreme fire danger rating.

The Mt Stapylton fire at Dadswells Bridge and Bellfield fire at Pomonal are both under control, but fire crews remain in those areas monitoring conditions.

At a press conference at the State Control Centre yesterday, Premier Jacinta Allan said arrangements were being made at health organisations, particularly those with aged-care facilities, and nearly 100 schools and early education centres would close today.

“People who live in these high firerisk areas need to think about having their fire plan in place and activating that plan, particularly if emergency services tell you to leave or give a

particular message, please follow that message and heed that warning,” she said.

Emergency Services Commissioner Rick Nugent said today posed a significant and challenging fire weather day for emergency services across Victoria.

“Fire, if gets going, will spread quickly and can be extremely dangerous. It’s the worst possible fire conditions we can have across this part of the state,” he said.

An incident management team from New South Wales will be based at Halls Gap, with additional fire fighters from NSW and other areas of Victoria to be based at Ballarat and Ballan, as well as 66 aerial assets on hand.

Continued page 5

SWEET TOOTH:

From left, Ruby Seers, Noah Seers, Milla Seers, Henry Taylor and Ava Seers sample fairy floss during Horsham churches’

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

HRCC NEWS

Call out for leaders

Residents interested in making a difference in the community are being encouraged to enrol in the municipality’s Community Leadership Program, beginning in the first half of 2024.

The three-month program is designed to generate an engaged, proactive and diverse pool of potential candidates for the 2024 Horsham Rural City Council Election.

Expressions of interest open today.

Chief Executive Officer Sunil Bhalla said the leadership program was a key recommendation of the 2023 Municipal Monitor Report and would be delivered independently from Council.

“This program is intended for existing, new and emerging leaders of community groups within our municipality,” Mr Bhalla said

“The Victorian Local Governance Association will run a series of courses between May and July 2024. There is no cost for the participants other than their time and commitment to participating fully in the program.

“Participants will learn about community leadership, communication approaches, public speaking, goal setting and monitoring, understanding community and diversity, reflection and resilience.

“We look forward to seeing participants’ leadership skills develop for the benefit of our broader community,” he said.

To achieve an effective outcome from the program, a maximum of 25 participants has been recommended.

Three members of the public with a background in community or executive leadership will make up an independent selection panel, to be announced soon.

All participants are to apply by submitting an expression of interest demonstrating how they satisfy the program criteria, as follows:

•18 years or over

•An interest in developing own and other people’s leadership in the community

•Motivation to participate and engage in civic life

• Desire to use skills to make a difference and enhance the community

•The ability to commit to full attendance at all sessions.

Application forms and further information will be available today on the HRCC website.

BlazeAid accepting volunteers

In the aftermath of recent challenges, the resilient communities of Dadswells Bridge and Pomonal are gearing up for a comprehensive cleanup and recovery operation.

BlazeAid, the volunteer-driven organisation, is leading the charge. It has announced a community information night at Halls Gap Rec Reserve on Thursday, 29 February from 5.30pm. The event aims to provide locals with detailed information on the planned cleanup operations, safety protocols, and how they can contribute effectively.

The three Councils impacted, HRCC, Ararat Rural City Council and Northern Grampians are providing funding to support BlazeAid.

Next

Caravan park re-opens after close call

Grampians Edge Caravan Park managers Dale and Katey Exon faced a harrowing experience as wildfires threatened their beloved tourist haven. Fortunately, their quick thinking and resilience helped safeguard the park and its guests.

Tiny Houses and a Close Call

The Exons have poured their hearts into the Grampians Edge Caravan Park, enhancing it over the years with a collection of charming tiny houses for adventurous travellers.

As the flames licked the horizon on February 13, Dale and Katey found themselves in a dual role: ensuring the safety of their own young children and assisting the caravan park guests in evacuating promptly.

While Katey took their preschool-age kids to safety in Stawell, Dale stood his ground at the park.

He activated the sprinklers on the lush lawns surrounding the park’s entrance, a desperate measure to halt the fire’s advance. The relentless westerly winds pushed the flames perilously close to the park’s boundary.

Firefighters to the Rescue

Firefighters valiantly battled the encroaching inferno, successfully defending the Grampians Edge Caravan Park. Luck was on their side, and the park emerged unscathed. Dale expressed immense gratitude, saying, “We were very lucky,” he said.

Misinformation and Reassurance

In the aftermath of the fire, social media buzzed with misinformation, falsely claiming that the Dadswells Bridge village lay in ruins. Dale, determined to set the record straight, assured visitors that the caravan park would reopen as soon as practical, which was last Friday.

His optimism extended to other local businesses, which also escaped harm and are now back in operation.

Phone Coverage Woes

Dale highlighted a pressing issue faced by Dadswells Bridge: insufficient phone coverage.

While the caravan park boasts satellite internet for guests, the lack of reliable phone service during the fire underscored the community’s vulnerability. Some residents received emergency SMS warnings, but others remained in the dark.

“If one good thing comes out of the fire, it might be that we have some upgrades to the mobile coverage here,” Dale said.

The first team of volunteers will hit the ground running on Friday. If you’re keen to lend a hand, join the formal BlazeAid response. Remember to register in advance and attend the info night to get all the details.

BlazeAid’s community spirit is contagious, and this initiative exemplifies their commitment to rebuilding and supporting one another. Let’s roll up our sleeves and make a difference. For inquiries or to register, contact Debbie at 0418 990 267.

Horsham's crossing supervisors, along with many others from fellow Victorian cities, were wearing black armbands last week, in honor of a much-loved Wodonga Council crossing guard Brian Beach who was fatally hit early this month.

His funeral took place last Friday in Wodonga. Horsham crossing supervisor Peter Fraser is pictured in Baillie Street, wearing an arm band. The incident, which took place during school pick-up hours, is yet another reminder of the importance to adhere to school zone speed limits, for everyone's safety.

While it's well known that school zones are limited to 40km/h during pick-up times, it is very important to be familiar with all of the rules:

•Stop if a child or adult is about to cross or is crossing, even if there is no crossing supervisor •Stop if a hand held “Stop” sign is displayed • Only proceed when all children and adults, including the supervisor, are clear of the crossing •Approach at a speed slow enough to stop safely, if necessary •Do not overtake a vehicle stopping or stopped at the crossing.

As a community, we can help ensure that everyone gets home safely.

School crossing safety hits home Weir Ponds retaining wall replacement

Council has engaged a contractor to replace a retaining wall and widen footpaths at the Weir Ponds near Barnes Boulevard in Horsham.

To deliver the project, the pond needs to be partially drained and the pathway will be closed until April 2024.

During this time, there will be disturbances, such as noise and odour, however, contractors will endeavour to be as unobtrusive as possible.

Transfer stations closed

The Horsham Transfer Station and Quantong Transfer Station will be closed this Wednesday 28 February due to catastrophic fire danger.

These facilities will return to standard opening hours from Thursday 29 February.

‘Shared dream’ for city’s future

ABY ABBY WALTER

silver lining has emerged from the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games in regional Victoria as Horsham Rural City Council hopes to make the most of a new funding opportunity.

Following the cancellation of the games, the State Government launched a new funding program, with a community facilities stream available of up to $1 million.

It would be a $4 to $1 ratio of government to council funding, with applications to close on March 27.

The council unanimously approved a grant application of $1 million to be lodged for the Horsham City Oval community facility and changerooms.

The council noted the application was dependent upon a favourable outcome of a current application to the Federal Government’s Growing Regions Fund.

The council also approved a backup application for $1 million for stage

Fans flock to Minyip

one of a Horsham Skate Park redevelopment, if the application for city oval to the Federal Government is unsuccessful. It will also include $250,000 in its 2024-25 budget to confirm council’s commitment to the skate park redevelopment.

Councillor Claudia Haenel told Monday’s council meeting it would be fiscally responsible for the council to approve the funding applications.

“I do believe we put a lot into sport in our community and attract a lot of funding for sport, but at the same time we have already committed to this as a council,” she said.

“It is appropriate at this time for us to strive to achieve it, as we have already committed to offsetting it.

“I do hope in future budgets we might be able to find a bit more of a balance and spread funding across areas other than sport, but in this case, I think it is important this project goes ahead.”

Cr David Bowe said the funding program was a transformative opportunity.

“It is an opportunity that could significantly enhance our community’s wellbeing, liveability and spirit,” he said.

“We are on the cusp of potentially receiving funding towards the city oval community facility and changerooms – this project is not just a building, it is a shared dream and aspiration for Horsham’s future.

“Understanding the competitive nature of funding opportunities, a backup plan is proposed by submitting a second application for a skate park redevelopment.

“This approach ensures no matter the outcome we are ready to move forward with these projects that will reinvigorate our city’s recreational landscape, confirming our commitment to a vibrant, active and inclusive community for all.

“By championing these initiatives, we are championing a future where our community places paramount value on wellness and social connection.”

Unfortunate

Cr Penny Flynn said it was important to acknowledge it was unfortunate Victoria would not host the Commonwealth Games.

“Unfortunately some of our closest neighbours will now not receive infrastructure like housing that they desperately need because this is not going ahead,” she said.

“But, when we were having the Commonwealth Games, we as a regional city were not going to see much benefit from that.

“So, as awful as it is for some of our closest neighbours, we are hopefully going to see benefit from something not going ahead.

“I think it’s good planning and foresight if we are unsuccessful with one application to have a backup for the skate park.”

The council resolution also included a decision, voted on separately, to allocate funds in the long-term financial plan for a warm water pool at the

Horsham Aquatic Centre and advocate for funding through state and federal governments.

It was approved with six votes in favour.

Cr Ian Ross voted against the motion, citing concerns about needing more funding and consultation, particularly regarding how much a council contribution would be towards the project.

Initially a funding application was considered for the pool within the aquatics stream, however, it was unviable due to an estimated project cost of more than $8 million and the maximum grant available through the program was $3 million.

However, it was deemed to be a high priority for the council and funding opportunities will continue to be explored including advocacy to governments.

The added excitement of an important milestone for popular television show ‘The Flying Doctors’ has seen an annual community event in Minyip go off without a hitch.

Minyip Progress Association subcommittee member Yvonne Bunton said ‘everything fell into place nicely’ for the show and shine event and 40-year anniversary since filming began on the show.

Ms Bunton said support for the annual show and shine had grown ‘year on year’ with a crowd of between 1500 and 2000 people flocking to Minyip on Sunday.

“The people who came along liked everything – the cars, the opening up of the Club Hotel, the photos and DVDs,” she said.

“There were people from interstate who came to see not just The Flying Doctors displays, but the cars and bikes.

“We had a very good turnout of cars and motorbikes.”

Ms Bunton said her own collection of memorabilia had been displayed at the Club Hotel, which featured in The Flying Doctors as The Majestic, along with Minyip and District Historical Society’s own collection.

She said funds raised during the event would be donated to both the Royal Flying Doctors Community Transport and Minyip Progress Association.

– Sean O’Connell

Cup tradition

Harrow will be its usual hive of activity on Sunday of the March long weekend with a host of events planned, including the annual Johnny Mullagh Championship Cup.

Harrow Discovery Centre manager Josie Sangster said it was the 29th year of the Johnny Mullagh Championship Cup game, which would be played on Sunday.

“It commemorates and celebrates Johnny Mullagh and the First 11, a cricket team of Indigenous Australians who were the first to represent our country overseas,” she said.

“A team of Indigenous Australians will be called the Mullaghs and play against a non-Indigenous team called the Glenelgs.

“This game was first organised by two mates, Gunnditjamara man Uncle Wayne ‘Swisha’ Bell and Harrow publican, John ‘Pop’ Gartland.

“Swisha has children and grandchildren who play on the Mullagh team.”

More than 100 players and members from the Barkley Street Dragons Cricket Club are expected to join locals for the cricket blast and junior Mullagh Cup events in the morning.

Ms Sangster said following the match, the town would host several family-friendly activities as well as an exhibition at the town hall and a band in the evening.

The Harrow National Bush Billycart Championships are also scheduled for the weekend. Event times can be found at harrow.org.au/news-events.

REMINISCING: Helen Monk looks through memorabilia at Minyip’s celebration of 40 years since filming began on The Flying Doctors television show. The day also featured a show and shine car and bike show.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

THE I GET IT , I THINK BIT

Lose

Clean-up contractors to begin work

Alead contractor has been appointed for the federal and state governments’ co-ordinated clean-up of the Grampians fires.

Hansen Yuncken, known as disaster recovery specialists with the expertise to work on complex projects, will work with local sub-contractors to clean up affected households and communities, jointly funded through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

The fires on February 13 claimed 46 homes and a business in Pomonal and Dadswells Bridge.

Demolition of damaged houses, asbestos and other hazard removal will be included as part of the clean-up, while hazardous tree removal will also be completed.

The State Government will establish a centralised green waste facility for the clean-up and is continuing to work with the Federal Government to finalise a location.

The funding arrangements also include personal hardship payments to help cover the costs of essentials such as food, clothing, medication and accommodation; Australian Disaster Re-

covery Payments for people affected by fires in the Ararat municipality; emergency re-establishment grants of up to $49,300 for people who are uninsured and their primary place of residence has been destroyed or is uninhabitable; and a community recovery officer deployed to Ararat Rural City Council to help identify the recovery needs of individuals and families.

The Recovery Support Program, which includes mental health support, case management, business support and assistance with being connected to additional and existing services, can be accessed via the Emergency Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the clean-up was a priority to ensure the community had safe access to homes and debris was removed.

State Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said the governments were working with councils and the community, ensuring properties were safe and essential infrastructure was restored.

“Councils and other agencies have

THANK YOU: A government-appointed contractor will be in charge of clean-up works in the Pomonal and Dadswells Bridge areas.

already been on the ground helping communities clear debris – this additional support will ensure that we fast-track the clean-up and ensure people can start their recovery as fast as possible,” she said.

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy welcomed the funding, but said it was a battle to convince the government

to agree to fund mental health support for fire-affected communities.

Ms Kealy said she made numerous calls and emails to the Premier’s office, spoke in Parliament to the Premier and Minister for Mental Health, and raised the matter during Parliamentary debate.

“Residents in these communities

should be able to count on the government to deliver immediate support in times of crisis, and it saddens me that the wonderful people of Pomonal and Dadswells Bridge have had to wait for this extra mental health funding to flow,” Ms Kealy said.

“For the past week, Grampians Community Health’s case management teams have stood ready to assist to bolster the two counsellors already made available, but no one in the Labor government would agree to cover the cost of this extra support.

“Instead, when residents in our community needed help most, they were being directed to oversubscribed services hours away with months-long waitlists.

“These newly-funded mental health case managers will be matched to individual residents and will work sideby-side with them throughout their recovery during the next 12 months.

“Access to the additional mental health case managers is in line with evidence-based best practice and will make a profound and lasting difference to how residents in these communities recover.”

Additional support during catastrophic risk Riders chip in

Hundreds of former and serving police officers are rallying behind Pomonal with the town affected by bushfire just days after they had visited.

More than 500 motorcycle riders stopped at Pomonal on February 4 as part of the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation’s Grampians Ride to Remember, which raises money for community projects that are then named in memory of fallen police. A bushfire swept through Pomonal on February 13, devastating the community.

The fundraiser, which has already raised $8500, will continue for four weeks with the public urged to donate by visiting trybooking.com/au/donate/blueribbon pomonal.

From page 1

A base camp accommodating hundreds of fire fighters has been established at Great Western. The camp allows more than 100 firefighters at one time to sleep in shifts, as well as spaces to eat, rehydrate, shower and rest before and after fighting fires.

Mr Nugent said the active Bayindeen-Rocky Road fire was of particular concern.

“This fire has the potential to run again, head south initially, but then swing around,” he said.

A modelling map of where the fire could spread shows Beaufort, Amphitheatre, Elmhurst, Lexton, Learmonth and Clunes as potential impact areas.

“We are asking you to leave and leave early – either tonight or early in the morning – go to regional cities or to Melbourne and stay with family

or friends, but please leave early,” he said.

“We have done all we possibly can to prepare for this high-risk fire weather – we now ask the community to please prepare.”

Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan said the worst conditions were expected this afternoon.

“Particularly for those people in the Wimmera, fires will become very uncontrollable very quickly, and no homes are designed to withstand those catastrophic conditions,” he said.

Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman said state and national parks in the Wimmera, including the Grampians National Park and Little Desert National Park, would be closed today.

“It isn’t a safe place to be on extreme and catastrophic days,” he said.

Communities on alert Authorities hosted community meetings in all fire-affected areas yesterday to inform residents about the high risk of today’s weather conditions.

Access to Pomonal remains restricted to the town’s residents, emergency services and essential services, with some road closures still in place.

Some recovery work has been placed on hold this week due to the weather conditions, with BlazeAid deferring its planned work to assist with cleanup and restoring fences for affected landowners.

The volunteer organisation has delayed its opening of its Halls Gap base camp until next week, reminding communities needing BlazeAid support they would begin work as soon as it was safe.

Horsham Rural City Council and Grampians Community Health staff have scheduled a drop-in session at Dadswells Bridge Hall from 4pm to 6pm tomorrow.

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said while people needed to support businesses in the Grampians area that were not fire-affected, the public should stay away from towns such as Pomonal.

“Please be respectful to people who have lost their homes,” she said.

Ms Kealy thanked the wider region for their fundraising and support of the fire-affected communities.

Some areas of the Grampians National Park near Bellfield remain permanently closed until further notice. For more information, visit parks.vic.gov. au/places-to-see/parks/grampiansnational-park#change-of-conditions.

“I went for a job and was asked to stand up and turn around so he could decide…”

- Katherine Teh Advocate

Katherine Teh shares her experience of workplace gendered violence. To learn more about your rights at work, search WorkSafe Gendered Violence.

Gendered violence comes in many forms. All forms are OHS issues. All are unacceptable.

WorkSafe Gendered Violence

Field days’ milestone celebration

BY ABBY WALTER

Amilestone year, a promising weather forecast and a close-tofull site are in store for this year’s Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

The field days committee, on March 5, 6 and 7, at Wimmera Events Centre, Longerenong, will welcome agriculture industry exhibitors, farmers and the wider community to a jam-packed event.

The field days are a showcase of the latest developments in farming practice, machinery, equipment, technology and services.

Committee president Tim Rethus said the field days would celebrate 60 years of history, while continuing to look to the future and how to stay relevant.

“We’ve been working hard with exhibitors to turn our focus to them and find out what makes a good field days for them,” he said.

“When they’re happy, they’re going to have nice sites, which will make people through the gate happy and everyone wins.”

In March 1963 the first Wimmera Ma-

chinery Field Days was hosted by a committee of farmers and people selling agricultural machinery.

It is Victoria’s longest-running field days and the Wimmera’s premier multi-day agriculture event.

Bruce Johansen, 96, was a member of the first field days committee.

He said he hoped he would attend this year’s event – having missed ‘only a couple’ since its inception.

Mr Johansen has many memories of field days gone by, but said one of the most significant moments was when the committee purchased land to be able to own the field days site.

“When we started, any buildings we put up had to be taken down because it was college land,” he said.

“Having permanent buildings has made a big difference.”

Field days manager Vanessa Lenehan said the team had been open to making changes and would be trialling new things this year.

“We are changing the Country Lifestyle Pavilion and the team has called a heap of

businesses, so we have a lot more exhibitors with a lot more general interest items,” she said.

“The Local Market Square will be fuller and more vibrant as we’re changing things around to attract more people to that area.

“It’s all a matter of trying things, changing things and if something doesn’t work trying something different.”

Mrs Lenehan said a new feature of this year’s field days was a one-stop shop for biosecurity questions from farmers and industry representatives.

The Victorian Farmers Federation stand will be located beside Agriculture Victoria and Victoria Police in the Alan Herd Pavilion.

The collaboration will enable the organisations to work together to provide information regarding farm crime and biosecurity to people in the agriculture industry.

There will also be security camera sites for farmers to learn more about securing their property.

• More information on the field days is available in our 60-page special edition AgLife in today’s paper.

GOURMET: Food lovers descended on Horsham Showground across two days for Horsham Agricultural Society’s 150km Feast. Pictured above, Caitlyn Glover, Katelyn Cochrane, Stephanie Griffiths and Carlyn Owens, and right, Tom Hicks, Pip Hicks, Tina Kerlen and Barb Kerlen, were among the 150 patrons to enjoy five courses with matching wines during Saturday’s sold-out Dinner Under the Stars. On Sunday afternoon, attendees had the opportunity to support producers and small businesses at a Food Truck and Wine Festival and Growers and Makers Marketplace. Pictures: PAUL CARRACHER

Inspirational guest panel

Four prominent Wimmera women will be guest speakers at an International Women’s Day event at Horsham Town Hall next week.

A facilitated discussion will feature a panel of speakers including Yarriambiack Shire Council chief executive Tammy Smith, By Five Early Years Initiative executive officer Joanne Martin, Wimmera Women Connect co-founder Onella Cooray and Women’s Health Grampians act-on-site consultant Katja Fiedler.

The panel will explore a 2024 International Women’s Day theme: Count Her In: Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress.

How women’s economic empowerment is central to achieving gender equality will be on the agenda, as panelists speak about topics such as access to childcare, the importance of women in decision making, and the role of women in the workforce, specific to the Wimmera and southern Mallee region.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to visit Horsham Regional Art Gallery and participate in a guided tour, featuring the ‘Know

My Name: Australian Women Artists’, and ‘Don’t Define Me’ exhibitions with gallery director Lauren Simpson.

Organising committee representative Robyn Lardner said the event was the 10th of its kind in Horsham.

“This year’s theme focuses on women’s economic empowerment, which follows well from our panel discussion in 2023 that highlighted the unique challenges women in rural areas face, especially concerning their participation in the workforce,” she said.

“There are currently ongoing efforts in our region to address some of the barriers affecting women in the Wimmera and southern Mallee, such as limited access to childcare and limited opportunities for women in male-dominated fields.

“This event will provide an opportunity for the community to learn more about the ongoing efforts in this space and what else needs to be done to improve women’s economic empowerment in our region.”

The organising group includes representatives from Horsham East Rotary Club, Women’s Health Grampians, Horsham Rural City Council, Federation University, Grampians Community Health, Ballarat Community Health Safer Pathways Program and Wimmera Women Connect. Priceline Pharmacy Horsham is also supporting this year’s event.

Tickets for the Thursday 5pm event can be purchased for $15 through the Horsham Town Hall website at hthpac.sales. ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/130289.

‘Listening, learning and lifting’

Consortium Private Wealth’s Rachael Todman and Olivia Glare are aiming to ‘inspire inclusion’ at an International Women’s Day event in Horsham.

Ms Glare said International Women’s Day, on Friday March 8, was an opportunity to celebrate accomplishments of trailblazing women who have shattered barriers, challenged norms and paved the way for future generations.

“This year our theme is Inspire Inclusion, which is about fostering a world where every woman feels valued, respected, and empowered to pursue her dreams,” she said.

“It’s about recognising the diversity of women’s experiences.”

Ms Todman said the free event would bring together some incredible women to share their journeys and insights.

“The event will be hosted at Horsham Regional Art Gallery from 2.30pm

to 4pm on March 8,” she said.

“By listening, learning and lifting each other up, we can inspire positive change and build a future where every woman can thrive.”

Ms Todman said as business partners and financial advisors, she and Ms Glare would speak about wealth building and financial independence for women, including challenges women face and the importance of financial literacy, confidence and empowerment in long-term financial wellbeing.

She said other speakers included Horsham’s Lister House Medical Clinic chief executive Amanda Wilson, Lisa Cosson of Planet Feel Good, Evoke Kinesiology’s Arnna Pickering and Member for Lowan Emma Kealy.

Mrs Wilson will offer insights into leadership, perseverance, the importance of community support, and the joy she finds in inspiring others along

the way.

Ms Cosson will take attendees through the ups and downs of her entrepreneurial journey, sharing the challenges she faced in navigating a competitive industry and breaking barriers in a male-dominated space, the lessons she learned, and the strategies she employed to overcome obstacles.

In her presentation, Ms Pickering will open up about her own experiences founding a business focussed on holistic wellness – addressing physical and emotional aspects of well-being – and how it shaped her journey to inspire others.

Ms Kealy will reflect on her experiences in leadership as she has navigated complex situations, from breaking through gender biases to advocating for community needs.

Tickets can be reserved at bit.ly/3UMEPEG

Rachael Todman and Olivia Glare are organising an International Women’s Day event at the Horsham Town Hall next month.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Swept up in Swift hype

With Australia, particularly Melbourne and Sydney, swept up in the Taylor Swift craze, it has bought out a hype to rival The Beatles hysteria.

‘Swifties’ gathered in their costumes depicting the singer’s various eras, armed with friendship bracelets, glitter makeup and, of course, their loud singing voices.

Tickets to concerts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, holding about 96,000 for each show, and Sydney’s Accor Stadium, 83,000 capacity, were harder to find than a needle in a haystack.

Swift’s pictures and footage dominated the metropolitan and national media – enough to bug many who were quick to tire of the American superstar’s name being mentioned.

But was the backlash really warranted? What’s wrong with people, in particular youngsters, getting excited about seeing their favourite artist?

Swift is a talented, intelligent young woman who sets a fine example for young people around the globe.

There are many, many less talented, less wholesome, less desirable performers who they could be idolising.

Both my daughters, aged 21 and six, are big fans of Swift – and I’m here for it.

The older one was lucky enough to score last-minute, restricted-view tickets, while Miss Six was in tears

EDITORIAL

By Lauren Henry

last week when she discovered her friend was going, and we did not have tickets.

The Swift hype is a reminder of the power of a collective joy – much the same as supporting a favourite sporting team – and the magic of that feeling of experiencing that emotion with thousands of like-minded people.

It was a similar feeling on Friday night when I stood in the moshpit with Miss 21 at Marvel Stadium to see Pink.

Despite feeling too old to be in such a position, there were many like-minded Pink fans of all ages, and we were all there in good spirits to experience all the highs of an action-packed performance.

If it brings so many people happiness, then who are we to throw shade on their very bright, and sequined, parade.

P.S: This time next week, I may well be eating my words of support for the Swifties – Miss Six is seizing the Taylormania by having a Taylor Swift-themed birthday party on Saturday. Let’s see if the Swift hype is a little less shinier next week.

NEW GROUND: Wimmera River Improvement

Ron Goudie

Boardwalk a popular addition

A new boardwalk beside the Wimmera River in Horsham has provided more accessible riverfront viewing areas along the popular track, particularly for those with mobility challenges.

Wimmera River Improvement Committee, WRIC, member Peter Crammond said the group worked with Horsham Rural City Council, Barenji Gadjin Land Council and Wimmera Catchment Management Authority to bring the Finlayson Lagoon Boardwalk to life.

Mr Crammond said the group worked with the three organisations on concept design, site meetings, arranging the structural design for the boardwalk and relevant permits.

“The boardwalk concept was de-

veloped by a collaboration of WRIC members, to provide a safe walkway along the Wimmera River bank at Finlayson Lagoon, which was eroded and presented a trip hazard with many exposed roots,” he said.

“The construction has been carried out by volunteer members of WRIC, for several months, with assistance of local contractors, and a special mention to Rob Mintern who came out of retirement to assist.”

Mr Crammond said various other sponsors and local contractors contributed to the project.

“WRIC would like to thank all of the people at the organisations and businesses who assisted us with this project,” he said.

Mr Crammond said the group was

also rehabilitating the area around the lagoon and recently funded the extension of sprinklers to increase the grassed area at Weir Park.

“WRIC is a small group of volunteers, sponsored by Horsham Rural City Council, who meet on Wednesday mornings to enhance the amenity and environment of the Wimmera River, by removing pest weeds, removing fire hazards, maintaining and installing new infrastructure, establishing new native trees, shrubs and grasses along the river bank and providing feedback to HRCC on ways to improve this wonderful asset for the Horsham community,” he said.

Mr Crammond said those interested in joining the group could call president Ron Goudie on 5382 6481.

Committee members, from left, John Seater, Peter Crammond,

and Gary Aitken, with Horsham Rural City Council mayor Robyn Gulline, on the new boardwalk at Finlayson Lagoon, near Barnes Boulevard, Horsham. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Clubs windfall

BY SEAN O’CONNELL

New changerooms and undercover, tiered spectator seating will be built at Nhill’s Davis Park after receiving $250,000 from the State Government and AFL’s Country Football Netball Program.

Hindmarsh Shire Council with Nhill and District Sporting Club were among several successful applicants across the Wimmera and Grampians region, with new lighting set for Kaniva Recreation Reserve; an upgrade at Tatyoon Oval; and an upgrade, including new drainage and irrigation, of Penshurst’s oval.

Nhill’s new changerooms will be constructed where the former grandstand was previously located, with works expected to start in April and take about 12 to 18 months to complete.

The $1.5-million masterplan for Davis Park will be funded through council’s allocation of $760,000 from the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program phase four, plus an additional $440,000, and $50,000 from Nhill and District Sporting Club.

Club president Rob Bell said the masterplan was a three-phase plan to improve facilities, with the second phase set to include new changerooms and a second court for netballers, while new clubrooms and function room formed the third phase.

Mr Bell said following the demolition of the old grandstand, the club decided to ‘tie’ the new changerooms and grandstand into one project.

“We really don’t have any undercover seating. All of the facilities at Davis Park are outdated. Access to the disabled toilets is difficult, which is why we wanted to tick things off and get it where it needs to be,” he said.

“The grandstand will be multiple levels, with the bottom row raised a little bit to help people see over the fence.

“There will be an all-abilities access ramp to the bottom step and conventional steps up to

the top, where we will have the timekeepers’ box and a media room.”

Mr Bell said the new changerooms would include unisex shower facilities, a trainer’s room and office, with facilities to be used by participants of all user groups including football, netball, cricket and hockey clubs.

He said funding for new facilities was a long time coming, with the club applying unsuccessfully for ‘a lot’ of grants.

Kaniva-Leeor United president Brad Dickinson said a $250,000 grant, applied for through West Wimmera Shire Council, would be used to change the lighting at Kaniva Recreation Reserve to raise it to ‘AFL-standard’.

“The lights we have are pretty old. We would be one of the last few clubs in West Wimmera Shire to get their lights upgraded, it’s been high on the priority list,” he said.

“It will allow us to use the whole oval for training, rather than just patches.”

Mr Dickinson said a timeline for the upgrades was yet to be finalised, but the aim for completion was 2025.

Southern Grampians Shire Council and Penshurst Football Netball Club aim to increase football participation, equitable access and safety at Penshurst Recreation Reserve through a $137,586 grant.

Club football committee member Adam Bester said the club was forced to trained at the town’s primary school last year due to poor conditions at its home ground.

“Last year our oval was a quagmire. We missed out on playing a lot of games there, particularly finals, which meant the club missed out on that opportunity for income,” he said.

“Another big factor was people were injuring themselves on it – these upgrades will help avoid a lot of those injuries.”

Works are expected to begin in October. The club was also successful in securing separate funding for an electronic scoreboard and will soon look for funding to upgrade its lights.

THRIVING: Stawell Thrive 50-plus Healthy Ageing Hub staff members, from left,

Jacinta Smith and Lisa Gillard.

Healthy ageing hub launch

Northern Grampians Shire has unveiled a new health-driven service that will help residents access crucial resources and information as they age.

The Stawell Thrive 50-plus Healthy Ageing Hub launched at Stawell Library earlier this month in front of a crowd of residents, community groups and health organisations.

The hub is designed to direct residents in the shire, aged 50 years and older, to community services, activities and events, and empower those who access the service to make their own choices as they age.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are eligible from 45 years of age.

Mayor Rob Haswell said the healthy ageing hub would be invaluable to residents and support them to remain wellconnected, healthy and active moving forward.

“When council staff reached out to residents, the overwhelming feedback was that people of this target age-bracket – 50 years and older – would like to be able to access an in-person service that offered tailored advice, ideally alleviating any anxiety or confusion about the availability of services and activities on offer throughout the shire,” Cr Haswell said.

“Our residents want to come in, sit down for a cuppa and a chat with someone who has ac-

cess to all this information and can help connect them to the right information about the most suitable services on offer and to help them navigate it all.

“Ageing isn’t something to shy away from, it’s something that we can all prepare ourselves for and this service is a great way to do that.”

The service will be offered by the council at Stawell Library, in Sloane Street, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 5pm.

The council has also opened a Thrive 50+ Healthy Ageing Hub in St Arnaud, inside the shire offices in Napier Street.

The service is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10am to 5pm.

Kim Birthisel,

Collect

Collect

empty glass bottles and jars and put them in your purple bin loose, not in plastic bags. Put all other household glass in your general rubbish bin. This includes broken drinking glasses, windows, mirrors, vases, cooking dishes, and perfume bottles. Correctly using your glass recycling bin makes a big impact on Victoria’s sustainable future.

glass bottles and jars and put them

your purple bin loose, not in plastic bags. Put all other household glass in your general rubbish bin. This includes broken drinking glasses, windows, mirrors, vases, cooking dishes, and perfume bottles. Correctly using your glass recycling bin makes a big impact on Victoria’s sustainable future.

vic.gov.au

Visit westwimmera.vic.gov.au

Leadership opportunity

Horsham Rural City Council is encouraging residents interested in making a difference in their community to enrol in the municipality’s community leadership program.

The program will start in the first half of this year.

The three-month program is designed to generate an engaged, proactive and diverse pool of potential candidates for the 2024 Horsham Rural City Council election.

Chief executive Sunil Bhalla said the leadership program was a key recommendation of the 2023 Municipal Monitor Report and would be delivered independently.

“This program is intended for existing, new and emerging leaders of community groups within our municipality,” he said.

“The Victorian Local Governance Association will run a series of courses between May and July 2024.

“There is no cost for the participants other than their time and commitment to participating fully in the program.

“Participants will learn about community leadership, communication approaches, public speaking, goal setting and monitoring, understanding community and diversity, reflection and resilience.”

Mr Bhalla said the council looked forward to seeing participants’

leadership skills develop for the benefit of the broader community.

Throughout the program, participants will practice good governance; build a strong knowledge base about the business of local government; develop frameworks that contextualise their own experiences and aspirations; and enable and influence change.

To achieve an effective outcome from the program, a maximum of 25 participants has been recommended.

Three members of the public with a background in community or executive leadership will make up an independent selection panel.

The panel is expected to be announced soon.

All participants applying must demonstrate how they satisfy the program criteria, which indicates participants must be 18 years or older; have an interest in developing their own and other people’s leadership in the community; be motivated to participate and engage in civic life; have a desire to use their skills to make a difference and enhance the community; and be able to commit to full attendance at all sessions.

Expressions of interest opened today, and application forms can be found at hrcc.vic.gov.au/OurCouncil/Community-LeadershipProgram.

PREPARED: Western Victorian Careers Expo co-ordinator David Crooks, of Wimmera Southern Mallee Local Learning and Employment Network, is encouraging people to register now for this year’s event.

Expanding careers expo open to all

Organisers of the region’s premier careers showcase are calling for organisations to register and be a part of the event.

Businesses have until May 25 to register for the 2024 Western Victorian Careers Expo, on June 25 at Wimmera Events Centre, Longerenong. Event co-ordinator David Crooks, of Wimmera Southern Mallee Local Learning and Employment Network, said organisations looking to exhibit could register online.

“Last year we hosted about 90 exhibitors and more than 2500 attendees, so it’s a great way to promote your business,” he said.

“We have all industries represented, including trades, councils, healthcare groups and anyone who likes to

promote their business to schools.”

Mr Crooks said businesses would have an opportunity to engage with a variety of different people, including students, job seekers, career changers and parents.

“There’s about 20 secondary colleges that attend. They travel from as far away as Swan Hill and Mortlake and of course all our really strong Wimmera and southern Mallee schools as well,” he said.

“The expo is also for career changers.

“We will be running a free bus service from Horsham out to the site throughout the day, to make it easy for people to get to the venue.

“We are trying to grow the event, and promote that it is for everybody.

“The expo is in its 38th year and it

predominately has been a school event, but now it’s really for anyone who wants information about careers, jobs or changing industries.”

Mr Crooks said there would be several additions to the event this year.

“We are going to have guest speakers, a seminar program, a try-a-trade section, which has expanded from last year, and also information for students about their future pathways through VCE and vocational major streams,” he said.

People wanting more information or to register for the expo can visit website, wimmera careerexpo.com or contact Mr Crooks via email, david.crooks@llen.com.au.

– Sean O’Connell

During this night we will be covering common challenges and experiences young people face, along with ways that family and friends can help them to support their mental health and wellbeing. We will be providing lots of tips and tricks around managing stress and other challenges that come with returning to school and navigating school holidays.

Participants who attend this night will gain the confidence to recognize themes and have tools for tough times.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

United for ‘best possible result’

Anew collaborative project between a regional university, industry and a development organisation will seek to address a shortage of care workers in the Wimmera and Mallee.

The three-year initiative, ‘Accessing Latent Care Industry Workforces for Western Victoria,’ was developed at Federation University’s Future Regions Research Centre, FRRC, hub in Horsham, with input from Wimmera Southern Mallee Development.

A grant worth close to $1-million from the State Government’s Workforce Training Innovation Fund is financing the project, which aims to connect research conducted at the Horsham hub with Federation TAFE’s training, delivered across community services, early childhood education and care, aged care, disability support and individual support sectors.

Dr Cathy Tischler, who is based at the hub, said she would lead the project’s research and engage with employers, industry and workforces to identify and understand barriers to workforce and training attraction and retention in the region.

Dr Tischler said she would also make recommendations to industry for investment and actions to better support sustainability of rural workforces in the priority sectors of healthcare and social services.

“We want to understand the challenges people in our smaller Wimmera and southern Mallee communities have in accessing training and education support and work together to remove those barriers,” she said.

“It’s important that we are using our in-region research team, who already understand the region and some of the problems that exist.

“There are small rural pockets of people in the Wimmera and southern Mallee, like those with family caring commitments, who are interested in upskilling but challenges of childcare and travel to and from Horsham make this impossible.

“We want to talk to those people to understand the specific barriers they have, put some science behind it, and see if we can find training and support options to meet their needs.”

Federation University Wimmera Campus director Christine Brown said the project demonstrated an ongoing commitment of the institution to address skills shortages and the ‘big issues’ facing regional communities.

“This project is different in that it starts with first understanding the barriers to engaging with training by prospective students, and then builds training approaches with identified wraparound services that support delivery,” Ms Brown said.

“This exciting and innovative approach will try and test options for engaging and supporting students exploring a range of options identified as barriers through targeted, in-region research.”

Wimmera Southern Mallee Development chief executive Chris Sounness said the project further strengthened the partnership between the organisations.

“Collaborating and partnering with Federation University on projects such as this is so important,” he said.

“Using innovative ways to engage with our local community works best when the people doing it are also embedded in the community.

“Wimmera Southern Mallee Development and Federation working together will give us the best possible result.”

End of an era at Noradjuha

Noradjuha Memorial Hall has closed its doors, with a lack of use and disrepair cited as reasons.

Outgoing president Bernard Noonan said the hall, which opened in 1953, officially closed on February 20, when the hall’s contents and memorabilia were available for community members to collect – either for free or a donation to the Noradjuha Recreation Reserve committee of management.

“Seventy-one years ago when it was built it was the mecca of the district,” he said.

“Times have changed and people have left the distict.

“It’s the same with every district – farms are bigger, communities are smaller – and

the hall doesn’t get used very much. It’s in a state of disrepair and it’s going to take a lot of money to bring it up to acceptable standard.”

Mr Noonan said the hall was well used from the 1950s to 1980s.

“The floor was put in for ballroom dancing and kitchen extensions done,” he said.

“In my earlier days here in the 1970s, when involved in the football club, there used to be a cabaret dinner once a month.”

Mr Noonan said after the current committee stood down and new committee members could not be found, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, DEECA, appointed three existing commit-

tee members for 12 months to see if they could revitalise the committee.

DEECA manages the hall because it is on Crown land, with the structure managed by Horsham Rural City Council.

“It has come to this after a lot of discussion with DEECA and the council,” Mr Nooan said. “It’s a very sad story – but not uncommon.”

Mr Noonan acknowledged the great contributions previous community members made in caring for the hall.

“In particular, we acknowledge Mrs Marj Northfield who was a committee member for many years, is still a resident of Noradjuha, and is 97 years old,” he said.

MEMORIES: From left, Bernard Noonan, Jennifer Noonan, Rosie Anson and Janet Heard reminisce at Noradjuha Hall as they prepare for its closure. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Call to overhaul disaster response

Grampians Community Health is among a chorus of services calling for Victoria’s disaster response to be radically overhauled with a permanent recovery and resilience program in disaster-prone regions.

The Alliance of Rural and Regional Community Health, ARRCH, has developed a model to establish a permanent traumainformed workforce in community health across rural and regional Victoria to support disaster recovery response at a local level.

ARRCH, which includes Grampians Community Health in its membership, says the model will overcome the negative consequences of the current reactive approach to disaster recovery. The group will submit a plan to the State Government.

ARRCH executive member Greg Little, also chief executive of Grampians Community Health, said recent Grampians fires reminded those working in the field of the current issues of disaster response.

“We will always be there to do that for a short time, as we are with our Pomonal and Dadswells Bridge communities, but it’s not sustainable – community recovery and resilience would make it sustainable,” he said.

Mr Little said, unfortunately, under the current reactive approach to disaster recovery, community recovery started from scratch every time.

He said this meant expertise of the experienced disaster recovery workforce was lost as funding for these positions was typically short-term, and recovery care and support could be delayed as agencies scrambled to find staff and determine a plan of action.

“The delay between activation of a local response, and the clarification of roles, expectations and funding, can lead to duplication of effort, additional confusion and frustration, and people and programs with no local knowledge or local connections are parachuted into an area for a short time, and then disappear,” he said.

“While this impacts on support services, unfortunately, the people most harmed by the current reactive model are the people who have been impacted by the disaster.”

Gippsland Lakes Complete Health executive Anne-Maree Kaser, who received funding for recovery after the 2019-20 bushfires and local flood events, said more work needed to be done on resilience development.

“We see the value of doing this work in between disasters and know this is a resource that should be in all ARRCH members across rural and regional Victoria,” she said.

“We spring into action during and after disasters, but we need resources to do the critical work between these incidents to help people to plan and to build community resilience so we are better prepared.

“You can’t be doing planning work when you’re in the middle of responding to a disaster.”

Ms Kaiser said the proposed model would build recovery and resilience between disasters as well as provide a localised response when disasters occurred.

“It would ensure vital local disaster recovery capability and knowledge is not lost, but is embedded into the service sector,” she said.

“For some people, recovery is more traumatic than the actual disaster.”

GATHERING: More than 180 Scouts and leaders from regions including the Wimmera, Melbourne, Ballarat and Geelong converged on Horsham Showground earlier this month. Scouts participated in archery, survival, pioneering, first aid, construction and raft-launching activities during a three-day camp. Western region commissioner Ken McMahon said the camp’s purpose was to highlight the activity of Scouts and prepare for the 26th Australian Jamboree in Maryborough, Queensland in 2025. Horsham Scouts, above from left, Tori Holland, Jackson Offer, Mason Offer, Angus Heard, Oscar Eldridge and Tyler Sherratt take a dip during the event.

Current and former residents of Hopetoun and Beulah have the opportunity to catch up and reminisce about the towns at their annual reunion on Sunday.

People with a connection to the towns are invited to the event at Invermay Recreation Reserve, from 11am.

Organising committee chairperson Cath Taylor, who is originally from Hopetoun, said the reunion had been happening for nearly 50 years, starting in Melbourne before relocating to Ballarat about 30 years ago.

“It makes me laugh because Ho-

petoun and Beulah used to hate each other because of football, but now they play in the same team,” she said.

“We love our towns and we have so many happy memories.

“Some of the people who come to the reunions haven’t been there for years. We just love it, we have great memories of schooling and sport, nothing you wouldn’t want to get back together for.”

Mrs Taylor said the reunion was very informal, except for a short period for the group’s official annual meeting. She said author of ‘The Mallee’

Hopetoun, Beulah reunion

and ‘The Wimmera’ books, Adam McNicoll was guest speaker and would sell books on the day.

Mrs Taylor said the new organising committee, which took over last year, organised this year’s event in Ballarat with a view of taking it to Hopetoun next year.

Committee members include Steve Haynes as secretary and treasurer, Phonse Liddle, Joy Weightman and Lyn Di Giovanni.

People wanting more details can email Mrs Taylor at rjcm@ wimmera.com.au

Sunday March 3 2024, 10am-2pm Grounds adjacent to Willaura Health Care, Delacombe

Sunday March 3 2024, 10am-2pm

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Grampians in Victoria’s Western District.

This boutique country market offers goods from local and regional artisans and is set in Willaura, surrounded by fertile farmland, which lies 34 kilometres south of Ararat on the south-eastern edge of the Grampians

The Willaura Market is a charity event run by the Willaura Health Care Auxiliary, with funds raised going towards improving the lives of residents and patients at Willaura Health Care, East Grampians Health Service.

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Local producers and local artisans:

• Homewares

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• Cards

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• Jewellery

• Giftware

• Clothing for babies, children and adults

Variety of food vendors including:

• Gourmet food

• Lions barbecue

• Coffee

• Icecream

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Wonwondah

728 Wonwondah-Laharum Road

158.7 Hectares / 392.15 Acres in two titles

It’s rare to get this sized package so close to Horsham with improvements on. Located 10 minutes South of Horsham in the renowned Wonwondah district.

Consisting of heavy loam and grey clay soils makes this property attractive for both grazing & cropping.

3 bedroom home that requires work, Shearing shed & yards, machinery shed and separate lockable workshop.

Fencing is generally good, 3 catchment dams and GWM pipeline ensures a very good water supply.

PRICED @ $6250 per acre

Mark Clyne

M 0417 568 200

Brimpaen

1189 Brimpaen-Laharum Road

952.05 Hectares

Rarely does a property of this quality & size become available in the tightly held area of Brimpaen located approx. 40kms (25 mins) south of Horsham at the foothills of the majestic Grampians with an average rainfall of approx. 600mm. Divided into 29 paddocks with an extensive laneway network. Excellent water assets with 26 catchment dams, 4 x GWM Pipeline meter points with an extensive network of tanks and troughs. 3-stand shearing shed, sheep yards, machinery & hay sheds.

AUCTION: to be held at 1.00PM Thursday 14th March 2024 if not sold prior.

VENUE: Haven Hall (via Horsham) 4378 Henty Highway, Haven

TERMS: 10% deposit on signing contract

SETTLEMENT: 60 days from signing

Mark Clyne

M 0417 568 200

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING TRAVEL TO POMONAL

In light of recent events, we kindly urge all individuals to refrain from visiting Pomonal unless absolutely essential. The Pomonal community is in a period of grieving and recovery, and they greatly appreciate your understanding and respect during this challenging time.

For those traveling to Halls Gap, we ask that you to go via Stawell to minimize traffic through Pomonal. This will help alleviate congestion and provide the local community with the space and time they need to heal.

Once the community has had the opportunity to recover and regain their footing, they eagerly look forward to welcoming visitors once again. Your cooperation and support are deeply appreciated as we stand in solidarity with Pomonal during this difficult period.

Thank you for your understanding and compassion.

HEARTFELT DONATIONS

We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your generous donations to support the Pomonal community after the devastating Bushfire last week. Your overwhelming response has inundated us with items beyond our immediate capacity.

At this time, we kindly request that you refrain from further item donations. However, contributions can still be made through the GoFundMe - www.gofundme.com/f/pomonal-bushfire-recovery

Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.

ANIMAL WELFARE

For animal welfare advice and information on support services for injured stock contact Agriculture Victoria on 1800 226 226. Smoke inhalation in pets can be dangerous. If you think your pet has been affected by smoke seek medical advice immediately from a vet. For further information

http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/emergencies

PROTECT YOUR HEALTH

Smoke can affect people’s health, people with pre-existing health problems, heart or lung conditions (including asthma), children, pregnant women and older people are more sensitive to the effects of breathing in smoke.

People with existing heart or lung conditions (including asthma) should follow the treatment plan advised by their doctor.

Contact Nurse-on-Call on 1300 60 60 to discuss any health related issue with a registered nurse, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Public Health Advice

Food safety after a fire

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/food-safety-after-a-fire Bushfires - Emergency information for communities

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/campaigns/bushfire-emergency-information Bushfires and your private drinking water supply

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/bushfires-and-water-tanks Smoke and your health

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bushfiresmoke

Bulls and broncos

The Wimmera’s March calendar is brimming with activity, and two highlights will bookend the month – the Goroke Apex Club Rodeo and the Great Western Rodeo.

Goroke Apex Club ran a rodeo in 2019 for the first time since 1994 and again in 2020 – weeks before the first Victorian COVID-19 lockdown.

It returned in 2023 with a bang and club president Oliver Gabbe said the committee, and wider community was excited for another great event on March 2.

“It’s looking to be a nice sunny day on Saturday, so we are hoping to see a few more numbers head out to the Goroke Showground,” he said.

“We had about 1500 people through the gate last year, but some poor weather earlier in the day seemed to deter a few more people coming along.

“As usual we have something for everyone, with a jumping castle, petting zoo and clowns with showbags to entertain the children – and the mechanical bull is back.”

Mr Gabbe said Woodall Rodeo Promotions would operate the rodeo element of the day, with bull riding, bareback, saddle bronc and barrel racing events.

“There’s $3000 prize money for the top bull rider up for grabs,” he said.

“All our sponsors make the rodeo easier to operate each year – a special mention to our major sponsor Albacutya Gypsum

and Limestone for its support. Tickets will be available at the gate, which opens at 3pm with the rodeo from 6pm. Once the rodeo action ends the band ‘No Mistake’ will entertain the crowd.

“We have even more food vendors than last year, with free camping next to the showground and a barbecue breakfast on Sunday morning.”

Great Western

After unforeseen weather forced organisers to make a lastminute decision to cancel last year’s event, the Great Western Rodeo returns to Great Western Racing and Recreation Reserve on March 29.

Great Western Football and Netball Club president Dale Hurley said wet conditions made the club call off the long-running rodeo at short notice.

“The night before we had expected about five millimetres and it might have been an inch overnight,” Mr Hurley said.

“It was devastating, we missed out on the financial injection, and we lost quite a bit as well.

“We had invested about $10,000 before the event.

“Some of our sponsors left their money with us and said to keep it for next year.

“We had a whole refund system set up but a lot of patrons also said, ‘please accept the price of our ticket as a donation to the club’. That was just heartwarming.

“In saying that, we still lost $10,000, but that was just bad

luck, this event has existed for almost 30 years and we haven’t missed many.”

Mr Hurley said the event began in 1998 and had only missed three years in that time.

He said the financial impact the rodeo had on Great Western was hard to replicate.

“I can talk for the club, it’s instrumental to our finances. It is our one major fundraiser for the year and means we don’t have to put on auctions and raffles – it allows the club to tap into some outside income,” he said.

“Different community groups help out with certain sections on the day and receive some funds from that.

“Thousands camp overnight and it’s not uncommon for some of those people to stay an extra day and check out some of the wineries.”

Mr Hurley said the rodeo attracted between 3000 and 5000 people from as far away as Western Australia and far North Queensland, including families and followers of the rodeo circuit.

“The crowd is astronomical. They can travel from hundreds and hundreds of kilometres,” he said.

Mr Hurley said patrons could expect a familiar event when the rodeo returned, including catering and a local band, but the real attraction was always different.

“The great uncertainty is how good they will ride them and how much they will buck,” he said.

For more photographs go to theweeklyadvertiser.com.au

NEXT STEP: Students competed at Black Ranges and Little Desert Secondary School Swimming competitions at Horsham War Memorial Swimming Pool on Monday. Event winners move on to Greater Western Secondary regional finals in March.

Pictured above, Flynn Dodson of Kaniva College, and left, Emmy Brunt of Stawell College, compete in butterfly events. Pictures: PAUL CARRACHER

Farmer dies in workplace accident

WorkSafe will investigate the death of a Wimmera farmer.

A farmer, 61, died on Friday while loading grain from a silo into a truck at a Kellalac farm, near Warracknabeal. It is understood the man was operating a

large mobile auger when it tipped and struck him on the head.

The death is the third confirmed workplace fatality in Victoria for 2024, all of which have been workers aged 50 or older.

Lauren Emblem

Kristen

Patrick

Financial recovery

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures indicate between 2017-2018 and 20192020 total average household debt rose from $190,000 to $204,000.

That’s an increase of more than seven percent in two years. The reasons why would make for an interesting study, however a more pressing question might be what can we do about it?

Combine high levels of debt with rising interest rates and a cost-of-living crisis, and it is no surprise Australian households are reaching out to debt management companies to help regain control of their finances.

Debt management, DM, companies, are private organisations that can assist by:

• Consolidating and simplifying multiple debts.

• Helping develop a sensible repayment plan.

• Negotiating with creditors to alleviate pressure on householders and satisfy creditors’ immediate payment concerns.

Sometimes, DM companies repay your debts –to a specified limit – and you repay them under a single loan arrangement. Terms and payment amounts can be negotiated, offering a beacon of hope and a sense that you are taking back control.

If this sounds like the perfect solution, remember that for every pro, there’s usually a con. For example:

• Engaging a DM company might affect your credit score. Though you are making regular repayments, closing or restructuring accounts might be recorded unfavourably on your overall credit history.

• Fees and charges apply. DM companies are not charities. Costs might include set up and monthly fees, usually calculated on the total debt being managed. Fees are added to the overall debt, which magnifies the financial difficulty.

• Generally structured and inflexible, DM plans require adherence to a strict payment schedule. This can be stressful if income fluctuates or unexpected financial situations arise.

While weighing the pros and cons of a DM service, following are a few do-it-yourself strategies for consideration.

Budgeting

Creating a budget is a three-step process. Firstly, list your income and expenses – debts, rent-

FINANCE focus

with Robert Goudie CFP GradDipFP Consortium Private Wealth

mortgage, food, medical, utilities, entertainment, eating out, etc. For debts, include amounts owed, minimum monthly payments and due dates.

Next, categorise spending into needs – can’t live without; and wants – nice to haves. Now look for ways to reduce spending; be honest, do you really need two coffees each day? The government’s Moneysmart website lists easy ways of cutting back on everyday spending.

Lastly, allocate saved money to debts. Identify which ones to pay first, prioritising those attracting higher interest, such as credit cards.

Negotiating

Rather than customers defaulting, most banks and utilities companies prefer to negotiate repayment terms, sometimes even offering assistance programs. The key is to reach out before it is too late. Be upfront about your situation and willing to arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement. Nobody wins when debts are not paid.

Government assistance

The Australian government provides a range of financial assistance packages and interest-free loans depending on circumstances. These include crisis payments for unexpected situations, and income support payments for cost-of-living expenses. Of course there are conditions, but further information, including application criteria, is available from the MyGov website.

Financial counselling

Financial counsellors help you understand your financial position and assist you to navigate your way out of difficulty. Everyone’s financial position is unique and there’s no one-size-fits-all, so it’s important that your action plan is specific to your needs and that you are 100 percent comfortable with any decisions you make.

• The information provided in this article is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice.

MUSICAL TIMES: Nhill is welcoming two country music performances, Allan Webster, pictured, and The Shelly Jones Band to Nhill Seniors’ Club for an afternoon of music and socialising. Webster, of South Australia, has recorded five albums as a solo artist. The Shelly Jones Band features duo Shelly and Lester, who are known for heartfelt melodies and some humour scattered throughout their shows. The event, on Friday, will start at 1.30pm and tickets are available by calling Heather Reichelt on 0417 911 867.

Renewed funding ignites SPARK for the next two years

Horsham Regional Art Gallery (HRAG) and Horsham Town Hall (HTH) are thrilled to announce that funding from the Victorian Department of Education for SPARK has been renewed for 2024/25.

e SPARK Arts Education Program, established in 2022, is a cultural package for schools that covers a broad range of visual and performing arts curriculum subjects (performance, drama, literature, music, studio art, visual communication and more) across all year levels.

e renewed funding, received from the Victorian Department of Education late last year, rea irms the importance of delivering art education to students across all year levelsespecially in regions where access to such programs and experiences may be limited or non-existent.

“SPARK recognises and values the positive impact creative education can have on young people- our belief that every student deserves to have access to these kinds of workshops and performances drives our work,” SPARK Arts Education Program Team Leader Cindy Francis said.

“We bring in a range of local and travelling artists with di erent areas of expertise and develop a comprehensive and diverse programming schedule for each school term, which schools can elect to participate in.

“ is schedule can include workshops with artists, performances from travelling theatres, Gallery and Town Hall tours and everything in between.”

In a two-person team, Cindy and fellow SPARK O icer Jacinda O’Sullivan work tirelessly to deliver a streamlined and high-quality programa considerable feat considering the amount of programming already scheduled for Term 1.

“We’re kicking o SPARK with our 2024 VCE Creative Arts Day on March 1 and are expecting over 80 students from 10 di erent regional secondary schools to a end. e day will feature guest presenters who work in various creative industries, experienced teachers o ering their expertise in di erent VCE subjects and a whole range of lectures and workshops for students in Year 11 VCE and Year 12 VCE,” Jacinda said.

“We also have a special, schools-only, viewing of Wesley Enoch’s e Sunshine Club coming up

for secondary school students and will be hosting tours of the Know My Name and Don’t Define Me exhibitions.

“In between that, we are in the process of developing our 2024 workshop scheduling- so stay tuned.”

To keep up to date with the SPARK Arts Education Program, visit www.horshamtownhall. com.au/exhibitions-whats-on/horsham-regional-art-gallery/education/.

For any questions or further information, call Cindy Francis on 03 5382 9578 or Jacinda O’Sullivan on 03 5382 9547.

SPARK would like to thank the generosity of our private sponsors and the Victorian Department of Education for supporting the SPARK Arts Education Program.

Performance Workshops

Immersive

Artist Workshops

Exhibition Tours Performances

HORSHAM

Singers on road to small halls

The Festival of Small Halls will be at Willaura Memorial Hall next week featuring some of Australia’s best folk music performers.

The event, on March 6, is part of a national tour featuring the best folk and contemporary acoustic artists from the Port Fairy and national folk festivals and taking them on the road to tiny halls in communities across Australia.

This year’s performers are Iceland’s Svavar Knútur and Australian duo The Maes.

Willaura concert-goers will also be treated to a performance by members of Ararat’s Karen community.

“I visited Australia in 2007 and again in 2010 and I met so many awesome people,” Knútur said.

“I had the most wonderful time, and I wrote some of my favourite songs while on tour in Australia.

“I’ve been itching to come back and see some of my wonderful friends again, and enjoy a nice and crisp Australian autumn while Iceland recovers from deep winter.

“I feel extremely honoured to be invited to visit Australia again and meet new people and sing my songs and tell my stories, and maybe get some new stories.”

The Maes, which includes sisters Maggie and Elsie Rigby, grew up as children of folk musicians, immersed in folk festivals, choir rehearsals and campfire sessions, which shaped two of Australian folk music’s most respected songwriters, singers and instrumentalists.

Ararat’s Karen community members are also looking forward to singing traditional songs from their homeland.

After COVID-19 and due to the labour

week.

force shortage in Ararat, the Ararat Rural City Council launched a New Settlement Program and Work Force Pilot Program in 2022, which has supported Karen families relocating from Myanmar to Ararat.

The concert, with doors opening at 7pm for a 7.30pm start, costs $15 for adults and $10 for children, with tickets available via website festivalof smallhalls.com or through Community Bank Willaura Lake Bolac.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own drinks and nibbles, with tea and coffee to be provided.

Willaura market set to shine

The annual Willaura Health Care Outdoor Market will feature more than 70 boutique stalls on Sunday.

Hosted by the Willaura Health Care Auxiliary, the market, from 10am to 2pm with entry by gold coin, will again be at Willaura Recreation Reserve, adjacent to the hospital.

Market stalls will include homewares, cards, jewellery, giftware, clothing for babies, children and adults, plants, candles and gourmet foods, and much more.

Willaura Health Care Auxiliary president Heather Fleming said the market was shaping up to be a great day for the whole family.

“Not only will we have stalls packed with homemade and homegrown goods, but we will also have musical entertainment by popular local band SOFT. And don’t forget the auxiliary produce stall full of homebaked goodies, jams, relishes and produce,” Mrs Fleming said.

There will be a jumping castle for children and other activities to suit the whole family, including the Stawell Vintage Tractor and Engine Club, a vintage chainsaw display, a working display of traditional blacksmithing from the Australian Heritage Association, stationary steam engines from the Dunmunkle Sump Oilers Machinery

Preservation Society and up to 40 vehicles from the Grampians Vintage Vehicle Club. There will also be displays from Victoria Police Proactive Policing Unit, Country Fire Authority and Ambulance Victoria.

“Added to all this there will be a wide variety of delicious food options, including the Willaura Lions Club barbecue, coffee and ice cream,” Mrs Fleming said.

Throughout the past 18 years the market has raised more than $100,000 for Willaura Health Care, incorporating Parkland House Hostel, which has included new furnishings and fittings, equipment and activities and outings for residents.

GUEST PERFORMER: Iceland’s Svavar Knútur will perform in Willaura on Wednesday next

ANNUAL AFFAIR: From left, Christine Doak, Heather Steedman and Willaura Health Care Auxiliary president Heather Fleming are looking forward to another market.

SOCIAL: The Wimmera was buzzing with events across the weekend. Pictured out and about are, clockwsie from above: Olivia Dunstan and Sam Leith at the 150km Feast at Horsham Showground; Justine McGrath, Zoe Crouch, Luke Crouch and Brian McGrath at the 150km Feast; Toni Jackson and Karen May at Minyip’s celebration of 40 years since filming of the Flying Doctors TV show commenced; Lauren Jones dishes up popcorn at Operation 19:14; Dorothy McLaren, Lisa Hermans, Katherine Bouma, Kerrie Flett, Amanda Carracher and Sheila Barber at the 150km Feast; Rose McCumstie at Operation 19:14, and centre, Jacob Harnett following a colour run at Operation 19:14.

Positive outlook

It has been wonderful to welcome both new and continuing students to our Federation University – Wimmera campus to start their semester one studies this month.

During the past few weeks, we have hosted a number of events and activities to introduce students to Federation and help them transition to vocational education and training, as well as encourage them to connect with their fellow students and teachers and familiarise themselves with our support services and the campus.

A Diploma of Nursing orientation session saw about 40 students in attendance, including 10 who had graduated from courses including the Certificate II in Health and Certificate III in Individual Support, which some students undertook as part of their senior secondary schooling.

Nursing also hosted a well-received ‘buddy lunch’ where incoming nursing students were matched up with a second-year buddy, or experienced Federation student, who could give them advice and first-hand support on preparing for their studies.

This year, our numbers in nursing have risen significantly, so we will be accommodating two groups of Diploma of Nursing students instead of one.

This is a win not only for Federation, but for our community who will benefit from more ‘home-grown’ nurses.

Our new group of Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care students also hosted an orientation event.

Early Childhood is another area where local uptake of the course has increased.

Along with the higher nursing enrolments, this is really encouraging for our region’s caring industries.

In addition, more than 140 first-year and 60 second-year secondary students were welcomed to our Vocational Education and Training Delivered to Secondary Schools, VETDSS, program where they’ll get a head start on studies and a career while they complete high school.

COMMENT

with Christine Brown Federation University Wimmera campus director

The students will study in the areas of automotive, building, plumbing, engineering, electrotechnology, salon assistant – hair and beauty, community services, health support services, early childhood education and care, and new program information technology.

Next month, on Wednesday, March 20, we look forward to hosting TAFE Fest, a free, celebratory event designed to help our students create connections with their peers and staff and help foster a sense of belonging and community. All students are encouraged to take part.

Students will become acquainted with our Wimmera campus as they enjoy live music, roving entertainers, barbecues, games, meeting therapy dogs and giveaways.

They can also learn all about Federation’s wide range of student support services to help them on their study journey.

Representatives from Federation’s equity and inclusion, library, scholarships and grants, disability and learning access, placement, and careers and employability teams will be on hand to answer any questions, and students will be able to learn how they can get involved in student senate and other groups and clubs.

Community organisations such as headspace will also be there.

All in all, it has been a very positive start to the year, and I look forward to a promising year ahead.

It is not too late to start your own study journey with Federation, visit website federation.edu. au/future-students for information on how we can help.

HiLux hybrid

Select variants from the popular Toyota HiLux range will be available with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology, from next month.

Branded as V-Active Technology by Toyota, the system will be offered on four-wheel drive double-cab variants fitted with an automatic transmission, including the SR cab-chassis, and SR5 and Rogue pick-ups.

Toyota Australia says its V-Active Technology contributes to greater performance and efficiency, and will be introduced alongside a raft of equipment upgrades.

For the first time, all variants equipped with V-Active Technology will also feature Toyota’s multi-terrain select, MTS, off-road system, offering drivers six selectable modes to improve traction across a range of conditions. Available modes include dirt, sand, mud, deep snow and auto in high range four-wheel drive, and sand, mud, auto and rock modes in low range four-wheel drive.

Further, SR four-wheel drive doublecab models equipped with V-Active Technology now include as standard dual-zone climate control, auto updown power windows, and keyless

entry and start. Toyota Australia says prices for the variant have increased by $1025 in cab-chassis form and $1605 for the pick-up, when compared with the standard SR four-wheel drive double-cab diesel automatic.

SR four-wheel drive double-cab models are available optionally with a premium interior, while all grades are offered optionally with premium paint.

HiLux SR5 four-wheel drive doublecab automatic variants now offer VActive Technology as standard, the grade further including an inductive charging pad for mobile phones and two USB-C charging ports in the rear. Pricing for the variant begins at $60,580 plus on-road costs, an increase of $590.

HiLux Rogue also features V-Active Technology as standard, while adding the same device charging technology as in the SR5. Pricing has increased by $770 to $71,530 plus on-road costs.

Toyota’s V-Active Technology comprises a 48-volt motor-generator and DC-DC converter to offer what the importer says are several improvements in driveability, performance, fuel efficiency, and noise, vibration

and harshness, NVH. The system further benefits the existing 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel driveline in offering an idle-stop system. This function, along with improvements listed, is said to deliver an approximate improvement in overall fuel economy of 10 percent when compared with variants equipped with the standard diesel engine.

Two settings are available – normal and long mode. The latter keeps the engine switched off for a longer period to allow for greater economy gains.

Toyota says restarting of the engine

is exceptionally smooth, particularly when starting on inclines where the electric motor provides brake pressure until adequate drive force is generated to provide forward momentum.

V-Active Technology is also claimed to improve performance by storing energy to assist the diesel driveline when accelerating, helping also to reduce the load on the engine in areas of the rev range with lesser efficiency. The technology allows a lower idling speed.

In offering V-Active Technology, Toyota says it has worked to en-

sure the rugged off-road nature of the HiLux is preserved, positioning the motor-generator high in the engine bay to allow for ‘successful and safe water crossings’.

In this way, the belt-driven unit differs significantly from other 48-volt mild hybrid electric vehicle, MHEV, systems, which are integrated within the transmission bell housing.

GoAuto understands power and torque figures are unchanged from the diesel variant at 150kW-500Nm.

– Matt Brogan

LMCT 403

taylortoyota.com.au

‘Close co-operation’ builds supply

Mahindra and Volkswagen have signed their first supply agreement on components of VW’s modular electric drive matrix platform for use in Mahindra’s purpose-built, Inglo-based electric vehicle line-up.

The move marks what the duo says is a ‘definitive step’ for the IndianGerman alliance and says it is one that covers the supply of certain electric components and battery cells aimed at further deepening the collaboration initiated in 2022.

Mahindra will be the first external partner to use VW’s unified cell concept, the core of Volkswagen’s battery strategy.

The supply agreement will run for several years and will amount to a total volume of about 50GWh over lifetime. It is understood the collaboration will assist Mahindra in strengthening its e-mobility footprint in the Indian automotive market and accelerate electric vehicle, EV, uptake in the region.

With more than five million new vehicles sold per annum, the Indian market is one of the largest automotive markets in the world.

The Indian manufacturer plans to launch five all-electric SUVs based on its Inglo platform from the end of this year, likely under the BE – Born Electric – brand.

AGREEMENT

The Inglo program comes in part from the result of a $250-million cash injection from British International Investment and shared componentry and technologies from the Volkswagen Group joint venture.

Volkswagen’s modular electric drive matrix, MEB, platform and related components are used throughout Volkswagen Group brands, including in Audi, Cupra, Seat and Skoda mod-

els, as well as in partner vehicles from Ford and Mahindra.

VW says the partnership with Mahindra is led by the Volkswagen Technology Group and its Platform Business unit in close co-operation with Skoda Auto Volkswagen India.

Speaking to GoAuto in India last year, Mahindra president of automotive technology and product development Ramasamy Velusamy said the

Born Electric range was one the firm hoped would hold appeal in India and across Mahindra’s export markets, with Australia a likely destination for its future EV models.

“Right now, our major focus is to get the platform development done and integrate the multitude of technologies it requires to operate effectively, because we want to get this absolutely right,” he said.

“We are almost completely new to electric and we will get this product into the domestic market in parallel with the start of battery electric vehicles into export markets.”

Mr Velusamy detailed the progress of his team’s electrification strategy, saying collaboration with one of the world’s ‘key players’ in the electric vehicle space had helped Mahindra realise its dream of developing an all-electric range, beginning with the e8 and e9 models he said would provide an electrified alternative to the XUV700 in SUV and coupe-SUV body styles.

“There are three or four key players with which Mahindra had hoped to collaborate. Tesla is the main player, then you have BYD from China, and VW with their ID range. Of those, VW is the one who came forward to say they were willing to share electric technologies,” Mr Velusamy said.

“Volkswagen is a very reliable electric brand and will help us to jumpstart our electric future. We will use some of the motors, and a battery cell that we acquired from them.”

The collaboration with Volkswagen aims to yield more than one million vehicle units during its lifetime, the components shared with Mahindra common to those of the German marque’s MEB platform.

– Matt Brogan

take a Break

On this day

1. How many single-councillor wards will Horsham Rural City Council have for its next election in October?

2. Minyip residents and fans of ‘The Flying Doctors’ celebrated what milestone related to the popular television series on Sunday?

3. What field days did the founding organising committee for the Wimmera Machinery Field Days visit, and take inspiration from, for their event?

4. The settlement of Isurava is on what famous mountain track?

5. What is the scientific name for the human jaw bone?

6. What was the nickname of former Southern Mallee Football League club Yaapeet?

7. What is Australian rock musician Jimmy Barnes’ real name, in what country was he born and in what state did he grow up?

8. What is the official language of the South American country of Brazil?

9. Kathmandu is the capital city of what country?

in

has

further traction after municipal leaders agreed to continue pursuing the idea. Horsham Rural City Council voted to receive stage one of a feasibility study. A Horsham Regional Museum Working Group, established in 2016 and made up of Horsham Historical Society, Horsham RSL, council and community representatives, managed the study.

One year ago: March 1, 2023

The Australian Energy Market Regulator, AEMO, released its consultation report last week on the planned construction of VictoriaNew South Wales Interconnector, VNI West, and has preferenced more than doubling its transmission capacity, as well as the Western Renewables Link, WRL, at Bulgana, near Great Western.

10. If we talk about the convergence of creeks in Dimboola district, how many creeks are we historically talking about?

battle between Australian and Japanese forces on the Owen Stanley Range. 5. Mandibles. 6. The Purples. 7. James Dixon Swan. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, migrated to Australia with his family as a five-year-old and settled in Elizabeth, South Australia. 8. Portuguese. 9. Nepal. 10. Nine. The town was known by original European settlers as Nine Creeks and before European settlement the Aboriginal word for the district was Watchegatcheca.

Answers: 1. Seven. The recommended names for the wards are Green Park, Horsham North, Kalimna, May Park, Oatlands, Pink Lake and Wyn Wyn. 2. Forty years since filming began for the show. 3. Orange Field Days in New South Wales. 4. Kokoda Trail. It was the site of a major

FOR THE WEEK MARCH 2 TO MARCH 8

ARIES: (March 21-April 20)

Lucky Colour: Peach

Lucky Day: Friday

Racing Numbers: 2.3.5.2.

Lotto Numbers: 2.13.25.40.22.26.

During this period, you can expect to maintain a relatively stable emotional state. However, be prepared for the possibility of sudden travel plans that may arise within your circle of friends, which could present some minor irritations.

TAURUS: (April 21-May 20)

Lucky Colour: Green

Lucky Day: Wednesday

Racing Numbers: 1.3.8.9.

Lotto Numbers: 8.19.26.30.33.34.

After enduring a tough time, you should be feeling a significant improvement in your physical and mental state, brimming with vitality and enthusiasm to confront any challenge that comes your way.

GEMINI: (May 21-June 21)

Lucky Colour: Cream

Lucky Day: Monday

Racing Numbers: 3.2.3.6.

Lotto Numbers: 3.12.25.40.45.33.

During this period it’s crucial to maintain a clear separation between your business and personal life for the sake of harmony and balance. It’s also a great time to capitalise on opportunities to enhance your financial situatio.

CANCER: (June 22-July 22)

Lucky Colour: White

Lucky Day: Tuesday

Racing Numbers: 3.6.9.2.

Lotto Numbers: 3.12.25.5.11.10.

As you navigate through this period, you may find yourself in a less-than-ideal emotional state. However, upon reflection, you may come to realise that a significant portion of your negative emotions stem from your own inflexibility.

LEO: (July 23-August 22)

Lucky Colour: Orange

Lucky Day: Monday

Racing Numbers: 3.2.6.1.

Lotto Numbers: 3.12.20.22.23.36.

It is crucial to request written agreements during this period as verbal promises are unreliable. You can look forward to an improved love life and the possibility of meeting someone truly special who will bring happiness to your life.

VIRGO: (August 23-September 23)

Lucky Colour: Lilac

Lucky Day: Sunday

Racing Numbers: 2.5.8.7.

Lotto Numbers: 8.15.24.40.12.21.

During this period, fortune may play a significant role in your love life and financial affairs. Be cautious of individuals who tend to spread rumours and avoid making promises when you are feeling pressured.

LIBRA: (September 24-October 23)

Lucky Colour: Cream

Lucky Day: Saturday

Racing Numbers: 2.3.5.2.

Lotto Numbers: 2.13.26.9.4.12.

This could be the momentous period in your life when you encounter that one person who captures your heart and soul, but only if you happen to be single at the time. It’s important to steer clear of other people’s romantic relationships.

SCORPIO: (October 24-November 22)

Lucky Colour: Cream

Lucky Day: Monday

Racing Numbers: 2.3.5.6.

Lotto Numbers: 2.13.25.40.45.44.

With careful attention to building positive relationships with authority figures in your life, your endeavours are likely to result in long-lasting success. Furthermore, you can expect a positive shift in your romantic life.

SAGITTARIUS: (November 23-December 20)

Lucky Colour: White

Lucky Day: Tuesday

Racing Numbers: 1.2.1.4.

Lotto Numbers: 1.14.45.8.6.33.

^ _ ` a b c d e f

It is crucial to ensure that you have gathered all the relevant documents required for your business ventures. Seeking professional help to address any potential issues is highly recommended.

CAPRICORN: (December 21-January 19)

Lucky Colour: Blue

Lucky Day: Monday

Racing Numbers: 2.1.3.6.

Lotto Numbers: 3.12.26.36.34.40.

As we navigate through this period, it’s important to be aware that some people may have hidden agendas behind their actions. When it comes to financial and business matters, it’s crucial to prioritise your own interests.

AQUARIUS: (January 20-February 19)

Lucky Colour: Red

Lucky Day: Friday

Racing Numbers: 2.3.6.5.

Lotto Numbers: 2.13.26.36.39.22.

In the coming weeks, you can expect a significant improvement in your financial situation. It’s wise to stay alert and open to new opportunities that may arise. You may experience favourable developments in your romantic life.

PISCES: (February 20-March 20)

Lucky Colour: Violet

Lucky Day: Wednesday

Racing Numbers: 2.3.5.6.

Lotto Numbers: 2.13.25.29.8.11.

When it comes to relationships, it’s wise to take things at a steady pace. Jumping in too quickly often leads to disappointment. Consider exploring new situations where you might encounter people you wouldn’t have met otherwise.

From The Weekly Advertiser archives: February 27, 2003 –Federal Member for Mallee John Forrest unveiled a monument commemorating St Helens Plains’ two soldier settlers Gus Fischer and John Matherson. The pair settled on 527 acres of Beddisons Estate at St Helens Plains in March 1920 after the First World War.

J.D. and N.J. Mays Builders has serviced the Wimmera in all aspects of the building trade for more than 35 years.

Owner John Mays has more than 50 years’ building experience, branching out on his own in 1981. Qualified in building construction and occupational health and safety, Mr Mays has built or renovated just about everything.

Mays Builders completes general building work, including renovations, extensions, patios, bathrooms and home improvements.

It also offers a helping hand to people building their first home, along with completing commercial building jobs. Mr Mays and his wife Noleen run the business. They employ two fulltime contractors and have access to other qualified builders for larger jobs.

TEXT HERE

Mays Builders operates anywhere in the Wimmera, within a 100-kilometre radius of Horsham.

Staff pride themselves on high-quality workmanship and service that is second to none. Mays Builders offers free no-obligation quotes.

To obtain a quote, give the Mays a call on 0418 823 224 or drop into Mays Builders at 56 McTavish Boulevard, Horsham.

Weekend and after-hours jobs are available by appointment.

BYWATERS, Edward Alexander ‘Alex’

12th November 193417th February 2024

Passed away peacefully.

Dearly loved husband of Marjorie.

Devoted father of Wendy, Lawrence, Peter, Garry & their families. Eldest Brother of Margaret & Jim (dec).

Forever in our hearts.

ELDRIDGE,

Denis Clarence William

18/01/1940 – 24/02/2024

Dearly loved Husband of Dale.

Father & Father in law of Krystina, Felicity & Andrew and Kingston & Sarah.

Loving Grandpa of Denny, Jasmine, Devin, Matthew, Felesha, Kassandra, Madison Joel, Samuel, Zachary, Danielle.

Great Grandpa to Mia, Georgia, Noah, Holly, AmityMei, Dustyn, Lucas, Leo & Daisy Anne

In Our Hearts You Will Always Be Loved.

Horsham & District Funerals

Amity & Dylan Hartwich 5382 1149

NUSKE, Bryan Alfred

16-1-1943 to 17-2-2024

Happy memories of a wonderful brother-in-law.

The many drives we had when I visited Lorquon and the discussions and friendly banter will always be remembered. I shall forever cherish the last time I spent with you in hospital.

Love Pam.

Uncle Bryan (Gus), sorry we never got to say goodbye. I will miss our chats about farming and politics and all the many good times and laughs we had including our country drives.

Love Simon and Kerry, Mikayla and Kyle, Dylan and Macquenzie, Maddison and Jesse.

Treasured memories of a wonderful uncle and godfather. So thankful to have visited you when I did. Forever in our hearts, fly high and rest peacefully.

Much love Nicole and Mark, Tashana and Dawson and Portia xx

ELDRIDGE, Denis

18-1-1940 to 24-2-2024

Dearly loved brother of Valerie Elbourne and Uncle Den of Venetia, Stephanie, Lydia (dec), and Justin. I will miss your smiles and stories as we gather around the table. Perfect peace after much suffering

BYWATERS, Edward Alexander ‘Alex’

The funeral service for Alex will be held at the Nhill Uniting Church Friday 1st March at 10am. Interment to follow at the Woorak Cemetery Emiley & Mathew Bone Nhill & District Funerals 0419 008 464

EADES, Deborah Ann

The graveside funeral service to farewell the late Deborah Ann Eades will be held at Horsham Lawn Cemetery Friday, March 1st commencing at 3pm.

Amity & Dylan Hartwich 5382 1149

ELDRIDGE, Denis Clarence William

The funeral service to farewell the late Mr. Denis Eldridge will be held at Horsham’s Anglican Church Friday 8th of March commencing at 10am. Interment to follow at Horsham Lawn Cemetery.

Amity & Dylan Hartwich 5382 1149

SMITH, Lance

14-9-1952 to 3-3-21

My shining star in heaven. Loved and missed every day. Your loving son, Dwayne.

SMITH, Lance

14-9-1952 to 3-3-21

My heart is split. One side is filled with memories, the other side died with you.

I often lay away at night when the world is fast asleep; And take a walk down memory lane with tears upon my cheek. Remembering you is easy, I do it every day.

But missing you is a heartache that never goes away. All my love, Janice.

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EverKool G75L Fridge/Freezer Premium Slide Out S/S Kitchen Dometic 3 Burner Stove 150Ltr Water tanks Joolca Hottap Hot Water 2 X 120A Century AGM Batteries 160W Fold up Solar Panels H/D ARK Swing up jockey wheel Full Annex, Eun suite, PVC Flooring Travel Annex Boat Rack, Loading Roller & O/B motor Bracket. $16,000ono 0428990602

Seeking Individual Support Worker (Ageing) to provide in-home care, Horsham based, duties include, dressing, bathing, toileting, minimum 1 overnight + 1 day shift per week, male or strong female ideal, Italian/English language skills ideal, more detail on enquiry Ph 0439307176

Border Collie Pups , ready 1/02/2024 MB151944, mchip# 985141007305092,-5095,-5096,5097,Tri-colored, 3 boys 1 girl, $900 Ph 0457691897

Parrots for sale, hand raised, young green cheek conures, extremely friendly, young aviary bred bourkes/ turks Ph 0408535515

Purebred black faced Dorper rams, pic# 3HSDC083 Ph Liz 0419664345

Purebred German Shepherd, 8wks, black and tan, great temperament, toilet trained, straight, two boys and three girls, source# MB115424, m/ chip# 956000016586733/68728 9/6693126/6668157/6681104 Ph 0421018631

Suffolk Rams, 18 months old,fully vaccinated, OB accredited, PIC3SGP010, ready to work, good bloodlines, well grown, $8000 plus GST, can arrange delivery Ph 0429196337

Wanted Person to look after 10 yr old greyhound placid female, odd times, ongoing and will pay Ph David- 0427864628

White Suffolk Maiden ewes, 4 x 22 drop, 2 x 21 drop, October shorn and vacc ready to join PIC# 3GMBM068 $120ea Ph 0428224090 Balmoral

Jayco Starcraft 2011, EC, -always kept in a shed- 19’ 6, queen island bed, reverse AC, 3 way fridge, separate shower and toilet, washing machine, TV/DVD, 2 large extra storage boxes on A frame, solar, 1860 tare $35,000neg Ph 0418777440

Kokoda Tribute 2 Platinum, 2015 as newcondition, semi-off-road, ensuite, custom design, lots extras $61,500 Ph 0493052729

REDUCED 2011 Pinnacle camper trailer - full off-road, hard floor, a full canvas annexe, tag hinge towing included, 2 new tyresspare is brand new, 2 batteries, 2 power points, light in camper, queen size bed and mattress, new fly screens in windows and doors, 4 burner gass stove, includes 2 gas bottles, 60 lt water tank,sink with water tap and electric pump to sink and outside tap, carries 2 large fuel containers, portable gas heater, portable toilet with pop-up shower or tiolet cubicle, folding camp table, Rego till Sept 2024, U28090, $11,000ono Ph 0429942936

3x Ajax wool press $100ea plus Gst ono Ph 0428894258

Air Seeder, 1200L 3 bin Simplicity tow behind, variable rate plus tubulator, spare control and loom $75,000 plus Gst Ph 0428894258

Case IH 2144 Harvester, 4375 engine hrs, 3108 rotor hrs, trimble auto steer, no screen, 25-foot flex front on Leith trailer, $50,000 inc Gst Ph 0428852409 Murtoa

Dog Trailer, 1984 two axle gorski,

grain top with roll tarp, always in a shed, no registration, needs work, best offer Ph 0428852409 Murtoa

A large elephant ornament carrying a baby elephant in its trunk, 36cms tall and 538cms long, a quick sale for $600 Ph 53824788

18.6 tandem cylmic caravan, full length annexe, elec brakes, heating / cooling b/d $27,750 Ph 53911050 Nhill

Fiat 513R Tractor, goes well, roll bar and reliable, $5000ono Ph 0419134855

Fire-fighting tank, poly 3000L, GC $1760 Ph 0427716088

Fuel trailer, 650ltr $2200 Ph 0427716088

Hardie NK 3PL 600L Spray Unit, 8m boom & reel with spot sprayer, $4900ono Ph 0419134855

Header NH TR88 with 36’ McDon front 960, ready to go $25,000, Jaeske field bin, 28 tonne $5500 Ph 0428946395

John Deere 3010 tractor with cab, 1965 model, rear tires 40 % front tires 60%, runs well $8000 Ph 0438951101

Macey Field Bin in GO $3000 Ph 0429857207

MF tea 20 with 2 spare rear wheel rims 1 with tyre Ph $2500 0419574884

REDUCED Chamberlain

C670 Tractor starts and runs well $3600, Morton Baker Wool Press $2500, New Holland Small Bale Pick Up Loader $600, all in working order excess to requirements, all prices plus Gst Ph 0400603022

REDUCED Field Bins , 2 Jaeschke 32t field bins, one with square top lids with and sight glasses $9000, large round top one with normal lids $8000, 2 Macey 28t $2500, all prices plus Gst Ph0400603022

Sherwell auger 33ft by 9 inches, 20hp, van guard, electric start motor, no fertiliser used, easy to handle, always shedded, VGO $7500 plus Gst Ph 0429979100

Sherwell Auger 50’, 9”, runs well $15,000 plus Gst ono Ph 0429911201

Silos Vennings, 10 tonne, GC $1760 each Ph 0427716088

Smale Prickle Chain , 2017, 50’ 15.24m double fold, one owner, EC $50,000 inc Gst Ph 0428852409 Murtoa

Stoll S6 2014 boom spray, 6000lt tank, 36m boom,10 sections, 520/85R 42 tyres, 2.3mt axle on air bag suspension, mud guards, stainless steel centrifugal pump with hydraulic drive, 450lt flush tank, fence line nozzles both sides, TriJet nozzle bodies, one owner/operator, $80,000 inc Gst Ph 0428852409 Murtoa

Tandem Trailer 10 x 5, good condition with solid checker plate floor, $1750ono Ph 0419134855

Cattle scales Gallagher, never used, still in box, load bars, 600ml, 2500kgs, stainless steel platform, best offer over $2000 Ph 0438096662

Chicken manure, ex sheds or composted available now The Good Dirt Company Lethbridge Vic Ph 0409889250

Chipper mulcher mobile heavy duty, GX390, 12hp, honda motor $2800 Ph 0448826464

Chook house, 1500mm long 1400mm wide 1800mm high, nest box attached keep your chickens safe from predators $350 Ph 53583400

Doll collection, celluloid, porcelain and collectables, leather handbags, brand names, tapestries large variety Ph 0498621118

Full set of pads for evap cooler, new still in box, can be cut to size $400 Ph 0417166277

Generators x2 Honda

Dunlite 10.0hp $150, powered electric start 7.0hp $300 Ph 042901878521 Horsham

Home exercise machine, full body workout using vibrating system $120 Ph 0417166277

Horse hames, old, 8 pairs $40 pair ono, McCormick deering 2236 tractor, front wheel $120ono Ph 0407911004

Jumbuck outdoor gas oven, trolley and cover, new condition $250 Ph 0448826464

Lavour Wash combo FF70 diesel shed heater and GT cold pressure washer $600 both Ph 0448826464

Roll top desk, beer fridge, Haier fridge freezer, wooden frame tennis table, will separate Ph 0429093269

Simpson auto washing machine, Hisense chest freezer and bar fridge, will separate Ph 0408504550

Strombeg Carlson timber radio, 1930, VG original working condition Ph 53824316

Table, black steel, glass top, with three chairs, GC, outdoor $50 Ph 0419560817

Workshop manuals, parts, books and catalogues Ph 0419821563

3 seater leather couch Ph 0439110899

Baltic pine kitchen dresser, buyer to collect, locally crafted in 1990, 2.8H x 1.32W x .52D $1890ono Ph 0429142897 & leave msg

Household items , Diamond Creek round pedestal table $140, buffet three door 3 draw $140, pine dressing table with mirror $50, double bed with frame bass, combination steel and timber head and foot, $100, 2x single bed Antique head and foot set, $30 each set Ph 0428504569

King single trundle latex bed , spotless, pull out latex mattresses, top quality, $550ono Ph 0427042750 Nhill

17’ speedboat Caribbean 150 V6

Yamaha on a Brooker tilt trailer, dual axle, motor has done 230hrs, VGC, all ski gear with the boat including boat cover, priced to sell $10,000 Ph 0407084235

3.7 Boat and cover, on aussie trailer with a yamaha 15HP motor, $5000 Ph 53582560 Stawell

3.8 Savage aluminium boat, new 18 hp Tohatsu motor, Biminis, Eagle fish finder, Mackay galvanised trailer, GC, $3700 Ph 0428826113

3.8 Stacer Kippa boat,15hp, 2 stroke Mercury, trailer A77849, cover, canopy, extras, boat reg J0296 $4500 Ph 5382 4210 Stacer 400 bass EVO aluminium hull GN915, 25HP mercury 2 stroke, dunbier trailer P72-007,

Shoprider Rainrider Mobility Scooter , fully enclosed, GC, goes well, genuine reason for sale, all accessories $3800ono Ph 0419821964

Single electric/adjustable bed, includes mattress,used but in EC, Includes as new Health Flex mattress topped with bamboo fabric, designed for pressure redistribution, purchase price $5000, sell for $2500ono Ph0435787449

Walker ,4 wheels with seat, adjustable, light weight, EC $80 Ph 0419560817

Wheelchair and Compression cushion, VGO $600ono Ph 0427857510

RevTech 4 speed ratchet, with extras, will go quick $18,000 Ph 0423859198

2011 Toyota Camry, auto, VGC, RWC, genuine reason for selling, 226,000 kms, 1JX6HQ $8950 PH 0409433755

Mitsubishi Lancer GLXi, 1999 model, EC, elec windows, auto, air con, one owner, RWC, 67,500kms, PLW182 $5500 Ph 0402117733

2011 Mazda3 sedan, EC, one owner, RWC, original 52,600kms with service records, YKK390, $12,000ono Ph 0428369529

Kaniva 2014 Navara D40 ST, 4x4, canopy, tow bar, new W/screens, back shockers, will come with 3months rego and RWC, reg 1D19LN, very low kms 135,000, $19,750ono Ph 0409210594

BT 50 2007 UTE, 3lt turbo diesel, VGC, express pass on vehicle, bull bar, driving lights, ARB Canopy, extra fuel tanks 50lts, roof rack, 6mths rego, 300,000kms, N4372 $14,000 Ph 0407084235

Doll collection, celluloid, porcelain and collectables, leather handbags, brand names, tapestries large variety Ph 0498621118

Hyundai iLoad, 6 seater, manual, diesel, 2,04,000kms, rego YPK951, $15,000 Ph 0497205899

Mitsubishi Triton CLX 4x4, MR MY23, DT, diesel, 6SP auto, double cab, model MR4V47, build date 20/12/2022, 18 inch back alloy wheels, Mitsubishi mats, tub liner, T bar, mudels bar, side steps, mud flaps, RWC, rego till March 2025, 27,000kms, 1WH7UP, $46,500 Ph 0419007741

REDUCED 2017 Toyota Fortuner Crusade 4WD 2.8L TD, 7 Seats, excellent condition for age, bull bar, tow bar, spotlights & UHF radio included, fully serviced at Horsham Toyota, RWC included, 137000km, 1KQ9HU $40,500 neg please call or text for more information 0423024026

REDUCED 2022 Toyota Hi Lux Workmate, manual, petrol 4X2 tray, as new, reverse camera, first reg in Feb 2023, recently serviced, 12 months reg, RWC, only 2800kms, 1WN4LZ $27,500 Horsham, Ph 0428504171

Silver 2007 Toyota Landcruiser GXL V8 Diesel, EC with accessories, locally purchased and owned, 298,000kms, WEU939 $47,500 Ph 0428 820 445

5x

ATM Tyres, 31.10, 5OR, 15 lt, 95% thread with black Sunraysia wheels, 6 stud, will not seperate $800 ono Ph 0418203511 Dave anytime

Load Leveller Weight Distribution kit for towing, suitable for caravans, horse floats etc. Ball weight 165kg, new never been used, $250 Ph 0407046864 Horsham

2002 Kia Rio sedan, manual, low mileage, EC, for details phone and leave message, RTP085 $3000 Ph 0498621118

petrol 4WD

2011 White Nissan Navara D40 STX550 V6 twin cab, auto, diesel, bull bar, driving lights, snorkel, long range fuel tank, dual battery system, 2 inch lift kit, canopy, hard top tonneau cover and roll bar, 1 owner, serviced regularly, rego paid until 23/12/2024, comes with RWC, engine number: V9X007595C, 297,500kms, YTZ 215 $25,600ono Ph Craig 0429832207

2016 VF SSV Series II Redline sunroof. 6.2 LS 3, auto. 88,000kms, white with black roof, beautiful car to drive 1UY9ZJ $57,995 Ph 0427015393

2018 Toyota Landcruiser Sahara , Crystal Pearl, beige interior, EC, 7 seater, many extras, 98,000kms, 1MQ2IT $100,000neg Ph 0428982514

2019 Toyota Hilux SR5 6-spd auto 4x4 turbo diesel, double cab, silver with black interior/leather seats, tinted windows, nudge bar, roll bar, tow bar, silver hard lid tub cover, 5-star ANCAP safety features, lady’s vehicle in superb condition, no trade work or dents, 91,000kms, BDG112, $53,000 Ph 0409355611

Antique German violin, bow and case, excellent playing condition $550 Ph 0417886268

Fender copy guitar, near new $350 Ph 0419509335

Gypsum, lime, compost and all granulated fertilizer spreading, modern 4wd trucks, Floatation tyres, GPS and scales, call Adam Ph 0427552432

Wanted, Land to Lease or

Share-Farm anywhere south of Horsham, from 100 acres to 700 acres, cropping country preferred Ph Roger Hallam at Mockinya 0418822700

Boom spray 800lts, 6m boom Ph 0419007741

Harley Davidson, custom 1956 frame black, 200 rear end, stretched tanks 3-inch belt drive primary

Hankook Dynapro

Nissan ute 2.4

great farm ute no tray, WD4SQ $3000 Ph 0417440396

2011 BMW X3, 6 cylinder, diesel turbo, white, 11 months rego, lovely car, 290,000km, YPC367 $10,000 Ph 0411502510

2011 Holden Cruze CDX Sedan, green, auto, just serviced, excellent running order, some external dents, Vin# 6G1PESES1BL550662, 137600km 1HO9DL $5900 0434557919

Aspire

Every day anxiety

Lutheran

Aboriginal Board Development Positions x2 Horsham, Victoria

horsham@ontgroup.com.au

horsham@ontgroup.com.au

www.ontgroup.com.au

We are all familiar (unfortunately) with the Covid epidemic and its effects. There is another condition which is very common in our modern society that is often labeled ‘anxiety’. Anxiety is not depression although they can be related. I would define anxiety as worrying about things that we can’t control. Anxiety can be brought on by traumatic events such as the recent fires in the Grampians. The feelings and emotions that people have in traumatic situations are actually quite normal but because the situation is dangerous and not normal (it doesn’t happen everyday, thankfully) we can feel overwhelmed and not able to cope. If you are experiencing very strong anxiety issues or trauma please see a medical person or trained counselor. Most people will experience anxiety at times. Anxiety can rob us of our confidence to do every day tasks - it can make us feel isolated and vulnerable. It may help to be able to name the fear; what are you afraid of happening?

It’s also important to trust those important people in your life that have your best intentions at heart. Having faith also helps – being able to talk to God in prayer about what you are afraid of, and asking God to help you. We used to sing a song in church ‘faith is like a muscle use it and you will grow’. The more we can exercise our faith and trust God and others, hopefully, the less anxious we will be.

Frank Tuppin - Uniting Church Minister

Expression of Interest

Are you looking to increase your understanding of the water sector and governance practices?

Are you highly motivated and keen to develop your leadership skills?

Wimmera CMA & GWMWater are seeking to appoint 2 Aboriginal Associate Board Members. These 12-month appointments will develop your understanding of the water sector, its governance practices and learn on the job with board members through attendance at Board meetings.

The Wimmera CMA and GWMWater provides a workplace and work practices that embraces, reflects, respects and promotes the diversity of our community and supports inclusion and participation for all.

Please contact David Brennan on 53821544 and refer to our website at wcma.vic.gov.au for further details and a copy of the PD.

Expressions close April 8, 2024

Sewer Main Renewals Program 2023-25

Contract Number: C01308

GWMWater invites tender submissions for the Sewer Main Renewals Program 2023-25. This contract includes sewer main relining works located across GWMWater’s operational region, with the scope of works as follows:

> Relining of approximately 6,571 metres of 150 mm and 225 mm diameter sewer. Works include:

- Cleaning of the mains prior to lining.

- Supply of all materials, products, plant and labour to complete the works.

- Reinstatement and connection of household connection branches (HCBs).

- Pre and post relining CCTV inspections.

The works are registered under the Industry Capability Network and a Local Industry Development Plan is required to be submitted.

More information about this tender is available on our website at gwmwater.org.au/tenders. Enquiries are to be directed to GWMWater’s Jonathon Horsfall Project Manager during business hours on 1300 659 961.

Tender closes: 2 pm, Thursday 21 March 2024

GWMWater reserves the right to accept offers in part.

The lowest or any offer not necessarily accepted.

Mark Williams

Managing Director

GWMWater is an innovative water corporation providing, managing, operating and protecting water supply and sewerage systems within the Grampians, Wimmera and Mallee regions of Victoria.

11 McLachlan Street Horsham

Call: 1300 659 961 (business hours) info@gwmwater.org.au | gwmwater.org.au

Expression of Interest

Are you looking to increase your understanding of the water sector and governance practices?

Are you highly motivated and keen to develop your leadership skills?

Wimmera CMA is seeking to appoint a Youth Associate Board Member. This 12-month appointment will develop your understanding of the water sector, its governance practices and learn on the job with board members through attendance at Board meetings.

The Wimmera CMA provides a workplace and work practices that embraces, reflects, respects and promotes the diversity of our community and supports inclusion and participation for all.

Please

Aquaclear Tank Renewals Project

Contract Number: C01310

GWMWater invites tender submissions for the Aquaclear Tank Renewals Project. The Contract involves undertaking the following works across tanks located at six (6) facility sites:

> Blasting and coating of internal tank surface.

> Renewal of various steel components.

> Renewal of tank pipework.

> Supply and installation of access hatches.

> Supply and installation of tank liners.

> Testing and commissioning.

A tender visit to the project sites will commence at 8.30 am Thursday 7th March 2024. To register for these sessions, please contact GWMWater’s Project Officer, Kane Clark.

More information about this tender is available on our website at gwmwater.org.au/tenders. Enquiries are to be directed to Kane Clark during business hours on 1300 659 961.

Tender closes: 2 pm, Wednesday 27 March 2024.

GWMWater reserves the right to accept offers in part.

The lowest or any offer not necessarily accepted.

Mark Williams Managing Director

GWMWater

11

be someone making a difference for people in your community

Employment Opportunities

**Attractive salary packaging in addition to salary**

See our website for further information

be

**Attractive

38 or

$32.21 to $47.50 per hour

Contact: Danny O’Brien

Co-Facilitator Men’s Behaviour Change Program 22.8 hours per week

$32.21 to $47.50 per hour

Contact: Sarah Sargeant

Closing: 12pm Monday 18 March 2024

To download a position description and key

gch.org.au

For further information email

or call contact person on 5358 7400

be part of our Call Centre team who are the initial point of contact for GWMWater. You will be responsible for answering incoming calls through both our general enquiries and faults lines, as well as greeting and assisting customers at our McLachlan Street office reception. When you are not answering customer calls you will be responsible for processing of change of ownerships, information statements, customer payments and shutdown notifications, as well as other general administrative tasks.

If you have a friendly ‘can-do’ approach to customer service, an eye for detail and a willingness to learn and adapt to changing task priorities, this is the job for you.

While this position is advertised as a full-time ongoing role, we will consider part-time/job-share arrangements for a strong candidate.

Applications close: Friday 8 March 2024

GWMWater contact: Ollie Reynolds, People Talent and Culture Officer

Graduate Engineer

Position number VG/4323 - Multiple Positions Available

At GWMWater our Graduate Engineers have the opportunity to explore all aspects of water industry capital works. This includes planning and development, technical and economic evaluation, design and documentation, tender preparation and review, construction and contract management.

If you are looking for an exciting career in a dynamic organisation which allows you to contribute to the community, then we want to hear from you!

Applications close: Friday 8 March 2024

GWMWater contact: Ollie Reynolds, People Talent and Culture Officer

GWMWater is an EEO employer and is committed to continuously improving our quality, safety and environmental systems.

To receive information in relation to these vacancies in an accessible format such as large print, please contact our People Talent and Culture team during business hours on 1300 659 961.

Subscribe to receive GWMWater job alert emails by visiting gwmwater.org.au/careers

11 McLachlan Street Horsham gwmwater.org.au

GWMWater is an innovative and progressive employer committed to contributing to the sustainable growth of communities within the Grampians, Wimmera and Mallee regions.

Operations Management Centre Operator

Position number VG/5506

The Operations Management Centre (OMC) Operator is responsible for the supervision, monitoring and control of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems for our water and wastewater sites and systems to meet operational objectives.

OMC staff operate in a dynamic environment to optimise the efficient and safe operation of GWMWater network systems. Liaising with operational staff to maintain our guaranteed service levels with customers is of high importance.

To be successful in this role, you will have excellent analytical and data management skills and be able to work across a range of technologies and systems. Experience in water or energy management would be highly regarded.

You will need to be able to work cooperatively in a close-knit team, individually when required, and have good communication and technical skills to provide the necessary support to our field and office staff.

It is a requirement of the position to have operational and/or control room experience, and participate in a seven day roster.

Applications close: Friday 15 March 2024

GWMWater contact: Ollie Reynolds, People Talent and Culture Officer

Stores Material and Resource Officer

Position number VG/5515

The Stores Material and Resource Officer is part of the Network Systems and Planning group which is responsible for maintaining assets in a safe operating condition, maintaining a preventive maintenance program, and resolving immediate operational and/or safety concerns. This position is based at our Kalkee Road depot in Horsham.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the co-ordination and execution of the store’s system functions, and the procurement and distribution of inventory products. This position supports the Store Coordinator in managing inventory, purchase orders, stock control, loading and unloading of parts and equipment, maintenance, housekeeping, and safety of our central store and surrounds.

Applications close: Friday 15 March 2024

GWMWater contact: Ollie Reynolds, People Talent and Culture Officer

To apply online please visit: gwmwater.org.au/careers

GWMWater is an EEO employer and is committed to continuously improving our quality, safety and environmental systems.

To receive information in relation to these vacancies in an accessible format such as large print, please contact our People Talent and Culture team during business hours on 1300 659 961.

Subscribe to receive GWMWater job alert emails by visiting gwmwater.org.au/careers

Mark Williams Managing Director

We are seeking committed and passionate people who are ready for exciting and rewarding careers in our growing community health organisation

Family Violence Case Manager

30.4 or 38 hours per week

$32.21 to $47.50 per hour

Contact: Gemma Beavis

Closing: 12pm Monday 4 March 2024

To download a position description and key selection criteria form visit our website: gch.org.au

For further information email employment@gch.org.au or call contact person on 5358 7400

Opportunity This Way

Join the Hindmarsh team and contribute to our beautiful Shire.

School Crossing Supervisor

We are looking for a friendly, reliable person to assist our patrons to safely cross the highway at school times.

Applications close Wednesday 13 March 2024 at 12noon.

Also open for applications:

Coordinator Libraries and Customer Services

Applications close Wednesday 6 March 2024 at 12noon.

Scan the QR code for details about these roles and how to apply, visit our website www.hindmarsh.vic.gov.au/workin-council or contact our Customer Service Centre on 03 5391 4444.

Hindmarsh Shire Council is committed to increasing diversity across the organisation. We encourage anyone to apply for our vacancies regardless of their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability status.

Just Better Care provides in-home aged care and disability support services, supporting people to live independently. We currently have two full time positions available in our Horsham office.

If you have excellent customer service and communication skills, a people person, ability to prioritise, efficient, take pride in your work and have an eye for detail, then you could be the person we are looking for

Customer Engagement & Liaison Officer

Customer Engagement & Liaison Officer (CELO) performs an integral role in business development, and client engagement, ensuring individualised services & support plans are developed and delivered to, both new and recurring, customers including the arranging of short term accommodation needs of customers. The CELO is responsible for liaising with the Rostering and Administration Assistants to coordinate the delivery of services to customers in line with service agreements and support plans and to provide quality oversight and reporting of the services back to key stakeholders.

Rostering / Administration Assistant

The Rostering / Administration Assistant is responsible for providing rostering of shifts, shift changes and liaising with staff on those matters. Be responsible for administrative and clerical services in order to ensure effective and efficient operations. The Rostering / Administration Assistant is to provide a courteous, knowledgeable and reliable liaison between customers, the public and staff members.

The Rostering / Administration Assistant provides comprehensive, high quality administrative support to the Just Better Care office.

Further information about these roles is outlined in the relevant Position Description.

To request a copy of the Position Description, please contact Just Better Care Western Victoria on 03 5381 1432 or email hr.wv@ justbettercare.com or via the web;

Customer Engagement & Liaison Officer - https://applynow.net.au/ jobs/JBC1074305

Rostering / Administration Assistant - https://applynow.net.au/jobs/ JBC1074306

Applications addressing the key selection criteria close Sunday 10 March 2024

Applications to be submitted via the above web links or via email, hr.wv@justbettercare.com

Situations Vacant

Situations vacant

TEACHER WANTED

Performing Arts/ Music Teacher

Horsham West and Haven Primary School’s vision is to empower all students to achieve their personal best.

Our mission is to maintain a community of learners who are happy and confident in their ability to learn, grow and succeed.

We are looking for a part time Performing Arts/Music Teacher to join our dedicated team!

If you would like to discuss this opportunity further please contact Lee McKenzie 0438 824 580 or email your resume to: lee.mckenzie@education.vic.gov.au

•

•

reports

and respond to inquiries on behalf of the executives.

• Lead the administrative team, ensuring office protocols are followed and customer service objectives are met.

• Act as the primary point of contact for internal and external communications, ensuring efficient flow of information.

• Organise and prioritise incoming tasks and communications, ensuring timely responses and follow-ups.

• Maintain records and databases with a high level of confidentiality and accuracy.

• Handle sensitive documents and discussions with professionalism and integrity.

• Coordinate corporate events and meetings, managing event logistics and ensuring seamless execution.

• Oversee the smooth functioning of the office, including managing office supplies, equipment, facilities, and coordinating maintenance and repairs.

Key Skills and Requirements:

• Excellent time management and prioritisation skills, with a strong attention to detail.

• Flexibility and adaptability to adjust to shifting priorities and handle unexpected changes.

• Effective problem-solving abilities, anticipating issues and finding solutions to challenges.

• Professional demeanour with excellent customer service skills and the ability to foster positive relationships.

• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, and proficient with MS programs.

• Thorough experience with event coordination and project management.

Journalist

The Weekly Advertiser is a free weekly newspaper featuring news and sport from across the Wimmera, Mallee and Grampians regions and is seeking a journalist to join its awardwinning team. This is a full-time position but comes with highly flexible arrangements for the right applicant. Newsgathering would include hard news, features, agriculture and sport.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ability to research, create and submit a body of factually accurate stories daily, guided by experienced mentors.

• Work efficiently to deliver news stories on time, and adhere to tight deadlines.

• Craft compelling and clear articles, reports, or broadcasts for print and digital media.

• Conduct interviews and fact-check information.

• Edit and adapt content for various platforms.

• Uphold ethical standards of journalism.

Key Skills and Requirements:

• Strong writing and communication skills.

• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

• Attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.

• Familiarity with journalistic principles and ethics.

Marketing Account Manager

If you’re dedicated to delivering exceptional results for clients in a vibrant, fast-paced environment, this is the job for you! We’re seeking a reliable, accountable, and salesfocused individual who has creativity, self-motivation, and exceptional interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities:

• Build client relationships and develop strategic marketing plans.

• Coordinate with internal teams to execute campaigns.

• Monitor campaign progress, provide insights, and manage client expectations.

• Work alongside the sales team to collaborate sales and marketing targets.

Requirements:

• Reliable, accountable and driven to exceed client expectations.

• Approachable with strong communication and dedicated to building long-term rapport with clients.

• Strong communication and project management skills.

• Creative problem-solving abilities and proactive client management approach.

Remuneration for all positions: Salary per annum will be commensurate with experience.

Situations Vacant

Brought to you by The Morning Crew

Weekdays from 6am to 9am

A run of success

BY TONY LOGAN

Horsham-based reinsman

Ryan Backhouse celebrated a back-to-back-to-back winning treble at Broken Hill on Saturday night, and in the process posted two new track records on one of the smallest harness racing circuits at 602 metres in Australasia.

Backhouse opened his account with the Naomi Kerr trained, seven-year-old mare Roscos Rescue in the Far West Rural Supplies Maltese Cup.

The combo sat one-one through the first four laps of the contest before making a move with 250 metres to go and ran down the leader Orama, trained by Andrew Vozlic, to score by two metres in record time.

The second of his three-in-arow came with the Vozlic-trained six-year-old mare Only Once Bitten, which led from go to whoa in the Spiteri and Camilleri Families Pace.

Backhouse rounded off the night with Naomi Kerr’s speedy five-year-old gelding Iambecauseofyou in the Workies Club Mile.

The odds-on-favourite ran his rivals ragged, 47 metres clear at the post in a rate of 1:56.5sec

– an amazing time around the ‘Silver City Saucer’.

Lil Ripper

Murtoa harness enthusiasts

Robbie and Jayden Gascoyne are enjoying a run of success as part-owners of six-year-old mare Lil Ripper since the Kiwibred daughter of Bettors Delight joined the Tasmanian stable of Rohan Hiller late last year.

Lil Ripper has notched up three wins and two seconds from eight outings in the Apple Isle – her latest being at Hobart on Sunday night when taking out a $9700 Prelude of the LHT Cup.

Presuming the mare pulled up well after that run, she’s onto next Saturday’s $14,000 LHT Cup Final with hopefully a decent draw and safe getaway from the tapes for Team Gascoyne.

Ultimate Vinnie

Great Western horsewoman

Taylah Markham is regularly seen at western Victorian race meetings working as a clerk of the course or strapping a runner for the Andrew Bobbin stable.

On Friday she will be in the saddle for Ararat’s cup meeting, but come Saturday night her attention will be on harness action in Hobart.

Markham is the owner of six-

year-old gelding Ultimate Vinnie, which on the weekend took out heat two of the Ladbrokes Tasmania Pacing Cup, earning a spot in the $150,000 final.

All honours were with the winner on Sunday night, as Ultimate Vinnie galloped away when the tapes were released and lost ground before driver Tayla French was able to get him back into gear. Given that was the pacer’s first try at the stand in 69 starts, having only qualified a couple of weeks ago at Bendigo trials, hopefully horse and driver will be better for the experience and Ultimate Vinnie will be right there at the finish.

Racing at Ararat

All roads lead to R.T. White Raceway on Friday for the Ararat Harness Racing Club’s flagship event, the $25,000 Ararat Advocate Ararat Pacing Cup and $25,000 Ararat Premix King Ararat Trotters Cup.

Nominations for the 2195-metre Cup include Jilliby Willow from the Marg Lee stable and Sly Terror for trainer Andy Gath.

The Trotters Cup, over 2570 metres from the stand, sees Kyvalley Hotspur for Brent Lilley and Keayang Xena, Paddy Lee, among the nominations.

CHAMPS: Horsham City, team pictured above, is the division one midweek Bowls Wimmera Playing Area pennant premier for 2023-24. The team defeated Sunnyside, 76 shots to 63. Goroke-Edenhope won the division two midweek grand final with an eight-shot win against Serviceton. On Saturday the weekend pennant grand finals will occur, with Horsham Golf playing against Nhill in division one, Nhill against Coughlin Park in division two and Sunnyside against Horsham City in division three.

Rebels squads prepare for season

Fixtures have been confirmed for the Greater Western Victoria Rebels’ boys and girls under-18 Coates Talent League seasons.

The girls begin their campaign on March 28 against Geelong Falcons at GMHBA Stadium, with their first home match at Mars Stadium, Ballarat coming in the fifth round on May 5.

Bendigo Pioneers will be the Rebels boys’ first opponent of the year, in Learmonth on March 24, before the Rebels play Dandenong Stingrays for their first home game on April 7.

Both Rebels under-18s teams will play their final game of the home-and-away season between August 23 and 25.

The under-16s girls will play two matches between March 2 and 17, while the under-16 boys play twice between March 23 and April 5.

The under-18s boys squad included Alby Kingston and Connor Weidemann of Rupanyup, Samuel Janetzki and Xavier Pumpa of Horsham Demons, and Hugh Toner of Ararat.

Greta Arnel and Poppy Peters of Horsham Demons, and Adelle Weidemann of Rupanyup were selected in the under-18 girls squad.

Violet McGennisken and Abbey Wiedermann of Horsham Demons, as well as Lara Purchase of Horsham and Nhill football clubs were selected in the under-16 girls squad.

Warriors win one-day premiership

BY SEAN O’CONNELL

West

Wimmera posted a convincing 88-run win against Homers in the Horsham Cricket Association A Grade one-day grand final on Sunday.

The eventual winners batted first, with the top order all making it well into double figures and scoring quickly.

The pick of the bunch was Nathan Alexander, who hit 93 from 82 deliveries before he was bowled by Gibson Perry, who also took the wicket of Brad Alexander.

Homers bowlers Adam Atwood, three wickets, and Chaminda Gamage, two, were instrumental to their team’s efforts in keeping West Wimmera’s total down.

Gamage’s impressive figures of 2-10 from nine overs included an LBW dismissal of Brett Jensz for a duck and Liam Preston for just two.

West Wimmera finished 9-214 after its allotted 45 overs, giving Homers a large total to chase down.

The Warriors were defensively solid from the beginning of their stint in the field and dismissed a number of Homers batters cheaply.

Bowler Xavier Bone tempted three Homers batters into being caught out, including opener Patrick Mills who was caught by Mitchell Dahlenburg and his replacement Logan Millar,

with Trevor Polkinghorne holding onto the catch.

Homers’ batting steadied in the middle order, but the team was unable to score at the rate required and were dismissed after 34 overs for 126, 88 runs shy of their grand-final opponents.

In the B Grade one-day grand final, played on the same day at Coughlin Park, Colts’ Josh Colbert was awarded man of the match as his team finished seven-wicket winners against Rupanyup-Minyip.

The fates of the two A Grade grand finalists were reversed during the first day of play in two-day competition on Saturday.

Homers batted out the day against Horsham Saints to conclude at 8-247

after 75 overs. Atwood remained notout on 111 after coming in at number four for Homers, hitting nine boundaries including a six.

The next highest scorers were Mills, who was trapped LBW by Mark Crafter on 38, and Gammage, who Crafter bowled for 25.

West Wimmera won the toss and bowled first in its match-up against Lubeck-Murtoa.

Shannon Reddie got the Mudlarks off to a strong start and carried his bat with 84 when his last partner fell.

Jordan Gurry and Nathan Alexander both secured three wickets for West Wimmera, with many Lubeck-Murtoa batters finding it difficult to stay at the crease long enough to adjust.

DECIDER: West

Wimmera’s Nathan Alexander took 1-5 and contributed 93 runs to his team’s grandfinal winning total on Sunday at Horsham City Oval. Alexander was named man of the match for his overall performance in the game.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

With the Mudlarks all-out for 151 after nearly 50 overs, West Wimmera looked to brave a wicket where bowlers had mostly prevailed so far in the game.

Nic Ballagh was dominant with the ball for the Mudlarks, recording 4-21, including Jobe Dickinson for 21, courtesy of a Xavier Shevlin catch.

West Wimmera had enough time remaining to face 23 overs, but was largely unsuccessful with a grand final around the corner and finding itself 6-60 going into the second day of play.

In the last A Grade game to begin on Saturday, Horsham Tigers bowled first against Bullants.

Tyler Puls led the charge in the Ti-

gers’ bowling attack to find the early wickets of Justtin Combe, 12, and Jamie Byrne, 17, who were caught by Marty Knight and Aaron Leith, respectively.

Matthew Combe, 50, and Shane Oakley, 38, were the Bullants’ highest scorers, having hit a combined 17 boundaries.

Horsham Tigers went in to bat for the remainder of play after bowling Bullants out for 194 after 52.1 overs.

Brenton Hallam, 38, and Dom Rose, 24, had strong showings for the Tigers early before Hallam was run out by Oakley.

Jordan McDonald then bowled Rose, but it was Matthew Combe who got the next three wickets to see the Tigers finish the day at 5-76.

Leith and Angus Adams were both given out LBW from a Combe ball, while Jake Durdin was bowled, with the trio all unable to make it to double figures.

The scheduled game between Laharum and Blackheath-Dimboola did not go ahead and the two teams will play a one-day game on Saturday.

Results, at the end of day one: Homers 8-247 v Horsham Saints; Lubeck Murtoa 10-151 v West Wimmera 6-60; Bullants 10-194 v Horsham Tigers 5-76.

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Pomonal in form

BY ‘ONE SHORT’

Pomonal took a big step towards back-to-back Grampians Cricket Association titles with its defeat of top-ranked Swifts-Great Western on Saturday.

Electing to bat first, the Combine paid the price of not batting out its overs and was dismissed with six-and-a-half overs remaining.

Losing its first wicket at 33 and the second at 72, the Combine would have expected a score near the 180 to 200 mark, but the introduction of Tyler Cronin upset that calculation.

With 5-30, Cronin tore through the Combine’s middle order to finish their innings on 158.

Best of the Combine batters was opener Jayden McCartney with 55.

Faced with a mediocre target, the Tigers cruised to 3-160 as Corey Taylor continued his liking for Central Park with an unbeaten 58.

At Halls Gap, St Andrews bounced back to the winner’s circle with a seven-wicket victory against the Gappers.

Led by Luke Stevens, 58, and Charlie McIntosh, 24, the Gappers recorded an improved

8-175. The best Saints bowler was Sam Summers with 3-35. It took just 20 overs for a Saints’ victory thanks to a swashbuckling 51 from Jack Ganley, whose innings included four boundaries and four sixes in 29 balls.

The highlight of the Combine versus Rhymney-Moyston match was an unbeaten century from wicketkeeper-batsman Craig Marrow, who carried his bat for 106 not-out.

Batting first, the Combine was in trouble at 2-12 until Marrow and Stewie McPherson combined for a 132-run partnership. McPherson scored 45 runs.

Rhymston finished with 8-73. Euan Lennie’s 31 was the best for Rhymston, while Marc Collins recorded 3-3 from eight overs with six maidens for the Combine.

Semi-finals start this weekend, which sees the competition divided into A and B with all matches being played in Stawell because of the lack of grounds in Ararat.

In A Grade, the winners and the losers from last round play one another.

The winners are Pomonal and St Andrews, scheduled for Sun-

day at Central Park. Both teams have match winners – the Tigers’ Taylor who seems to love Central Park, and the all-round ability of Cronin; while the Saints have winners in Mills, Haslett and Caleb and Sam Summers.

The losers, the Combine and Gappers, played just two rounds ago and should see the Combine favoured to progress.

Combine2 has a chance to progress to the final if it can repeat Saturday’s effort because its appears to have more matchwinners than Rhymston2.

Semi-finals –

A Grade: Swifts-Great Western1 v Halls Gap at Central Park on Saturday; Pomonal v St Andrews at Central Park on Sunday.

B Grade: Swifts-Great Western2 v Rhymney-Moyston2 at North Park on Saturday; Rhymney-Moyston1 d Chalambar on forfeit.

All semi-finals start at noon.

Results: Pomonal, 3-160 d Swifts-Great Western1, 10158; St Andrews, 3-179 d Halls Gap, 8-175; Swifts-Great Western2, 4-189 d RhymneyMoyston2, 8-73; RhymneyMoyston1 d Chalambar on forfeit.

For more photographs go to theweeklyadvertiser.com.au

FLYING: Dimboola’s biennial waterski competition attracted water-sport enthusiasts to the banks of the Wimmera River on Friday and Saturday. Luke Van Den Heuvel won top honours at the Dimboola Water Ski Tournament and Peter Taylor Barefoot Waterski Memorial night jump, followed by Conner Rodgers, pictured

above, in second and Fletcher Ball, left, in third. The crowd was treated to slalom, tricks and jumps before a fireworks show. Pictures: PAUL CARRACHER

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Test of the best

BY ABBY WALTER

For the second time in as many weeks, a Central Wimmera Tennis Association pennant game finished with teams six sets all, providing an exciting lead-up to this week’s semi-finals.

Drung South defeated St Michaels by four games on Saturday despite Steve Schultz’s three set wins.

Hayley Reid and Dale Schmidt were most consistent for Drung South.

Central Park was too strong, winning by four sets against Horsham Lawn, who finished on top of the ladder.

Brendan Nitschke and Sharon Clough won all their sets for the winning team, while Lachlan Punchard played well for Horsham Lawn.

The first week of finals will see the games repeated, with Central Park and Horsham Lawn playing for the first position in the grand final.

Meanwhile, Drung South and St Michaels will fight for the opportunity to play another week, with the winner taking on the defeated team of the other game on March 16 for the second grandfinal position. In the four times Horsham

Lawn and Central Park have met this season, each team has won on two occasions, proving it could be anyone’s game.

The pressure is on for St Michaels, having only defeated Drung South once this season.

All players will need to bring their all to stay in the finals race.

Other grades

In A Special, the top two teams will meet for the first time this season in a semi-final, as the Natimuk and Horsham Lawn Gillespie game in round nine was not played due to wet weather.

Both teams have only lost two games for the season and finished in a draw once, so their clash on Saturday will be a test of the best.

Kalkee and Horsham Lawn O’Connor will come up against each other for the third time, with Kalkee having bested Horsham Lawn on the two previous occasions.

Kalkee had a bye in round 15, so consistency for Horsham Lawn players could be what gets them over the line.

In A Grade, Central Park and St Michaels Red will compete for the first position in the grand final.

St Michaels Red moved into the grade in round six, so the

teams only met once throughout the season and Central Park, while finishing on top of the ladder, lost by two sets.

Both teams are coming off wins in the final home-and-away round, so will move into the semi-final with confidence.

It’s a battle of the Horsham Lawn teams, Bardell and McGennisken in the other semifinal. The teams have met twice with both teams winning once by two sets.

The teams played against Central Park and St Michaels Red in round 15, so will be working hard to turn the results around.

In B Special, Central Park and Horsham Lawn finished on top of the ladder.

This season Central Park has defeated Horsham Lawn by two sets on three occasions and will look to make it a fourth.

However, Horsham Lawn is coming off a 12-set win and that momentum could put it in good stead.

Laharum and Natimuk will meet for the second time in two weeks after Natimuk won by eight sets in round 15.

On previous occasions, Laharum won by six sets and Natimuk won by four, so it is set to be a close contest.

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Final round results and ladders

Seniors

Pennant: Central Park 8-85 d Horsham Lawn 4-56; Drung South 6-70 d St Michaels 6-66.

Ladder: Horsham Lawn, Central Park, Drung South, St Michaels.

A Special: Natimuk 10-99 d Central Park 4-57; Horsham Lawn Gillespie 7-89 d Brimpaen 7-79; Horsham Lawn O’Connor 12-102 d Homers 2-62; Haven 8-82 d Drung South 6-71.

Ladder: Horsham Lawn Gillespie, Natimuk, Kalkee, Horsham Lawn O’Connor, Haven, Brimpaen, Homers, Central Park, Drung South.

A Grade: Central Park 8-80 d Horsham Lawn McGennisken 4-55; St Michaels White forfeited to Drung South 12-96; St Michaels Red 8-87 d Horsham Lawn Bardell 4-57.

Ladder: Central Park, St Michaels Red, Horsham Lawn Bardell, Horsham Lawn McGennisken, Haven, Drung South, St Michaels White.

B Special: Horsham Lawn 14-89 d Haven 2-38; Natimuk 12-83 d Laharum 4-62.

Ladder: Central Park, Horsham Lawn, Laharum, Natimuk, Haven.

Juniors

Open: Central Park 5-34 d Haven 1-16; Homers forfeited to Brimpaen; Natimuk 5-33 d Horsham Lawn 1-17.

Ladder: Central Park, Quantong, Brimpaen, Haven, Horsham Lawn, Homers, Natimuk.

Section 1 Boys: Central Park Blue 6-36 d Homers 0-13; Central Park White 3-29 d Horsham Lawn 3-26.

Ladder: Horsham Lawn, Central Park White, Central Park Blue, Homers.

Section 1 Girls: Central Park 5-33 d Horsham Lawn White 1-17; Haven 5-32 d Horsham

Lawn Gold 1-29.

Ladder: Central Park, Homers, Horsham Lawn Gold, Horsham Lawn White, Haven.

Section 2 Boys: Haven 5-31 d Homers 1-23; Horsham Lawn White 4-32 d Horsham Lawn Green 2-19.

Ladder: Horsham Lawn White, Homers, Horsham Lawn Green, Haven.

Section 2 Girls: Horsham Lawn White 5-34 d Central Park-Homers 1-14; Horsham Lawn Gold 4-27 d Haven 2-22; Central Park White 3-27 d Central Park Blue 3-25.

Ladder: Horsham Lawn Gold, Horsham Lawn White, Haven, Central Park Blue, Central Park White, Horsham Lawn Green, Central Park-Homers.

Section 3 Boys: Haven 3-28 d Central Park 3-23; Horsham Lawn Green 6-36 d Horsham Lawn Gold 0-9.

Ladder: Haven, Horsham Lawn Green, Central Park, Horsham Lawn Gold.

Section 3 Girls: Horsham Lawn Gold 5-35 d Horsham Lawn White 1-23; Haven Orange 4-27 d Haven Pink 2-24.

Ladder: Haven Orange, Horsham Lawn Gold, Horsham Lawn White, Natimuk, Haven Pink.

Section 4 Boys: Horsham Lawn Gold 4-30 d Horsham Lawn White 2-20; Horsham Lawn Red 5-30 d Natimuk 1-21.

Ladder: Central Park, Horsham Lawn Red, Horsham Lawn Gold, Natimuk, Horsham Lawn White.

Section 4 Girls: Horsham Lawn White 3-26 d Horsham Lawn Gold 3-23; Central Park 5-31 d Horsham Lawn Green 1-21.

Ladder: Central Park, Horsham Lawn Green, Horsham Lawn White, Horsham Lawn Gold, Homers.

Match Play Section 5: Central Park 5-21 d Horsham Lawn Gold 1-17; Horsham Lawn Yellow 3-16 d Haven Blue 3-13; Homers forfeited to Horsham Lawn White; Haven White 6-24 d Horsham Lawn Green 0-7.

Ladder: Haven White, Horsham Lawn Green, Horsham Lawn White, Horsham Lawn Yellow, Central Park, Haven Blue, Horsham Lawn Gold, Homers.

Match Play Section 6: Central Park 6-24 d Horsham Lawn Red 0-9; Horsham Lawn Blue 6-24 d Horsham Lawn Orange 0-5.

Ladder: Haven, Horsham Lawn Red, Central Park, Horsham Lawn Orange, Horsham Lawn Blue.

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Junior state championshi ps

Horsham Lawn Tennis Club once again hosted a successful Victorian State Teams Championships, after two days of junior competition.

About 180 players from across the state competed in 12-and-under, 14-andunder and junior open girls’ and boys’ categories at the weekend.

Waverley won the Pat Cash Cup title, and the Wimmera region team finished 10th overall.

The Wimmera’s 12-and-under girls’ team of Lydi Boyd and Sienna Nitschke won section two, and the Wimmera 14-and-under boys’ team of Harry Allan and Eli Bailey finished runner-up in section two.

The 12-and-under boys’ team was Archer Reading and Nick Gillespie and

the 14-and-under girls were Adele Joseph and Emma Streeter.

Representing the Wimmera in open girls was Tahlia and Ella Thompson and the open boys was a team of Aiden Richardson and D’Artagnan Walls, and a second team of Harry Daniell and August Koch.

Wimmera team manager Sandra Casey said everyone played well in competitive matches across the weekend.

“The whole team put on an excellent show of tennis and sportsmanship,” she said.

Thirteen tennis regions competed at the tournament, including seven metropolitan and six country regions.

Tennis Victoria’s State Teams Championships are scheduled to return to Horsham Lawn Tennis Club in 2025.

For

Harry Daniell, Wimmera

Anastasia Papadopoulos, Western

August Koch, Wimmera

Adele McNamara, South West

Emma Streeter and Adele Joseph, Wimmera

spOrt

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Record volleyball season ahead

BY DAVID BERRY

Thenumbers tell the story for Volleyball Horsham, with a record season ahead.

Forty-three teams will participate across seven grades of competition, involving more than 275 players made up of 144 females and 131 males, with 12 games played on Monday and eight games on Wednesday evenings.

Participation has been steadily increasing post-COVID as each season has gone by, parallel to the sport statewide.

Unfortunately, games on Monday nights have had to be cut back to 45 minutes to ensure we are not still playing at midnight, while byes have been created on Wednesdays to stay within the four-hour window of court space available.

If that isn’t enough proof that a new multi-purpose stadium in Horsham is needed then I’ll eat my hat.

If Monday night’s competition is any indication, with the St Brigid’s College stadium abuzz with activity, tonight’s players in the women’s A and B grades are in for a fun night of participation.

The highlight match in the women’s competition tonight is at 6pm on court one, with Lakers and Tsunami going head-to-head.

Lakers made the preliminary final last season and will look to Kayla

Kelm to be at her dynamic best, ably supported by Tayla Eltze and Ella Hogan.

The new-look Tsunami team will see sisters Tamikah and Tiffany Petering take the court for the first time together in what promises to be an interesting sibling dynamic.

In A Grade, a new-look younger

Phantoms team, under the experienced Shaun Bray, will take on the experienced Tsunami team headed by Laelah Robertson.

Phantoms will rely on setter Noah Werry and high-leaping Oscar Jackman to combine well together, while Robertson has Heath Warrick and Alex Baker as her two key players.

In B Grade, it will be a grand final replay of sorts, with the standout match when the Horsham College teachers’ team of Maccas Malakas, headed by Luke McCallum and Nick Rigas, renew acquaintances with a new-look student team from Horsham College Stars, spearheaded by Kylie Angue and Paige Millar. Stars got

the better of Maccas Malakas in last season’s grand final so a tight contest beckons.

Ararat come-and-try night

One final come-and-try night will be at the Ararat Fitness Centre tomorrow from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

A regular competition is scheduled to start next week, so there is still time for people to enter their team.

If anyone cannot make it but would like to be included in a team in the competition, they can contact info@ volleyballhorsham.com.au and leave their details.

Phantoms on the increase

In line with the increase in participation across the state, Phantoms experienced the same increase with more than 100 participants across two trials in Warrnambool and Horsham for teams to compete in the upcoming season of State League. Numbers exceeded the club’s expectations, with more than 70 males and 40 females trialling.

The club made the decision to enter a fourth men’s team, which will play in the State League 2 division, with team entries already secured for Premier 1 and 2 and State League 1.

The club will use tournaments in Warrnambool and Ballarat next month to prepare the teams for State League, with the season set to start on April 6.

RTO Training Resource Developer

Horsham

Closing date: March 8, 2024

About you:

• Previous experience in a similar role.

• Negotiation skills with the ability to build and maintain strong working relationships.

• Strong ethical and collaborative focus

• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal.

• Excellent design and presentations skills.

• Excellent attention to detail.

To obtain a copy of the Position Description, please email tamira.cullinan@skillinvest.com.au

Business Traineeship

Warracknabeal

Closing date: ASAP

Requirements:

• Competency in MS Office, sound computer skills

• Excellent communication and able to work in a team

• Willingness to commit to work and study

• Evidence of COVID 19 certificates required

For more information contact Kate Clark on 0428 971 821.

Water Operations Traineeship

Donald

Closing date: ASAP

Requirements:

• Possess a strong customer service focus

• Physically Fit

• Attention to detail

• Strong desire to work in a team environment

• Possess creativity and innovation

• Driver’s Licence required

*2023 School Leavers encouraged to apply.

For more information contact Daryl Eastwell on 0407 364 654.

Apprentice Mechanic

Horsham

Closing date: March 5, 2024

Requirements:

• Enjoy practical and manual activities

• Good hand-eye coordination

• Strong mechanical aptitude and problem-solving skills

• Able to read and interpret technical information from service manuals

For more information contact Shane Cross on 0418 564 890 for a confidential discussion.

Field Agronomist – Farm Operations

Horsham

Closing date: ASAP

Requirements:

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a similar position

• Diploma/Degree in Agriculture or Agronomy

• ChemCert/ACUP (preferable, if not willingness to obtain)

• Driver’s Licence (Heavy Rigid preferable, if not willingness to obtain)

• Forklift Licence (preferable, if not willingness to obtain)

To discuss this opportunity further, contact Skillinvest on 1300 135 008.

RTO Compliance Officer

Horsham

Closing date: March 8, 2024

Essential Skills:

• Experience with and knowledge of a Student Management System (VETtrak and/or aXcelerate).

• Sound knowledge of ASQA, VRQA regulatory frameworks and other licencing bodies.

• Detailed knowledge of Skills First funding contract.

• Certificate IV in Training & Assessment is desirable.

• Well-developed communication and interpersonal skills.

• Proven ability to meet deadlines.

Please contact Lauren Carter via email lauren.carter@ skillinvest.com.au for a Position Description. All applications must address the selection criteria.

DIGGING DEEP: Tyler Puls trials for the Phantoms volleyball squad. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Eight-race card at Edenhope Cup

Fashions on the field includes a range of categories to enter, meaning there is something for everyone.

An eight-event card is on the schedule, culminating in the $50,000 bet365 Edenhope Cup.

Edenhope Racing Club president John Burchell said the town was gearing up for a return to the much-anticipated event with a great day of racing and entertainment for singles, families and groups on March 9.

“The committee has been working hard to ensure the grounds and track are up to scratch and we are excited for the upcoming race day,” he said.

“We’ve got free kids activities including a jumping castle and face painting.

“As always, the event is fully catered with a range of food stalls and the bar for all tastes and budgets; and for those who prefer to find a place to park for the whole day, we still have tickets into the Lounge Garden available.

“Umbrella and marquee packages have sold out early this year, so we encourage those who missed out to get their tickets as soon as possible.”

The lounge garden is situated on the mound with fantastic views of the track and tickets include entry and a drinks and food package.

“Nominations for the cup do not close until the Monday before the races, but we are hopeful that 2021 winner, Farooq, from the Sue Murphy stables, will be back to defend his title after recently winning the Naracoorte Cup,” Mr Burchell.

“We also have a few local trainers with some strong chances in the other races.

“Once again, the club has received fantastic support from all of our sponsors, both for the racing events and the trackside entertainment and facilities and while I don’t want to try and name them all and risk missing someone, we thank them for their ongoing support – we could not do this without them.

“The track is looking fantastic, so we’re looking forward to a great day of racing.”

Edenhope Racing Club and the TAC are ensuring all racegoers get to and from the cup safely, with free travel on the town shuttle.

More information is available on the Edenhope Race Club Facebook page or at countryracing. com.au/clubs/edenhope.

March 9 and 10, while Peter will run in 400, 800 and 1200-metre races.

Athletes prepare for states

Horsham Little Athletics Club will be wellrepresented at state level after successful performances at Regional Track and Field Championships in Ballarat earlier this month.

President Peta Bond said 12 athletes from the club qualified for the State Track and Field Championships based on their performances at the regional competition.

Bond said she expected another strong showing when the championships began at Knox Park Athletics Centre in Knoxfield, Melbourne on March 9.

“We usually have athletes finish in the top 10 at state, but to have multiple athletes with the potential to finish in the top five, this would be the first in a really long time,” she said.

“Our best four are probably Jack Sawyer, he placed third in State Primary Track and Field Championships in boys under-11 100m and 200m events. Georgia Foster was second fastest

in Secondary Track and Field Championships in the under-14 girls 100m and 200m. Asha Meek, in the hurdles, 80m and 200m, was fourth at state combined events and Jett Hill is another up-andcoming member of the club who has potential to do really well,” she said.

Bond said the Horsham entrants would be up against winners from eight other athletics regions in the state and the 16 next best times, jumps or throws, to create a field of 24 for each event.

“The best athletes in the state from under-nine to under-17 age groups will be there vying for a spot,” she said.

Horsham Little Athletics Club athletes attending include Gretel Blake, Georgia Foster, Jett Hill, Asha Meek, Hannah Plazzer, Stephanie Plazzer, Jack Sawyer, Mitchell Sawyer, Maya Smith, Tom Warner, Luke White and Peter White.

NEXT STEP: Luke and Peter White were among Horsham Little Athletics Club athletes to take home medals at Regional Track and Field Championships in Ballarat earlier this month. Luke will compete in long jump and hurdles at state level on

Barefoot skiers make a splash

Luke Van Den Heuvel flies off the ramp in the Wimmera River during a heat of the Dimboola Water Ski Tournament and Peter Taylor Barefoot Waterski Memorial night jump on Saturday. Van Den Heuvel went on to win the night jump in front of a wowed crowd, who watched slalom, tricks and jumps before a fireworks show at the two-day event. Story, page 43. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Three-day premier event evolving

BY ABBY WALTER

Boasting an almost-full field days site this year, the Wimmera’s premier multi-day agriculture event is set to entertain and educate next week.

The event marks 60 years since the first Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

For the occasion, the committee has welcomed 106 new exhibitors with more than 350 attending to showcase machinery, technology and more at Wimmera Events Centre, Longerenong.

President Tim Rethus said the committee and management team were prepared ‘ahead of the curve’ this year with the site filling quickly for the March 5 to 7 event.

He said exhibitors and their sites were what made the field days what they were.

“We’ve been working hard with exhibitors to find out from them what makes a good field days,” he said.

“Hopefully we can implement great ideas and keep them happy.

“When they are happy, they are going to have nice sites, which will make people through the gate happy and everyone wins.”

Mr Rethus said during the 60 years of the field days there had been many changes.

“Over time field days change, so we needed to make sure we embraced changing times,” he said.

“So, we will reminisce about the wonderful times of 60 years ago while knowing today is very different.

“We are going to have some old machinery on display and brand new, massive tractors we have now to compare to what was brand new at the first field days to show the evolution of agriculture.

“I think it will be a good homage to where we have been and how long we have existed.”

Mr Rethus said the Wimmera, as a reliable district for crop growing, was the centre of Victorian cropping.

“We know we are one of the major field days as we have a three-day event and we want to be one of the

most important field days that exhibitors have to turn up to,” he said.

“Judging by the fact exhibitors are filling our site, we’re getting the message across that we want to be the one, and we want to work with them to be the premier event it has always been and maintain that.”

Manager Vanessa Lenehan said this year’s event would look more ‘normal’ after stock shortages and staff impacted by COVID-19 meant a lot of work for exhibitors.

“Some of our pavilions are already full. I just want the vibe to be busy

PLANNING:

Wimmera Machinery Field Days management team, from left, Vanessa Lenehan, Sally Hernon, Olivia Lenehan and Rebecca Steadman.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

is the farm biosecurity hub, so that’s a new initiative we have coming.

“We are also changing the Country Lifestyle pavilion and the team has called a heap of businesses, so we have a lot more exhibitors with a lot more general interest items.

“The Local Market Square will be fuller and more vibrant as we’re changing things around to attract more people to that area. It’s all a matter of trying things, changing things and if something doesn’t work, trying something different.”

Mrs Lenehan said there would be something for everyone who wished to step back into the 1960s.

“We have found some machinery, cars and trucks that were made in the early 1960s era and we’re going to try to get the history of them,” she said.

“It’s pretty exciting to get the older stuff back, that has been looked after, restored and in its original condition to celebrate 60 years.

so everyone wants to be there and it’s happy and buzzing,” she said.

“We’re listening to what exhibitors are saying to be able to make the changes to make the field days better for them.”

Mrs Lenehan said the challenge with being 60 years on from the first field days was continuing to keep the event relevant.

“What do we do to make exhibitors need to come to field days and how do we get people through the gate to make exhibitors happy?’,” she said.

“One of the new things we are doing

“We are going to have a big display in the Moore Exhibition Centre with lots of photos and a timeline of the history of the field days so people can see how the field days started and highlights along the years to where we are today.

“Some exhibitors are trying to find historic items as well to put on their site.

“Also, the Sandy Creek Clydesdales will be available for carriage rides and people can watch them being harnessed and unharnessed.”

In The Paddock With Jack & Charlie at the field days

See us at WMFD Site L1

Crop planning with precision

Green Lake that will be sown to Barley to maximise the opportunity given by subsoil moisture entering the 2024 season.

While February may be quiet in the paddock, it is an opportunity to plan for the 2024 season and beyond. Crop rotations are one of the easiest and most important ways to improve a farm’s profitability. There are several factors which we believe govern crop rotations; weed control, herbicide plantback issues, disease, moisture and risk management and mitigation.

Weed control is a crucial consideration in rotation planning as it is a key limiting factor we have in continuous cropping systems. Ryegrass is an increasing issue and a strategic, longterm plan to reduce plant numbers is a must. Our go-to tactics include double knockdowns, and now double paraquat knocks, rotating pre and post emergent herbicide groups, selecting varieties with good crop competition and incorporating fallow and hay into our programs.

Plant back issues are a hot topic when it comes to rotation planning, especially because of our reliance on Group B (or 2) products in multiple cropping phases, particularly lentils, barley and

canola. The breakdown of these chemicals is affected by soil pH and moisture and therefore each season is different. We recommend having a designated herbicide tolerant variety to be used as a ‘soaker’ crop to handle herbicide residues, and to take a cautious approach when assessing plantbacks.

Certain crop diseases can be effectively managed by rotation choices which often gives better results than any fungicide applied in-crop. An important example is Blackleg disease in canola. Short canola rotations and growing canola in nearby paddocks in consecutive seasons will cause issues as Blackleg survives on stubble and can evolve to become resistant to your canola variety’s Blackleg resistant gene. We recommend changing canola Blackleg Groups often, especially if these situations occur.

Moisture is another consideration when choosing which crops to plant. 2023 results were a testament to the importance of subsoil moisture with more grain produced than expected from our growing season rainfall. Good subsoil moisture, which we have again going into this season, should mean that growers can have confidence in taking opportunities to gain additional profits.

Opinions on risk varies between growers and advisors and there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, it just depends on what you are comfortable with. We use some guidelines to help us manage and mitigate risk for our growers when planning, such as rotating herbicide groups. We focus on not allowing the most recent season or events to influence our decision making short-term without considering the longterm outlook. Planning for average is a safe choice.

Good planning is one of the best tools that both farmers and advisors have in the push to grow better crops and be more profitable. We push for numbers backed decisions and to not allow recent events to cloud your long-term plans.

Contact Charlie: 0456 597 009 charlie.gardner@nutrien.com.au

Contact Jack: 0458 486 456 jack.purcell@nutrien.com.au

From the manager

our 60 years.

Check out our historical timeline on display in the Moore Exhibition Centre, as well as the cars, trucks and machinery showcased at the front of our site.

As always, a big thanks to all of our exhibitors for 2024, both returning and new.

It is certainly very exciting to see the site at near capacity again.

Without our exhibitors we would not have a field day, so we are always keen to hear feedback and work with site holders to make our field days even bigger and better.

Another big thank you must go to all of our corporate partners and sponsors.

We have a large number of organisations and companies that support the field days each year and without this support, the field days would not be what it is today.

Please show your support by visiting the sponsors and corporate partners, both during the field days and throughout the year.

The Local Market Square is back again this year, with the continued support of 1089 3WM.

We welcome back producers from last year and also new businesses in the arts and crafts sector.

Please make sure you go to the square and see what they have to

offer. There is also a wide range of attractions, including Black Snake reptile and wildlife display, Rev It Up racing simulator, Level Up Gaming in the auditorium, Dunmunkle Sumpoilers, helicopter rides, mini train rides, an animal nursery, kids’ zone, the MikMaks on stage on Wednesday as well as new attractions for 2024 – Laser Tag and the Sandy Creek Clydesdales.

Check out the program to see when

they are doing their blacksmithing and harnessing demonstrations.

A big thanks to Partners in Ag for co-ordinating the Ag Ed Quest again.

It is fantastic to see so many school children attend the field days. It is such a great opportunity to showcase our field days and the many career pathways agriculture has to offer.

Thanks to WIM Resource for their continued support of this initiative.

“Credit goes to the original committee who were dedicated to getting the field days up-and-running in the Wimmera and members of the committee throughout the years who have kept the field days going”

Make sure you visit the new-look Country Lifestyle area, with a much larger range of exhibitors this year.

Welcome to all of our new exhibitors in this area and we hope you enjoy your time with us.

Thanks to Breuers Party Hire for the efforts in setting up the new look Prickly Moses Beer Garden.

Thanks to all the community groups that contribute to the successful running of the field days.

It is certainly great to see an event of this size in the region and we take pride in involving the community and giving back to the many local groups and organisations that assist us.

A big thanks to the Wimmera Machinery Field Day committee for their work and support to get the field days up-and-running and lastly, a big thanks to the team in the office for their dedication and commitment to making the field days a success.

I hope you enjoy celebrating our 60 years at the 2024 Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

Vanessa Lenehan Manager Wimmera Machinery Field Days

Ponder the progression

OFrom the president

n behalf of the Wimmera Machinery Field Days committee and staff, we welcome you to the 2024 Wimmera Machinery Field Days – our 60th event.

We are very proud of our event and we thank you for supporting it.

I’d also like to extend a special thank you to our exhibitors and sponsors who are the backbone of our event and the tireless community group volunteers who contribute to its smooth running.

Much has changed in the past six decades in agriculture.

Of course, the machinery has changed, and there may be less farmers doing

more, but we now grow a greater diversity of crops and have adapted our farming systems to be more climate-resilient and sustainable.

At the same time, we grow more food, fibre and energy at a lower cost.

We thank our forebears for initiating this great agriculture showcase, which has enriched our farms and communities.

So, take a look and wonder at the progression of agriculture in the Wimmera and ponder what it will look like in another 60 years.

Enjoy your time with us and I hope to see you again at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days in 2025.

Tim Rethus President, Wimmera Machinery Field Days

Commitment is commendable

From the mayor

Welcome to the 60th Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

This remarkable milestone stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication of our passionate volunteers and staff.

Agriculture, the backbone of western Victoria, takes centre stage during these field days.

It’s an invaluable opportunity for farmers and industry professionals to exchange knowledge, tackle challenges and explore cutting-edge solutions and technological advancements.

Recent abundant rainfall has bolstered confidence in the farming sector.

Our innovative farmers constantly seek ways to boost productivity and efficiency within their operations.

The diverse array of machinery, tools and gadgets showcased promises to meet those needs.

Farmers are always looking for new and innovative ways to enhance productivity and efficiency within their businesses and I’m sure the breadth of machinery, tools and gadgets on display at these field days will fill this need.

Social connections and interactions will also be a highlight throughout the three days as Longerenong teems with exhibitors and patrons.

SPLENDID SINGAPORE

10 days

Castle, Chambers of the Black Hand, Dubbo, Western Plains Zoo.

BRIGHT IN AUTUMN

6 days Monday 29th April $2680

Highlights: Benalla, Bright Autumn Leaves, Harrietville, Wandiligong, Bright Art Gallery, Red Stag Deer Farm, Beechworth, Burke Museum, Yackandandah, Falls Creek, Bogong National Park, Mt Buffalo, Mt Beauty, Kiewa Valley, Lavender Farm, Myrtleford, and Glenrowan.

CAIRNS, THE GULF, BIRDSVILLE, MARREE & FLINDERS

24 days

Kudos to president Tim Rethus, the volunteer committee and our hardworking staff for orchestrating yet another successful event. Your commitment is commendable.

Horsham Rural City Council proudly supports the Wimmera

Monday 1st July $7850

Highlights: Luxury Hotel Accommodation, Stunning Singapore, City Sights Tour, Botanic & Orchid Gardens, Singapore River Cruise, Fullerton Bay Hotel High Tea, The Singapore Zoo, Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands Lookout, S.E.A Aquarium, Changi District, National Museum of Singapore, Gardens by the Bay, English Speaking Guides.

NORTHWESTER & SOUTH WEST COAST

47 days Monday 29th July $22,540

“See the itinerary for the many tour highlights”.

15 days

RANGES

Thursday 30th May $12,290

Highlights: Bourke, Darling River, Charleville, Cosmos Centre, Blackall Woolscour, Longreach, Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Thomson River Cruise, Charters Towers, Magnetic Island, Paronella Park, Australian Sugar Museum, Green Island, Cairns, Barrier Reef, Daintree River Cruise, Kuranda Train and Sky Rail, Breakfast with the Birds, Port Douglas, Undara Lava Tubes, Gulflander Train Ride, Gulf of Carpentaria Sunset Cruise, Mt Isa, Birdsville, Marree, Lake Eyre, Flinders Ranges, Burra, Renmark.

CAIRNS, LONGREACH, MAGNETIC ISLAND & BARRIER REEF

12 days

Thursday 30th May $6760

Highlights: Bourke, Darling River, Charleville, Cosmos Centre, Blackall Woolscour, Longreach, Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Thomson River Cruise, Charters Towers, Magnetic Island, Paronella Park, Australian Sugar Museum, Green Island, Cairns, Barrier Reef, Daintree River Cruise, Kuranda Train and Sky Rail, Breakfast with the Birds, Port Douglas

CAIRNS & THE GULF COUNTRY INC BIRDSVILLE

16 days Friday 7th June $8930

Highlights: Cairns, Green Island, Barrier Reef, Daintree River Cruise, Breakfast with the Birds, Port Douglas, Atherton Tableland, Georgetown, Undara Lava Tubes, Gulflander Train Ride, Normanton, Karumba, Gulf of Carpentaria Sunset Cruise, Mt Isa, Birdsville, Marree, Lake Eyre, Flinders Ranges, Burra, Renmark.

DARWIN VIA CENTRAL AUSTRALIA

Monday 29th July $8950

Highlights: Central Australia, Coober Pedy, Ayers Rock, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs, West MacDonnell Ranges, Tennant Creek, Katherine Gorge Cruise, Kakadu, Yellow Waters Cruise, Darwin, Mindil Market, Litchfield National Park.

COOBER PEDY, AYERS ROCK, ALICE SPRINGS

9 days Monday 29th July $5980

Highlights: Adelaide, Port Augusta, Central Australia, Coober Pedy, Umoona Opal Mine, Ayres Rock, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs, West MacDonnell Ranges, Standley Chasm, Alice Springs Reptile Centre, Alice Springs Desert Park, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Alice Springs School of the Air, Alice Springs Telegraph Station.

WEST COAST, KIMBERLEY & SOUTH WEST COAST

35 days

Saturday 10th August $16,680

“See the itinerary for the many tour highlights”.

23 days

WEST COAST & THE KIMBERLEY

Saturday 10th August $12,460

Highlights: Darwin, Mindil Beach Market, Katherine, Kununurra, Ord River Cruise, El Questro Station, Zebedee Springs, Chamberlain Gorge Cruise, Wyndham, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, Derby, Boab Prison Tree, Broome, Willie Creek Pearl Farm, Cable Beach, Port Hedland, Tom Price, Exmouth, Coral Bay, Monkey Mia, Kalbarri, Perth.

Machinery Field Days. If you have any queries or simply want to chat, visit us at the Moore Exhibition Centre.

Robyn Gulline Mayor, Horsham Rural City

DARWIN TO BROOME & THE KIMBERLEY

12 days Saturday 10th August $7990

Highlights: Darwin, Mindil Beach Market, Katherine, Kununurra, Ord River Cruise, El Questro Station, Zebedee Springs, Chamberlain Gorge Cruise, Wyndham, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, Derby, Boab Prison Tree, Broome, Willie Creek Pearl Farm, Cable Beach.

BROOME TO PERTH INCLUDING TOM PRICE & NINGALOO REEF

14 days Monday 19th August $8380

Highlights: Broome 3 nights, Cable Beach, Eighty Mile Beach, Port Hedland, Mt Tom Price Mine tour, Karijini National Park, Exmouth, Ningaloo Reef, Coral Bay, Shark Bay, Carnarvon, Monkey Mia Dolphins, Kalbarri Wildflowers, Perth 3 nights.

PERTH AND SOUTH WEST COAST

15 days Friday 30th August $7110

Highlights: Perth, Gloucester Tree, Margaret River Chocolate Factory, Cape Leeuwin & Lighthouse, Pemberton Timber Mill, Valley of the Giants, Albany, Whale Watching Cruise, Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Super Pit Tour, Great Australian Bight, Nullarbor, Port Augusta, Adelaide, Mannum.

CANADA & ALASKA EXPLORER

25 days Wednesday 18th September $22,885

Highlights: 5 Star Rail Travel with Gold Leaf Service on the Rocky Mountaineer, Five Star Cruising in Staterooms with Private Balcony, Vancouver, Alaskan Inside Passage Cruise, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Rocky Mountains, Whistler.

10 days Sunday 22nd September $6390

10 days Tuesday 15th October $5440

6 days Sunday 27th October $2940

17 days Wednesday 6th November $9990

9 days Monday 11th November $4490

BY ABBY WALTER

founding member of one of Australia’s premier broadacre farming events is reminiscing about its 60-year history in the lead-up to next week’s event.

Bruce Johansen, 96, was a member of the first Wimmera Machinery Field Days committee.

He spent 16 years on the general committee followed by a further 16 years running what was then known as the Ladies’ Pavilion.

Mr Johansen said Rupert Levitzke was a member of Horsham Agricultural and Pastoral Society, and he had the idea to create a field days event.

“At the show, they used to have a few pieces of machinery for people to come and have a look at,” he said.

“Rupert put to the show society that there needed to be an event for farmers and dealers to demonstrate the machinery and compare it.

“They told Rupert that as it was his idea, he could do it, so an ad ran in the paper for any farmers or machinery people interested in forming a committee for a field days.”

Mr Johansen was a machinery dealer for Caterpillar at the time and decided he would attend the first meeting.

He said the committee did some research at Australia’s biggest field days before the first Wimmera event, in the first week of March.

“We chartered a plane to Orange to have a look at how they ran their field days and get some ideas,” Mr Johansen said.

“Committee members went back to Orange a few times during the years to see what was happening.

“Field days are not in competition with each other, but we are in the same businesses so we worked together to improve.”

Mr Johansen said he had attended almost every field days event since.

“It has always been at Longerenong – it started on Longerenong College property as Ian Reid, who was on the

committee, ran the farm at the college,” he said.

“The most interesting thing was when the committee purchased a property and now owns the field days site.

“When we started, any buildings we put up had to be taken down because it was college land.

“Having permanent buildings has made a big difference.

“The event is huge now and original-

ly Ian, he was a power to be reckoned with, said everything had to be directly related to farming, whereas now there are bits of everything.”

Mr Johansen said selling rules and safety regulations also changed the field days.

“In those days you could demonstrate machines and still sell them as new machines, but rules changed and if you demonstrated what it could do it had to be sold as a second-hand ma-

chine,” he said. “A lot of safety regulations came in, too. We used to have stewards with ropes to keep crowds back and committee men would go and compere the demonstrations.”

Mr Johansen said people would come from across Australia to attend the field days.

“My favourite part of the field days would be the variety on offer and the people who get together,” he said.

“In my field with Caterpillar, we never made a sale as a direct result of the field days, but it created a lot of interest and you might make a sale later down the track.

“It was advertising, but we had such a big range and you could only show a few.

“Although, lots of people and businesses would sell smaller equipment.”

Mr Johansen said every year the field days were officially opened by a special guest, and one in particular stood out.

“When my son Leigh was about eight or nine years old, Gough Whitlam was the special guest,” he said.

“There was a picture on the front page of the newspaper of Leigh proudly shaking his hand – he wasn’t prime minister yet, but someone said to Leigh he should treasure the picture as he could be prime minister one day.

“I was speaking to Leigh, and he still has the front page of the paper up on his wall with the picture.”

Mr Johansen said he hoped to attend the field days again this year, from March 5 to 7.

UNITED: From left, Wimmera Machinery Field Days manager Vanessa Lenehan, president Tim Rethus and founding member Bruce Johansen with current committee member Will Gulline. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Opportunity to connect, educate

BY ABBY WALTER

Community is at the heart of the Wimmera Machinery

Field Days and this year, 60 years on, that remains true.

Field days manager Vanessa Lenehan said the three-day event meant a lot to the Wimmera community, particularly Horsham.

“It fills up the town, accommodation is booked out, which is great – as it is for restaurants and pubs to have a double sitting every night rather than be half-full throughout the week,” she said.

“The field days bring people into our towns.

“We also support a lot of community groups as they come and use the field days as a fundraiser.

“Some run the kiosk, some do courier parcel pick-up, car parking, helping gates, and clean up the site, there’s a lot involved.

“I think it’s important we are giving back to the community.”

Mrs Lenehan said it was also a good opportunity for people to see the industry in one place.

“For people who do not come from an agriculture background, they see the variety of jobs available in the industry,” she said.

“It’s not just about farming. There is so much more to it and the field days showcase that.

“There’s grain marketing, finance, agronomy, mechanical and so many aspects, it’s not just getting in a tractor and driving in a paddock.

“The exhibitors will have the biggest and best, the latest and greatest on display, so it’s a good chance to see what is coming through the industry.

“Young people who are considering a career in agriculture and want to get into the industry but don’t have the background so feel a bit hesitant can get out there and have a look around.”

Mrs Lenehan said another way the field days was giving back to the community was by keeping entry prices for children 17 and younger free.

“We had funding for it last year, but we’ve decided to continue it this

year,” she said. “It’s more important to get people through the gate, so if we can help families come out by having children not pay, that’s what we will do.”

Committee president Tim Rethus said the field days was about connection.

“Children attending for free starts the process of giving back. They are exposed to farming and we can say thanks for supporting us and one day you could work in the industry, too,” he said.

Mr Rethus said it was important

to be connected with all parts of the community, in particular, different generations and demographics.

“One of the important things the field days does is educate the next generation, from an early age,” he said.

“They can learn what ag is about, maybe think it is something to do when they finish school – it’s not all about driving a tractor.

“It shows there is a whole range of careers out there.”

Mr Rethus said being among industry businesses and representatives was

“Children attending for free starts the process of giving back. They are exposed to farming and we can say thanks for supporting us and one day you could work in the industry, too”

– Tim Rethus

a chance to understand and sympathise with issues and opportunities in agriculture, even if people were not directly involved.

“One of the things I noticed with my children when they were younger was all the books about farming, except George the Farmer, were nothing like farming,” he said.

“It always looked like farming was still in the 1950s in the American corn belt, not the farming we do today, but we have a chance to open people’s eyes.

“The perception is not that farming technology has leapt right up, but it has, and it is a very complex and challenging job which also means there are cool opportunities – and it can be fun.

“I think back in the day everyone had a grandpa, an uncle or a dad who ran a farm and people could spend time on that farm, but there are plenty of people now who would have no opportunity at all to go near a tractor.

“Kids love tractors, so if you want a day out, come along, get a free hat and get kids on tractors and they will think it’s the best thing since sliced bread.”

VOLUNTEERS: Paul Petering and Andrew Bell set up bins ahead of the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

Member for Lowan

It was wonderful to see the field days return last year after a forced three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to witness the amazing buzz the event creates for our region.

This year will again see thousands of people from far and wide flock to Longerenong to experience the fabulous showcase the field days offer, from the latest advances in agriculture to local produce and fashions, trade exhibits, competitions and much more.

As the deputy leader of the Victorian Nationals, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Shadow Minister for Mental Health, events like the Wimmera Machinery Field Days provide me with a fantastic forum for ensuring that the issues that matter most to rural and regional Victoria are heard in Parliament.

Preparing for the event is a huge task, and I sincerely thank the volunteers on the Wimmera Machinery Field Days committee, led by president Tim Rethus, for their tireless work over the past year.

We need to look for any opportunity to seek

Celebration of contribution

Member for Mallee

Iam delighted to be able to attend the Wimmera Machinery Field Days this year.

I don’t know anyone who is not keen to attend the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

It is a highlight in the calendar, so it was disappointing for me to miss the return after three long years of COVID-19 hiatus as it was during a Parliamentary sitting.

The Nationals understand the vital importance of country shows and field days to the social fabric of our communities and the innovation showcase for regional businesses, which is why the Coalition in government provided $52.9 million for the Supporting Agricultural Shows and Field Days Program during the pandemic.

threats to agriculture and our regions.

out and support local events and the businesses and people behind them – it is one of the most impactful things we can do for our community.

I encourage everyone across Lowan to check out all the amazing things the Wimmera Machinery Field Days has to offer –there truly is something for everyone.

I look forward to seeing huge crowds at the event and lots of smiling faces as we celebrate our wonderful agricultural community.

Emma Kealy, Member for Lowan

The field days are perfectly placed in the calendar, postharvest giving regional farming communities the opportunity to connect and catch up.

Maybe for you, it is a chance to share a few secrets of the trade.

I am sure there will be plenty of innovation on display from Mallee agricultural businesses that can be taken back and used on-farm, opportunities for increasing productivity.

Mallee contributes almost $10 billion of Gross Regional Product to Australia’s GDP, according to REMPLAN, with $3.4 billion of that coming from the Wimmera and Southern Mallee region alone.

I celebrate your contribution to our country and the Wimmera and Mallee bringing food and fibre to the nation and the world.

I look forward to being at the field days and hearing from Wimmera locals what is going on in your neck of the woods.

Every day I have people contacting me about the various

From transmission lines railroading through prime agricultural land, mining companies abandoning social licence and compromising family farms, or the Labor government slapping a biosecurity tax on farmers to pay for the risks imposed by their foreign competitors.

Please drop by my stall to say hello or share with me your ideas or concerns for the Wimmera.

Dr Anne Webster, Member for Mallee

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BIGGER

THAN EVER:

Horsham CWA members, from left, Jennie Mitchell, Colleen Rabl, Elaine Starick and Helen Torney will be among a contingent of members from across the region at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days next week.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

At a glance

The 2024 Wimmera Machinery Field Days is on March 5, 6 and 7 at Wimmera Events Centre, Longerenong.

Gates open to the public at 8.30am and close at 5pm on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, gates open at 8.30am and close at 4pm.

One-day prepaid tickets are $22. Tickets at the gate are $25. Children 17 years and younger can enter free of charge. Cash and EFTPOS facilities are available at the gate.

ATM facilities will be available and there is first aid on site.

Mobility scooters will be available near gate two.

Field days committee

Wimmera

Machinery Field Days is a broadacre and agriculture machinery-focused event led each year by a volunteer committee.

Executive committee – President: Tim Rethus; senior vice-president: Harry Young; junior vice-president: Darryl McCrae; chief steward: Sam Eagle; site steward: Chris Bartlett.

Management – Manager: Vanessa Lenehan; office manager: Sally Hernon; office and events assistants: Lisa McRae and Rebecca Steadman.

After missing last year’s event,

“As we are attending as a group CWA, there will be members from lots of branches there,” she said.

“We will set up some of the things we do, have examples of what we can make with the cookbooks we sell and the crafts we do, and also have some information about the association available.”

Mrs Torey said previously the CWA was a long-time exhibitor at the field days.

“CWA members have always supported the farming community,” she said.

“The history of the CWA is it brought women together when they had no other social outlets.

“We are looking forward to attending the field days together as our members have shown good support for it this year and we are fine-tuning our roster.

“We hope to see people come to us at the field days, see what we do and anyone who wishes to join can get some information from us.”

Rainbow-based business Matchy Mumma will be attending the field days as an exhibitor for the first time this year.

Founder Chantelle Fisher said she was looking forward to having plenty of products on display at Longerenong.

“I have had a stall at a few markets before, but I am excited to be going to the field days,” she said.

“It’s a chance to showcase what we have, as I think rural women in particular find products harder to access than they would in bigger places.”

Mrs Fisher sells products for mums, mums-to-be and babies.

“All women deserve to feel good and mums who do self-care and feel nurtured are then enabled to look after their children,” she said.

General committee – John Aisbett, Andrew Bell, Jamie Byrne, Wendy Byrne, Alister Cameron, James Gardner, Robyn Gulline, Will Gulline, David Jochinke, Beau Ladlow, Scott Lampard, Jordan Lee, Bryan Matuschka, Sam McGennisken, Daniel Mibus, Luke Milgate, Peter Moore, Jeff Moore, Wade Morrow, Paul Petering, Brian Petrass, Jamie Petrass, Luke Rethus and Nick Zordan. Country Lifestyle co-ordinators – Wendy Byrne, Robyn Gulline, Sam Eagle and Beau Ladlow.

Honorary members – T. Blair, V.H. Greer, M.E. Gribben, B.J. Johanson, B.J. Jones, R.G. Ladlow, R. Lingham, J.F. Londsdale, G.F. Miller, G.T. Tippet, N. Varley, R.E. Wirth and L.W. Worthy.

Life members – A. Bell, A.A. Bodey, N.R. Curran, T.C. Davey, D.J. Garth, G.K. Gulline, A.T. Heard, P.J. Heard, M. Hobbs, R.F. Jess, W.L. Johns, I.D. Ladlow, R.A Levitzke, B. Matuschka, C.L. Moore, J.G. Moore, P. Moore, I.H. Nettlebeck, B.H. Perry, I.B. Reid, G. Rethus, E.H. Ruwoldt, N.L. Ruwoldt, R.P. Ruwoldt, I.C Schmidt, G.W. Schmidt and E.T. Tucker.

Putting values into practice

Volunteers from Horsham’s

Holy Trinity Lutheran College

will be on site at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days next week.

The college’s PTFA – Parents, Teachers and Friends Association – will be attending the gates and SRC – Student Representative Council – members will run a drinks kiosk.

PTFA chair Vanessa Lantzakis said the group and other volunteers from the college would assist field days patrons with their tickets as they entered the event.

“If people have any queries about the field days, we will be assisting them,” she said.

“We will also be handing out brochures with maps and information about stallholders.”

Miss Landzakis said the PTFA was still seeking volunteers to help the group manage four gates, which are needed when traffic going into the grounds is heaviest.

“We do have a pool of volunteers, but obviously it does take a lot of manpower,” she said.

“We are trying to have more people and shorter roster times, so others who have less time can still help.”

Miss Landzakis said the group first volunteered at the gates last year and used the proceeds to help the school purchase additional equipment.

“We allow teachers a little flexibility – each year level is given a fund to purchase something they need,” she said.

“Last year one of the year levels used their money to purchase readers.”

Miss Landzakis said people interested in volunteering could call her on 0403 323 180.

School promotions and communications manager Cass Dalgleish said the event was an opportunity for the school to put its values into practice.

“Holy Trinity Lutheran College is a Christian school, where we value giving in service,” she said.

“The student council representatives gain valuable lessons from their involvement in the field days.

“HTLC, along with Nhill Lutheran

School and St Peter’s Lutheran School in Dimboola, will also have a stall at the field days and we encourage anyone interested in learning more about what our schools have to offer to come see us in the Moore Exhibition Centre.”

Ms Dalgleish said funds the SRC students raised through the drinks booth would go to a worthy cause, with the group selecting charities throughout the year to support.

“Previously the fundraising money has ranged from supporting service trips overseas, to individual charitable efforts by students,” she said.

For the community

Volunteer profile

Wimmera Machinery Field

Days is all about community and bringing people in the farming industry together.

Sam Eagle, a Wonwondah farmer, has been part of the organising committee that brings the event to life for 13 years.

Mr Eagle is currently the chief steward and has previously held the role of president.

He said he volunteered on the committee to give back to the farming community he is part of.

“It’s all about putting something back into the community, it can’t always be about taking,” Mr Eagle said.

“The best part of the field days is being able to catch up with farmers and people in the industry from across the region.

“We work hard so we can put on a three-day event that everyone will enjoy.”

Volunteer profile

Sam Eagle

SUPPORT: Horsham Holy Trinity Lutheran College SRC students, from left, Rachel Reichelt, Ethan Stanley and Annabelle McKenzie-Packham will be selling drinks at the field days. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

of a heart attack, how to manage one and to consider an automated external defibrillator, AED, for their worksite.

Grampians Health chief strategy and regions officer Dr Rob Grenfell wants to see a heart health emergency plan on site at every populated farm property.

His crusade is backed by a Wimmera farmer who is lucky to be alive.

Boolite farmers Ian and Travis Penny were servicing a tractor in June last year when Ian started experiencing excruciating chest pains.

Travis downed his tools and got Ian into a ute to drive him to Warracknabeal.

On the 27-kilometre journey, Travis phoned Dr Franklin Butuyutu’s surgery to warn him of their imminent arrival and said, ‘I think Dad’s having a heart attack, do I come to you, or do I go the hospital?’

Ian said the trip was very quick and when they arrived, Dr Franklin and his nurse Debbie George were ready for him.

“Dr Franklin and Debbie were both fantastic,” he said.

“They got me to lay on the couch and gave me some adrenalin and aspirin and a spray under the tongue, but I don’t remember a lot from there on.

“I can recall saying to Dr Franklin that I’m having trouble lifting my arms.

“I’ve got no strength in them – and then I just died.”

Ian said his next recollection was opening his eyes to see his wife gently rubbing his face.

“She’d been called down to the surgery and I said to her, ‘I think I’ve had a little sleep’,” he said.

“I woke up with a sore chest because they had the paddles on me, and Dr Franklin had given me a fair pounding to get me going again.

“They found I had an artery that was completely blocked. Luckily Travis was with me, otherwise I would never have got to Warracknabeal.

“I was told only about seven percent of people survive a heart attack after they’ve died.

“I consider myself very fortunate to have survived.”

Ian said with an increase in defibrillators available in communities, the survival percentage was also rising.

“I think everyone should have an AED in their workplace, especially if they are in any risk category,” he said.

“We have one on the farm now.”

Dr Grenfell will be a guest speaker at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

He said Ian’s story was all too familiar.

“Farmers are always too busy to be worrying about their health,” Dr Grenfell said.

“Especially at harvest time when they stay on their tractors and trucks because it’s more important to beat the rain and get the harvest in than to take time out to visit a GP or hospital and find out why they have that chest pain, tightness or numbness in the arms.

“Getting a regular check-up, managing heart attack risks and knowing the warning signs of a heart attack, go a long way to preventing an untimely death.

“At least by having a defibrillator nearby, there is a huge increase in the likelihood of saving a life or preventing a massive heart attack.”

Dr Grenfell said farms were virtually the final frontier for AEDS, as they were becoming standard first aid

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Grampians Health chief strategy and regions officer Dr Rob Grenfell will be at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days to advocate to farmers the importance of having an AED on their properties.

equipment in community and sporting clubs as well as businesses, houses and retail shops.

“We’re about three times below the state average for cardiac outcomes in this region and farmers are in a high risk category, mainly through their own apathy,” he said.

“Ian’s story should be enough reason for every farmer to make sure they take heart disease seriously – and let’s face it, you don’t have to be old or unfit to be a risk to cardiovascular disease.”

Dr Grenfell will be a guest speaker in the Field Days Auditorium on the opening day at 12.30pm.

He will also be onsite at the Grampians Public Health Unit stand in the Moore Exhibition Centre on Tuesday to discuss health issues at a rural level.

FORTUNATE: Boolite farmers Ian and Travis Penny believe every farm should have an AED on site after Ian suffered a heart attack while working last year.

Embracing change

In its 60th year, the Wimmera Machinery Field Days will celebrate its history and the changes it has embraced in time.

It is Victoria’s longest-running field days and began as a two-day event with about 80 exhibitors and 3000 attendees.

In March 1963, a year after a group of Wimmera farmers attended agricultural field days in Orange, New South Wales, the first Wimmera Machinery Field Days were run.

The group of farmers returned from Orange and formed a committee. They decided to host the inaugural event at a site provided by Longerenong Agricultural College.

The Wimmera Machinery Field Days has only been cancelled once, in 2022, and was hosted virtually in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Throughout the years there have been field days with almost 10 times as many exhibitors as there were attendees at the first event.

The Wimmera Machinery Field Days has

changed significantly throughout time, as it expanded to three days, welcomed various special guests, included a growing exhibitor list and introduced new initiatives including activities for children and local producers.

In 2003, 40 years after the first event, then field days secretary Noel Curran said the event had a ‘Genetically Modified Crops Feature’, as it was the ‘hottest topic’ in farming that year.

At the 50th event, in 2012, technology was at the forefront, from machinery getting larger to cover more land more efficiently, to advancements in farm precision technology.

This year, at the 60th iteration, biosecurity is a key focus at the family-friendly event.

Although farming continues to evolve, the nature of the field days has stayed the same, as a not-for-profit event that puts money back into the Wimmera Events Centre and field days site.

It continues to be run primarily by volunteers, with a small team employed to manage the event.

OVER TIME: Field days attendees watch a 1963 John Deere auto header, top, and a 1963 Horwood Bagshaw header, above, in action during a field days almost 60 years ago. Top left, an early iteration of the Wimmera Machinery Field Days is opened by members of the committee from the back of a truck.

Offering support to all

The Wimmera Machinery Field Days is not just built on the work of the committee, but a cohort of volunteers from across the region.

Emily Eagle is one such volunteer who, while not on the committee, volunteers her time before and during the three-day event each year.

Mrs Eagle said she was contributing her time as her husband, Sam, was on the committee.

“My husband has been on the committee for

more than 10 years, so I have been coming out to the field days to support him and the committee,” she said.

“This year I am chief barbecue cooker on weekends for working bees and I also help out in the Country Lifestyle Pavilion during the field days.”

Mrs Eagle said volunteering for the field days was also good socially.

“There’s about 15 children of people on the committee who come out when we set up, including ours, so they get to play together,” she said.

“We have made lots of friendships through this group, too, which is great.”

Satisfaction in helping out

people organise the three-day event.

Volunteering on the Wimmera Machinery Field Days committee has been part of Paul Petering’s calendar for 18 years.

The Coromby farmer volunteers his time each year to help a contingent of Wimmera

Mr Petering said he volunteered to give back to the community.

“I also enjoy the comradery within the field days committee and its volunteers,” he said.

“My favourite part of the event is the end of the day when we have done the job we set out to do.”

Mr Petering said while there were working bees in the leadup to the event, and lots to be done, it didn’t stop there.

“We clean up on Friday and Saturday and generally there’s another day or two the week after, so we do three to four days of clean up and there’s probably more that gets done that we don’t all see,” he said.

Volunteer profile

Volunteer profile

Emily Eagle

Paul Petering

Turmoil in VFF

The Victorian Farmers Federation annual general meeting concluded with no resolution on a proposal to change the constitution last week.

The proposed changes would alter the powers of the association’s commodity groups.

The changes were not voted on due to the number of invalid proxy votes and the resolution was withdrawn.

President Emma Germano said the federation received more than 1000 proxy votes, which was unprecedented.

She said the annual general meeting was hostile and she was disappointed.

“I opened the meeting by saying we need to find a way together to move forward,” Ms Germano said.

“A quarter of the membership are the ones who are engaging, who were in the meeting.

“Of those people, what we are seeing is a basic trend of 50 percent of people wanting to move forward and 50 percent of people giving quite a lot of resistance.

“They say they also want to move forward, but they haven’t told us how.”

There were calls for a vote of no confidence in Victorian Farmers Federation, VFF, leadership throughout the meeting, but Ms Germano said they were not constitutional.

“A vote of no confidence does not

“They say they also want to move forward, but they haven’t told us how”

– Emma Germano

remove anybody from their post,” she said.

“To follow the rules of the constitution to bring business at the AGM or an EGM – extraordinary meeting – you have to lodge that business with the chief executive 40 days prior.”

Ms Germano said the board believed the VFF needed to continue to change.

“A lot of the things people have been expressing dissatisfaction with are happening right now in accordance with the constitution,” she said.

“There are the things we need to change irrespective of the constitution.

“The board, when it was considering the change of the constitution, acknowledged clearer language would enable people to understand what was already happening operationally under the current constitution.

“We’ve said we will appoint an independent facilitator to run focus groups or forums with people who are displeased so they can tell us what their vision is for the future.”

Former grain group president and Rupanyup farmer Andrew Weidemann moved a motion of no confidence.

Mr Weidemann said he moved the motion on the back of indecision and inept attitudes from management.

“Clearly that was carried by the numbers in the room by show of hands supporting that action even though the chair disallowed it,” he said.

“It’s the most peculiar AGM that I think any member would have ever been to in terms of conduct and the way the process was carried through.”

Mr Wiedemann said there were lots of discussions about the organisation’s ability to function.

“One of the huge steps the board has taken is to take back a lot of its own potential revenue raising through cutting off the levies and going back to a static membership model,” he said.

“Everybody knows static membership is death to any membership organisation, particularly in advocacy.

“I think as farmers we’re all ‘we can do’ and we need to do it for the betterment of our industry, that will then give us enough resources to start pushing back against some of these critical things we are seeing on the radar at the moment – livestock legislation is one of a raft of issues.”

Mr Wiedemann said he expected commodity groups to conduct meetings in the coming weeks to discuss and consider their futures in the organisation.

Pimpinio club directs traffic

Volunteer profile

Pimpinio Football Netball Club is among the ranks of sporting clubs and community groups to provide a lasting contribution to the Wimmera Machinery Field Days, including through volunteer work. President Jock Baker said about 25 volunteers from the club would help

co-ordinate carparking for two days during next week’s event.

“We have a list of volunteers who donate their early mornings until about 2pm to help out,” he said.

“We have done it for the past 20 or so years, on and off, and it’s a great money maker for the club.

“We generally put a lot of the moneyraised into maintenance and watering of the oval and netball courts.”

ON DUTY: Pimpinio Football Netball Club members Braydon Witney and Tom Baker will be among the club’s volunteers to help with carparking during the Wimmera Machinery Field Days. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

EXPERIENCED: Sue Ward, who has a long association with the now disbanded Wimmera Hearing Society, will offer free hearing tests at Wimmera Machinery Field Days with volunteers from Free

Hearing.

Free hearing tests

Rural residents

the most of vital, opportunistic hearing tests freeof-charge thanks to a group of Wimmera volunteers.

Wimmera Hearing Society Inc disbanded in March 2023 due to a lack of funding, but several former members are continuing to provide testing services.

The Free Wimmera Hearing group will complete free hearing tests at Wimmera Machinery, Lucindale and Speed field days using equipment and a soundproof booth gifted by the society.

Free Wimmera Hearing volunteer Sue Ward encouraged Wimmera Machinery Field Days attendees to visit the testing site at in the Moore Pavilion.

She said the volunteers providing the service at the field days next week had been involved with Wimmera Hearing Society Inc for 30 to 40 years.

Exhibitor profile

Free Wimmera Hearing

“The service we will be providing is exactly as Wimmera Hearing Society Inc provided – the only difference is we are no longer able to refer, but will recommend follow-up treatment if required,” she said.

“The service provided includes a pure tone hearing assessment and then recommendations and options that will allow you to have a better quality of life.

“Education and community strategies will also be given to rural industry workers.

“We welcome the many rural workers who have annual hearing tests as part of their health-prevention program.”

‘Don’t keep it under your hat’

Afree phone and text counselling service has launched a campaign aimed at Australian farmers to encourage them to talk about mental health in a safe, constructive way.

This is a conversation starter, TIACS, launched ‘Don’t keep it under your hat’ earlier this month.

TIACS’ Jason Banks said the campaign was designed to get farmers talking about their mental health, as the organisation believed farmers were not getting the help they needed when they needed it.

“Unfortunately every 10 days in Australia a farmer takes their own life,” he said.

“The campaign aims to normalise the help-seeking behaviours and remove barriers for farmers and those living in rural and remote areas to get the help they need.

“We feel people who live and work on the land are dealing with different circumstances –they’re isolated, dealing with weather conditions be it flood or drought, experiencing rising costs of production.

“The biggest barrier they have is they do not have the opportunity to access services to get the help they need when they are going through a rough patch.”

Mr Banks said calling or texting the service was just like having a conversation, with a capacity to delve deeper than with a friend or loved one.

“The number one tool of any farmer or anyone working in rural areas is their hat and often there can be a lot of head noise under the hat,” he said.

“Somebody working on the land might not have the opportunity to talk regularly, it is quite isolating, they can be on a tractor for long periods, they could be out mustering for long periods and often they don’t have the connection they need.

“So, a simple text or simple call – and often people will ring TIACs just for a chat – it’s there to break down barriers.”

Mr Banks said TAICS existed for all blue-collar workers, from tradies to truckies to farmers.

The organisation was founded by the same people who founded TradeMutt, an eye-watching brand of workwear that was also designed to start conversations about mental health.

“TradeMutt launched in 2018, sparking all these conversations around mental health and getting people who were normally not starting conversations, to talk,” Mr Banks said.

“They realised something was missing and that was ‘where do you refer people in the blue-collar industry for the extra support they may need after talking to one of their mates or loved ones’.

“They launched This is a conversation starter, which is written on the back of all the TradeMutt shirts in 2020 and since then have helped more than 18,000 Australians with counselling support. “We’re a text and call service – it’s free and it’s confidential.

“People can simply send a text or give a call to 0488 846 988 or head over to www.tiacs.org and all the information is on the website for people to access support.”

Wimmera

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Death of a thousand cuts to sheep trade

Just as various farmer organisations were stepping up their challenge to the Federal Government to not proceed with its election promise to phase out the live sheep trade, it all went to hell in a hand basket, or should I say, it went to hell in a live animal shipment of sheep and cattle from Australia.

The shipment was bound for Israel just as the tensions in the Red Sea reached fever pitch.

The Department of Agriculture had to make the call. It is a condition the exporter accepts, prior to departure, contingency arrangements if product cannot reach its destination.

So, does the Australian government let the ship proceed and possibly get attacked by the Iran-backed Houthi movement, with the horrific outcome of loss to human and animal life? The answer, no, it was not willing to take that risk.

As I write this column, news is breaking that the US has conducted strikes against the Houthis in what American media outlet, CBS headlines have described as, ‘the US Navy counters Houthi Red Sea attacks as the first major battle at sea for the 21st century’.

The ship, the Israeli owned MV Bahijah may well have made it, as it was asked to abandon its attempt to cross the Red Sea more than a month ago, so it is possible it could have had a safe journey. No one will know. But it must be said, sending live 15,000 sheep and 5000 cattle on a ship into a war zone was too much of a risk.

Livestock Exporters Council chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton assured Country Today it wasn’t bad news for the hopes of Australian farmers to retain live sheep trade because the animals hadn’t landed anywhere, and the ship had sufficient feed on board to make the home

Country Today

with Libby Price

journey with no biosecurity risks. As for the Animal Welfare lobby, it was just what they needed to consolidate their campaign to end the trade once and for all.

The animals were on board for close to six weeks, the last several anchored off the coast of Fremantle, Western Australia.

The problem was the animals’ ownership transferred to the exporter once they were loaded on the ship. The exporter tried to find an alternative buyer, but after six weeks on board the ship, running low on feed, it had to make the call.

The cattle and sheep were unloaded last week and are now apparently in feedlot facilities that pass biosecurity standards, while the exporters either find another buyer and put them back on a ship for a new destination or try to sell the animals for slaughter in Australia.

It is, in my view, the last nail in the coffin of the live sheep export industry from Australia.

Take the example of the live cattle export trade, which was halted in 2011 by the Gillard government after horrific images of animal cruelty to Australian cattle exported to Indonesia.

The cattle industry won its legal case in the Federal Court, which ruled the ban was, ‘capricious and unreasonable’. And yet, here we are, more than a decade later, the compensation to the cattle industry is still in dispute.

SPOILT FOR CHOICE: Cat Denman and daughter Alana, with Amanda Kroehn, wear Out and About Clothing designs.

Bright, colourful collection

Christine Rosenzweig is among small business owners taking an opportunity to showcase their wares at this year’s Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

Ms Rosenzweig has turned a love of sewing into a thriving business, Out and About Clothing designing rugby tops for women and children.

“Established in 2001, we provide women of all shapes and sizes with a colourful collection of rugby jumpers and polos with bright contrasting collars and trims,” she said.

“We can even tailor-make garments to fit your measurements. With more than 450 different designs, you are sure to find a combination that you love.”

Ms Rosenzweig, who manufactures her products in Keith in South Australia, said she loved attending Wimmera field days and other country events to enable attendees to view ‘one of the

Exhibitor profile

Out and About Clothing

largest colour ranges of women’s rugby tops you will find’.

“We will provide customers with the option to view hundreds of different rugby tops,” she said.

“We use lots of spots and stripes to create unique, timeless designs that women just love.

“The most difficult part will be choosing.”

Out and About Clothing produces relaxed fit and semi-fitted women’s rugby tops in sizes ranging from XS to 6XL, along with children’s rugby tops.

“We look forward to seeing you at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days, where you can find us in the Country Lifestyle pavilion,” Ms Rosenzweig said.

People can visit website www.outandabout clothing.com.au to view the full range.

Members of the Wimmera Prostate Cancer Support Group are gearing up to attend the iconic Wimmera Machinery Field Days next month to help drive local awareness about prostate cancer.

Group Leader and prostate cancer survivor, Brian Nagorcka, said the event held on March 5-7 would be an opportunity to connect with local men and start important conversations about health.

“The Wimmera Prostate Cancer Support Group launched in Horsham in 2016 and continues to provide support and connection for men impacted by this disease and their partners,” Mr Nagorcka said.

“As a group we’re very motivated to raise awareness and encourage men to learn about their prostate cancer risk to help improve rates of early detection.

“Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia. Here in the North West region, over 150 men are diagnosed each year.

“If you’re at the Field Days, please drop by our stand. Whether you have had prostate cancer and would like to join, or you want more information about prostate cancer, we are here to help.”

The Wimmera Prostate Cancer Support Group meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month from noon to 2pm at the Horsham RSL.

“A lot of our members have joined as a result of word of mouth and get great benefit out of connecting with others who have had a similar experience,” Mr Nagorcka said.

you at the Field Days

“We invite wives and partners to join us because it is a journey together and we as men need that support.

“We’re also fortunate to have a local PCFA

Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse, Mandy Johns, located in the region who is involved with the group and available to support men and their families.”

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia CEO Anne Savage commended the group.

“We urge local men and their partners to visit the group’s display for advice about early detection and support,” Ms Savage said.

“Fewer than one in four men in the local region detect prostate cancer at its earliest stage – which is why awareness is so important.

“The efforts of the Wimmera Prostate Cancer Support Group are truly first class – they play a special role in bringing the community together to talk about prostate cancer and take action, saving lives.”

Wimmera

Machinery Field Days special

Smallaire

From humble beginnings in the Mallee town of Rainbow, air movement manufacturer Smallaire is marking 50 years of operation in 2024.

Director and part owner Lolita Small said her parents Gary and Carolyn Small started the business in 1974, manufacturing water tanks.

“People were saying ‘I want an air conditioner’ and he figured out how to make them,” she said.

“Evaporative air conditioning is economical and there was a big need for them in the dry heat of the Mallee.

“Dad saw there was an opening and not many manufacturers around were making them.

“They moved the business into Horsham in the 1980s and have slowly expanded from there.”

Miss Small said her father was now semi-retired, living in Perth, but was still involved in the research and development aspect of the business.

She said the company had grown to employ 24 staff and manufactured for agricultural, commercial and domestic industries.

“Our business is anything to do with air,” she said.

“We can make a fan to suit almost any application.

“We have made high pressure blowers for wineries and bunker suckers for grain aeration.

“Our latest innovation is a green bunker sucker, which uses wind generation instead of petrol or diesel, to suck the tarp to the grain.

“We are trying to become greener and it’s a bit of a breakthrough innovation, which we will be promoting at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.”

Miss Small said a ‘can-do attitude’, with the business eager to learn how to make any product a customer needed, had led to its expansion.

“The growth has happened through innovation, staying ahead of the mar-

ket and making more and more products,” she said.

“A lot of products we make are made in China, but ours are of a better quality – we have even made fans to blow up balloons.

“This diversity of what we make has allowed us to survive.”

Miss Small said this expansion saw the business move location several times since relocating to Horsham from Rainbow.

“When we first moved to Horsham, we were on the corner of Golf Course Road and the highway, which was a

smaller place when we only had a few staff,” she said.

“Then we went King Drive, which we outgrew. That’s when we moved to our current premises on Golf Course Road.

“We built our building with a showroom so we can host tours and allow people to see our end products.

“We also bought the block next door for our dispatch.”

Miss Small said the business employed about six metal fabrication apprentices, including two school-based apprentices, and recently purchased

– Lolita Small

a welding robot to meet growing demand.

“Some of our staff have been here for 30 years, which is a feat in itself,” she said.

Miss Small said the company had received Wimmera Southern Mallee Development business awards and nominations in recent years for business of the year, excellence in agriculture and manufacturing innovation.

“It’s nice to have recognition and support of the local community and those awards are a good chance to reflect on where the business has been and where it will be in the future,” she said.

Miss Small said Smallaire was a finalist for induction into the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame twice, including in 2023.

She said long-term success of the business also saw staff become shareholders, including general manager Jock Baker, whose son Tom is now an apprentice at the business.

Working widths from10 m to 36 m

Spreading system made completely from stainless steel

Spreading system made completely from stainless steel

Perfect double shutter control system for rate and closing

Hopper volumes from 1000 L to 3000 L Simple toolless adjustments

Precise spread patterns at working widths up to 36 m

ZA-V Special for simple and precise operation with hydraulic control

Smooth flowing hopper with capacities from 1400 L to 4200 L

Precise spread patterns even at working widths of up to 54 m

Monitoring and control of the application rate via the weighing system

AutoTS integrated boundary spreading system

Hopper volumes from 1400 L to 4200 L

GPS switch technology for up to 132 sections with ISOBUS Section Control

Exhibitor profile

HISTORY: Smallaire general manager Jock Baker and staff member Mel Clough are celebrating 50 years of the air movement manufacturer. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

“Our latest innovation is a green bunker sucker, which uses wind generation instead of petrol or diesel, to suck the tarp to the grain. We are trying to become greener and it’s a bit of a breakthrough innovation, which we will be promoting at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days”

ACE

Radio’s Wimmera team will once again attend the region’s premier agriculture event at Longerenong next week.

Broadcast journalist and rural reporter Emma Clark said radio stations 3WM and MIXX FM would be on site for the three days.

The team will be joined by members of The Weekly Advertiser, who produced a 60-page Wimmera Machinery Field Days special edition AgLife ahead of the event.

Mrs Clark said she would be hosting ACE Radio’s flagship rural program Country Today live from the field days each day from noon to 1pm.

“Broadcasting and covering the field days are such an integral part of our stations and newspaper,” she said.

“It’s a huge event, not just for us and our listeners, but also for local businesses and those who travel to attend the event.

“We will be chatting to exhibitors through-

“I can’t wait. We’re looking forward to being there once again” – Emma Clark

out the day and I encourage anyone with any agriculture news or stories to come up and say hello.”

Mrs Clark said the team would be broadcasting from its site between the field days office and Local Market Square at the Wimmera Events Centre.

ENGAGEMENT: ACE Radio staff, from left, Lily Olver, Abby Walter, Lee Meadows and Brendan O’Loughlin. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Australian lentil growers looking to discover more about a breakthrough boron and salt-tolerant variety will have an opportunity to do so at next week’s Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

The variety, GIA Thunder, was developed at Grains Innovations Australia’s breeding nursery near Horsham.

Representatives of GIA’s lentil variety commercial partner, PBSeeds, will be on hand to discuss the benefits of the variety throughout the three-day event at Wimmera Events Centre, Longerenong.

GIA crop breeder Michael Materne said GIA Thunder was the first imidazolinone – IMI – tolerant lentil variety to achieve an improved rating of boron, salt and vegetative frost tolerance.

He said it recently obtained this combination of ratings over all other IMI lentil varieties.

Dr Materne said experts estimated about 30 percent of soils in southern Australian grain-growing areas contained levels of boron considered toxic for plant growth, and lentils were sensitive to salinity compared with most crops.

He said intolerant lentil varieties were also particularly sensitive to salinity and boron that occurred in alkaline subsoils in areas of the Wimmera and Mallee.

“These constraints may be variable across a farm and on their own or in

combination can reduce lentil plant growth and grain yield,” he said.

“An inability to grow into these poor subsoils also reduces the water available for lentil plants, which can significantly impact lentil yields, particularly in drier seasons.”

Dr Materne is touted as the first to recognise a need to introduce boron and salt tolerance into lentil varieties for better adaptation across whole paddocks, and for the successful expansion of lentil into the northern Wimmera and Mallee.

He bred the first boron-plus-salt lentil varieties, Flash and Bolt, more than a decade ago and started stacking this tolerance into IMI-tolerant breeding lines at the GIA breeding nursery near Horsham.

The recently released variety, GIA

Thunder IMI lentil, is a direct result of this focused breeding work.

Dr Materne said GIA Thunder also overcame another major problem of earlier IMI lentil varieties, in having improved tolerance to vegetative frost.

Vegetative frosts are sporadic across years and topography but cause significant yellowing and yield loss in intolerant lentils.

Dr Materne said GIA was not tolerant to frost on pods and seeds but healthier plants after frost might assist in recovery.

“The GIA Thunder lentil variety is going to give growers more robust crops as they grow these lentils into the future,” he said.

“It will also give new lentil growers in expansion areas, such as the Eyre Peninsula and the Esperance region in

METICULOUS:

Grains

Innovation Australia breeder Dr Larn McMurray, left, and national operations manager Jacob Materne are meticulous in harvesting each breeding plot of many thousands grown at multiple locations across south-east Australia.

Western Australia, a better opportunity to have successful crops too. These regions have large areas of soils where boron and-or salt toxicity is an issue and where damaging frosts can occur during the growing season.”

PBSeeds commercial manager Janine Sounness said interest in the GIA Thunder variety continued to grow.

“After a record season of seed sales in 2023, orders for GIA Thunder this year are still strong across the Wimmera, Mallee and South Australia, and there is new interest from Western Australia as well,” she said.

“The local breeding work of GIA that developed this variety is going to have a national impact.

“The variety is also a small rounded red lentil type, which is a perfect fit for the Australia lentil export market.”

Resources on hand

Agriculture Victoria is advising livestock owners to assess their livestock feed situation, as failing to provide proper and sufficient feed is an offence.

Agriculture Victoria senior officer of animal welfare Morgan Cassell said producers needed to make appropriate decisions regarding livestock and ability to provide adequate feed.

Agriculture Victoria encourages livestock owners and managers to ask what are the nutritional requirements for the class and number of livestock they keep; how much feed do they currently have on offer, and does it meet their livestock’s energy and protein requirements; how much supplement feed do they need to be feeding, will they have enough and will they be able to source more; and what alternative options do they have such as agistment or destocking?

“If you aren’t sure of any of the answers to these questions, seek advice or do your research,” Ms Cassell said.

“There are many free resources and tools available to help and once you know the answers you can then make an informed decision, plan and take action.”

Visit feedinglivestock.vic. gov.au for more information.

PBSeeds

Exhibitor profile

‘Captivating’ podcast release

Exhibitor profile

West Wimmera Health Service

Wimmera-southern Mallee people can now listen to a podcast featuring ‘a captivating collection of candid stories’ of life on the land in their own backyard.

West Wimmera Health Service has dropped the fourth and final season of ‘Farmer Wants a Healthy Life’, aimed at farming families and rural communities.

Created by the service’s health promotion team in response to conversations with farmers and rural community members, the podcast is designed to spark conversations about health and wellbeing.

Health promotion manager Dorothy McLaren said the podcast shared ‘tell-all health and wellbeing truths’ from people living rural lifestyles, helping listeners relate to common health themes and concerns, with the aim of helping them navigate their own health journeys.

She said season four closed the series with a ‘bang’, with episodes covering topics such as alcoholism; anxiety; a Swedish woman’s take on ‘paddock to plate’ on her Aussie farm; making farms safer for children; connection to land – working with it, not on it; dogs helping to minimise the impact of mental health; family and domestic violence; gambling effects on families; biodynamic farming; and farm fitness.

“In talking to people in our rural

SPARKING CONVERSATIONS: Swedish farmer Anna Johansson features in the fourth season of the ‘Farmer Wants a Healthy Life’ podcast.

communities about how they would like to receive messages about health, they said they wanted to hear from others in similar situations and lifestyles,” Ms McLaren said.

“So, the podcast was born, sharing relatable stories of people living the rural lifestyle and how it changes and

impacts their health choices.” There are 39 episodes in total.

“It has been wonderful to have so many inspiring locals on the podcast, speaking openly about how they’ve overcome adversities in ways that may surprise you,” Ms McLaren said.

“We’re hopeful that the podcast has

inspired listeners to make choices to improve their own health, to live and thrive.”

People can listen to ‘Farmer Wants a Healthy Life’ online at www.wwhs. net.au/Farmer-wants-a-healthy-life, Apple, Spotify or wherever they get their podcasts.

Insurance angst

The Nationals have called on the State Government to fix a policy ‘black hole’ regarding potential skyrocketing insurance premiums for farmers near large-scale solar and renewable energy projects.

Nationals Member for Lowan and shadow minister for agriculture Emma Kealy said farmers neighbouring large renewable projects were potentially facing huge increases in insurance premiums and at risk of losing everything.

“Farmers across Victoria have been contacting their local members expressing concerns about local renewable energy projects, particularly in relation to insurance and liability challenges,” she said.

“It is essential that farmers are supported as renewable energy projects continue to be developed around the state.

“If a farmer was found to have started a fire with a chainsaw, slasher or grinder and it spread and caused damage to a neighbouring property, they could lose everything if they were found negligent.”

The Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner’s 2022 Annual Report included sections titled ‘consultation’ and ‘neighbour agreements’.

It suggested a solar farm could create a neighbour agreement, which could include reimbursement for increased public liability insurance premiums levied at a neighbour due to the presence of a wind or solar farm.

Ms Kealy said insurance issues were causing angst as plans for renewable energy projects were made public and coming to fruition.

“The government needs to address these insurance issues as a matter of urgency,” she said.

‘Moving confidently’

Rabobank’s newly-released annual outlook shows Australia’s agricultural sector is ‘moving confidently’ into 2024.

The report contains an overall positive outlook for the nation’s farmers and agribusiness industries for the year ahead.

Report lead author, RaboResearch Australia and New Zealand general manager Stefan Vogel, said a combination of better-than-expected seasonal conditions and lower input costs had helped set up the sector for a strong year.

He said while agri-commodity prices were ‘well down on the highs seen during the previous two years’, the bank’s price forecasts pointed to ‘continued positive farm margins in key agricultural sectors in 2024’.

Mr Vogel said, however, Rabobank’s flagship Australian Agribusiness Outlook 2024 cautioned global economic headwinds were set to continue, particularly with ongoing concerns about China’s economy and import volumes, as well as the effect of geopolitical issues on freight.

He said ‘locally’, a tight labour market would continue to present challenges for Australia’s farm sector and agribusiness industries.

He said ‘major’ agricultural sectors were moving into 2024 with a confident outlook, after ‘El Niño did not turn out as bad as feared, with recent significant rainfall received across most farming areas except Western Australia’.

“Grain farmers are set to plan more optimistically for the purchase of farm

inputs and the upcoming planting period for winter crops like wheat, barley and canola, especially in the growing areas outside Western Australia, which was the only region that hasn’t received much rain,” he said.

“For beef and sheep producers, the outlook for farm-grown feed in the first half of 2024 overall looks more promising, allowing them to hold on to more of their livestock and go to market with heavier weight lambs for example.”

Price outlook

While agricultural commodity prices remain well down from the highs reached in 2022, the outlook is overall more positive for 2024, with the bank’s Rabobank Rural Commodity Price Index pointing to prices tracking at improved levels in the year ahead and near the five-year average.

“Price developments will vary per sector,” Mr Vogel said.

“Grain prices are likely to remain under pressure, as markets globally and locally battle with a supply outlook for 2024 that is more plentiful than in past years. For a significant 2024 price upside for grain, the world would need to see weather-related supply shortages arise.”

Mr Vogel said the beef and sheep price outlooks were more optimistic and above the 2023 lows.

“Prices in late 2023 moved up from the lows, but the animal protein sector will continue to work through large Australian production volumes that need to move into quite congested global markets, and the economic headwinds that are expected to continue

in 2024 won’t help to much improve global demand,” he said.

“Still, we expect 2024, especially the first half of the year, to see higher beef and sheep prices compared with the second half of 2023.”

Improved input costs

The outlook shows farm input costs should be lower this year.

“Farm input prices globally – for fertilisers and plant protection products – are forecast to be below last season,” Mr Vogel said.

“As Australia imports most of those products and continues to work through local inventories, we remain confident that costs on farm will look better than last year.

“A good part of farm inputs available in Australia last season were still reflecting the cost of COVID and Black Sea war price shocks, but now lower global prices should make their way through to be reflected in Australian inventory.”

Rabobank leaders expect to see Australian nitrogen fertiliser costs decline by 10 to 20 percent and phosphate by 10 to 15 percent this year compared with 2023 prices.

Agro-chemical prices are also forecast to decline in 2024 – primarily driven by a ‘massive increase’ in Chinese production capacity in the past three years which, according to Mr Vogel, is seeing the beginnings of a supply glut in 2024.

“However, these price reductions may take some time to be felt at Australian farm gates, as older stock makes its way through the system,” he said.

AWARDS: The number of awards up for grabs at this year’s Wimmera Machinery Field Days has increased. Product awards include machine of the year and agriculture business innovation of the year. Site awards include best agriculture machinery outdoor site, best general outdoor site, best Alan Heard Pavilion site, best Moore Exhibition Centre site and best Country Lifestyle site. Last year Horsham Hydraulics’ Brian and Eddy Nagorcka, pictured above, won best new machine award at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days for a Bute Disc Chain. Picture: PAUL

CARRACHER

Unique ‘night and day’ design

RYAN

NT director Paul Ryan is excited to showcase his business’ innovative retrofit double disc system to farmers across the Wimmera, Mallee and beyond at Longerenong next week.

RYAN NT is among exhibitors at the 60th Wimmera Machinery Field Days, at Wimmera Events Centre.

Mr Ryan, who has attended the field days for several years, said he developed the retrofit double disk to ‘assist farmers in planting into trash’.

“Over many years, RYAN NT has created this economical system and now has a model to suit the popular New Zealand system, the Duncan Drill,” he said.

Mr Ryan said unlike conventional double disks, RYAN NT double discs had an offset axle design, with the serrated disc ahead of the plain disc.

“The unique design allows better penetration and cutting versus the conventional side-by-side system,” he said.

“The coulter discs are a massive 18 inches for ease of rolling, with plenty of height, keeping the bearings out of the soil. The axles are a massive 30 millimetres, fitted with Timken tapered bearings.”

Mr Ryan said the disc legs were attached to a heavy-duty 400-pound Ryan Tyne Trip, allowing the disc assembly to handle rough terrain.

“In addition, the Ryan system has tungsten mud scrapers and front and rear seed boots,” he said.

Grazier, farmer and contractor Phil Giancono of Donnybrook, Western Australia, uses RYAN NT retrofit discs on his Duncan Drill.

Mr Giancono said he decided to do the conversion at the beginning of 2023. Initially, he used tines for his seeding system, but found they were bringing up rocks and clogging up with trash, especially dry seeds.

“I was looking around for a disc seeder, but I couldn’t find one in the size I wanted when looking at the new ones, as I can’t go too big,” he said.

“The system I needed had to stay within a specific size, and I’m known to modify everything.

“After looking around, I found the Ryan discs online and did a bit of research into them.

“I was a bit of a guinea pig to do the conversion since it hadn’t really been done on a Duncan Drill before.

“Paul was pretty helpful with that side of things, and since converting to the discs, it’s been great.”

Mr Giancono said as a contractor, he used to have to go to people’s properties to see if a seeding job would be suitable for his tine machine.

“But now, with the discs, I didn’t

have to go to any jobs to check the land out; I just rocked up and did it and seeded with ease,” he said.

“It chops through kike thatch easily.

“Compared to your cheaper Chinese seeders, it’s night and day with the discs on the Duncan Drill.

“It still brings up a bit of rock, but nothing compared with your tines.”

Mr Giancono said he also noticed a significant saving in fuel costs.

“When I sat down and worked it out, we probably saved about 30 percent in fuel compared with operating with a tine,” he said.

“So overall, we’re pretty happy with the conversion.”

Making our farms safer

The Victorian Farmers Federation Making Our Farms Safer project aims to reduce the number of farmers aged 60 and older dying on Victorian farms.

The organisation released a new handbook, ‘Stay Farming Longer and Safer: A practical guide for older farmers and their families’ to support the goal.

It was written for farmers, by farmers, while keeping front of mind the unique challenges living on a farm presents.

VFF vice-president and Making Our Farmers Safer committee chair Danyel Cucinotta said the free handbook was available to all Victorian farmers, and offered practical safety tips, information and advice critical to saving lives.

“In 2022, more than 40 percent of all deaths on farms were tragically in people aged older than 60,” she said.

“Everyone deserves to go home safely at night, and this handbook is a step in the right direction.

“It’s so important that we disrupt the ‘it’ll be right mentality’ when it comes to farm safety.

“We know complacency kills, and it’s through resources such as this handbook that we shift the dial.

“I’m so proud that this handbook now exists, but it’s all for nothing if farmers don’t use it.”

People can download a free copy of the handbook at www.makingourfarmssafer.org.au.

CONTRACTOR’S DREAM: Phil Giancono in front of his Duncan Drill fitted with RYAN NT retrofit double discs.

RYAN NT

Exhibitor profile

Deutz

SMART

Load-sensing

SMART

Ergonomic,

financial bump

Volunteer profile

“Each day, a group of 10 to 15 people will be up at 6am in the morning to make sandwiches,” she said.

“We will have another eight to 10 people throughout the day, so there will be roughly 25 people helping each day of the field days.”

Miss Borain said the club had a longstanding involvement with the Wimmera event.

“The club has been doing it for years and years. We’ve been so lucky to be offered the opportunity again,” she said.

“It’s always a really good fundraiser at the start of the year, to give the club a bump financially.”

READY TO ASSIST: Shannon Arnott, left, and Steph Borain are part of a crew of Laharum Football Netball Club players and members volunteering at the Alan Heard Pavilion kiosk during the Wimmera Machinery Field Days. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Women on Farms planning ahead

Ararat will host the annual Victorian Women on Farms Gathering next month as a ‘gettogether’ for returning and new members of the WoFG community.

The first Women on Farms Gathering was in Warragul, in 1990 and since then gatherings have run annually in different rural locations across the state.

NEW ATTRACTION:

Jaimie and Matthew Thompson, owners and operators of Sandy Creek Clydesdales, with their children Billie and Hunter, will attend the Wimmera Machinery Field Days this year. The pair will be offering blacksmithing demonstrations, carriage rides and Clydesdale interactions throughout the three days, with two of their Clydesdales, Brooke and Noah. Picture: CHLOE

SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

A Women on Farms discussion group grew out of participation in the Women On Farms skills courses at Warragul, which transformed into planning the first event.

Organisation is handed over to an autonomous committee of women, from the area of the gathering, each year.

Run over a weekend, the gatherings bring together rural women to learn new skills and share stories.

Storytelling is central to the events, raising the consciousness in women of their relative disadvantage and marginalisation, and affirming their identities as farmers, rather than farmers’ wives.

Future proofing

Workshops at the gatherings develop women’s practical on-farm skills, and confidence and skills needed for political roles.

This year, the 34th event, will be in Ararat from March 15 to 17 and is being organised by Christine Rippon.

The aim of the program this year is to have the opportunity to meet and shape the future of Women on Farms.

Unlike previous events, the Ararat iteration will bring together women, without tours or workshops, to be able to plan for future events, while supporting Ararat and surrounding businesses and attractions.

The event will also include the opportunity to update the contact list of Women on Farms Gathering participants and pay respect to members who have died since the 2023 event.

The program for the Women on Farms Gathering ‘get-together’ Ararat includes future planning meetings, ‘Life and Times’ storytelling by local women and spending time catching up or getting to know people.

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Pictured are Wimmera Mallee Ag team members Lachie Schultz and Peter Hobbs

Hosking working to

Quambatook

mixed farmer

Brett Hosking is the newest board member of Birchip Cropping Group, BCG.

He spoke to BCG’s Janine Batters following his appointment to the board for the group’s Farmer in Focus series.

“I spend a lot of time on the phone,” Mr Hosking said.

“My family will tell me that I spend way too much time on the phone, but I see it as important to spend the time to get the right advice and build upon those networks to get good advice when you need it.

“Like all farmers, we struggle with work-life balance. There is always something else to do on the farm or at home coupled with the demand of community.

“To maintain the same number of opportunities, more of us are working harder.

“I had a season in my life where I was away a lot and had to get very good at driving out the gate and dealing with it when I returned, knowing I had full-time staff, family and a network supporting me.

“Part of it is knowing you have to make a choice to put your family first sometimes, to go skiing or whatever it is you all enjoy... and that’s okay, we get there in the end.”

Mr Hosking produces merino ewes and grows canola, wheat, barley, lentils and opportunistically, vetch hay.

“I also have 25 breeder Hereford cattle running around at the moment as a bit of a hobby,” he said.

Mr Hosking said the opportunity to be a BCG board member was a chance to contribute his skills to the community.

“We all contribute to our community where we are able and with extensive board experience, I hope to add value at board level,” he said.

“What I like about BCG is that it is community-led, locally-led and community-oriented.

“Over time that community has expanded, but it’s that grassroots approach that has always appealed to me in groups I’ve been involved with.”

Mr Hosking said modern farmers

needed to be more adaptable than ever.

“On any given day a farmer might perform the role of mechanic, international commodity trader, or any other role which needs to be picked up on that day,” he said.

“Having good advice from groups such as BCG is vital to support them to grow and prosper.

“BCG’s extension and engagement supports this required growth well.

“Farmers often need complex information communicated efficiently so that it can be practically applied on farm.

“BCG is a conduit between academia and practical application, recognising the skills and knowledge that farmers already have and building areas of passion and areas that can make their farms more profitable.”

Mr Hosking said farmers were fast learners and adopters of new technology, but BCG’s challenge was remaining ahead of the curve.

“I’d also like to support BCG’s delivery of tailored events,” he said.

“There is a lot on and farmers are required to be selective in which events they attend.

“The number of attendees might

“BCG is a conduit between academia and practical application, recognising the skills and knowledge that farmers already have and building areas of passion and areas that can make their farms more profitable”

– Brett Hosking

be less, but that does not mean these events are any less valuable.”

Mr Hosking said his passion to contribute was fed by challenges farmers faced.

“A big challenge is rising input costs, the other is climate change,” he said.

“It’s not as sorely felt when years are good, but in the future, we need to be more engaged around our emissions footprint and providing credible information to society.

“Growers who aren’t engaged could be taken advantage of or will have the world decided for them.

“Our farmers have the challenge of climate change in two areas, how we reduce emissions – for a city person they can catch a tram, that looks different to us – and secondly, we are affected due to the change that has already occurred to the environment and landscape.

“We need to adapt to the significant change in our environment and our bottom lines due to climate.”

On site and ready to

Exhibitor profile

Harwood Andrews

Harwood Andrews is the largest law firm in regional Victoria and is returning to the Wimmera Machinery Field Days in 2024.

Established in 1840, the firm has a proud regional focus.

With strong client and business relationships in the Wimmera and Western District, the team at Harwood Andrews understand the needs of rural communities and provide expert legal advice when it counts.

Special Counsel, Amy Jenkinson, said the firm was excited to attend the Wimmera Machinery Field Days as a professional services exhibitor.

“Many of our lawyers and administrative staff have family, business and farming connections with the Wimmera and Western District,” she said.

“We are approachable and have a genuine interest in advising primary producers, agribusinesses and their rural communities.”

Based in Geelong, the firm supports and works alongside existing regional legal, accounting and other professional advisors when specialist legal knowledge is required.

The firm also acts for regional councils and other statutory authorities.

Mrs Jenkinson said Harwood Andrews regularly assists clients and their existing advisors to deal with legal issues which may be outside their local lawyers’ area of expertise

or involving a sensitive matter where distance from immediate community is preferred.

Farmers and the agribusiness sector are subject to an increasingly complex regulatory and legal environment.

Mrs Jenkinson said while it was understandable some farmers and agribusinesses did not prioritise legal affairs and planning when time poor and focused on their day-to-day op-

erations, the right advice at the right time could reap significant benefits and avoid unnecessary exposure to liability and cost in the future.

Harwood Andrews provides expert advice in all areas of the law including structuring and asset protection, estate and succession planning including family farm and multi-generational business, property transactions, taxation, occupational health and safety and employment law,

farming agreements, environment and planning issues, debt recovery, family and other dispute resolution.

Mrs Jenkinson encouraged people to drop by and meet some of the Harwood Andrews team at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

“It promises to be a fantastic few days and we are looking forward to catching up with current clients and forming new relationships,” she said.

Watch for heat stress

Agriculture Victoria is reminding livestock owners to protect animals from harsh weather conditions, particularly heat stress.

Providing access to shelter can improve animal welfare by reducing the risk of heat stress and production losses as the animal does not need to actively use energy to lower its body temperature.

Agriculture Victoria animal health officer Flick Searle said behavioural signs of heat stress in livestock could include increased respiration rate, panting, increased salivation, listlessness and lethargy.

“Heat stress can be treated by moving affected livestock into shade and providing clean, cool water,” she said.

“If, after a period of time, after providing this treatment, the animal does not improve, contact a veterinarian immediately or humanely euthanise the animal.

“In high temperatures, the accessible shelter needs to give protection from the sun, reducing solar radiation, and also allow air movement.”

Ms Searle said good examples of shelter included trees with large canopies, shade cloth structures and sheds with open sides.

“Farmers need to keep in mind that some livestock have a higher need for shelter, such as very young, old or sick livestock, as their ability to regulate their temperature is reduced,” she said.

“Therefore it’s your responsibility to provide care accordingly.”

More information is available via agriculture.vic.gov.au.

SPECIALISTS: Harwood Andrews staff, from back left, Vittoria De Stefano, Ben Broadhead and Daniela Pavlovic, and seated, Paul Gray and Ali Erskine.

A family tradition

committee, then my Dad, Don, and now my mum, Robyn, and myself are on the committee.”

Gulline is one of the newest volunteers on the Wimmera Machinery Field Days committee.

The 60th anniversary of the event marks Mr Gulline’s second year as a member of the committee.

Mr Gulline said being a member of the field days committee was something he was born into.

“I am the third generation of my family to be a part of the event,” he said.

“My grandfather, Graeme Gulline, was on the

As a Longerenong farmer, Mr Gulline knows the importance of the three days at the Wimmera Events Centre to the industry and community.

He said he was looking forward to celebrating 60 years of the field days next week.

“It’s always good to see all the machinery and all the people at the field days,” Mr Gulline said.

“It’s a chance to look at all the new things coming through, particularly new technology in the industry.

“I enjoy volunteering on the committee and working with the group – being part of something for the community.”

Volunteer profile

Will Gulline

GeoSelect rollout helps Hardi’s trailed customers

LINCOLN BERTELLI

www.tradefarmmachinery.com.au

First launched for its self-propelled sprayer range, now Hardi’s locally-designed GeoSelect technology is proving a winner for trailed sprayer customers.

GeoSelect continues to take giant leaps forward for Hardi Australia, being showcased to the overseas market at Agritechnica, while trailed sprayer customers are also starting to experience the benefits.

GeoSelect was first launched in 2021 by the Adelaide-based manufacturer as a spot spraying technology to improve accuracy and reduce chemical use.

It was initially introduced for Hardi’s selfpropelled sprayers, such as the Saritor range, but expanded last year to also include the trailed units.

This marked a major expansion of GeoSelect’s customer base and allowed those who operate Hardi’s Commander and Navigator sprayers to start using the technology on their properties.

One such customer is Alexander McRae, a sixth-generation cropping and livestock farmer from Wallup in Victoria’s Wimmera region.

McRae has been a long-term customer of his local Hardi dealership Wimmera Mallee Ag.

When it came time to upgrade his sprayer, he stuck with the Commander’s tried-and-tested features, but added GeoSelect.

“We were trying to value add to the boom,” McRae says.

“We did have a Commander exactly the same – 10,000L, 48.5m boom – but it was time to upgrade due to hours, so we decided to go down that path of adding GeoSelect to the next one, purely for being able to save on costs with chemicals.

“It’s very efficient being a large capacity and width, and having a 48.5m spot sprayer – as I guess you would call it – is very good,” he says.

Hardi describes GeoSelect as a decoupled selective spraying system.

It uses software in conjunction with drone images to identify and spray exactly where weeds are in a paddock.

Lightweight but rugged antennas are attached to the sprayer’s boom, and Hardi says the minimal hardware required on the unit itself helps to increase both GeoSelect’s convenience and efficiency.

It is not a drone-based sprayer though, Hardi points out, as the drone only captures images whereas GeoSelect is pure software for the sprayer.

Chemical use is reduced by up to 90 per cent, Hardi says, while field tests carried out before GeoSelect’s launch had live data processed with up to 5mm accuracy and a 99.7 per cent hit rate.

Importantly, GeoSelect works with the standard Hardi sprayer nozzles.

Hardi Australia’s precision agriculture business development manager Mark Armstrong says the expansion into trailed sprayers has opened up GeoSelect’s market, while also making it available on their largest units.

“If we limit ourselves purely to self-propelled sprayers we are limiting our market, especially in the broadacre space,” he says.

“Some customers are not able to justify buying a self-propelled, but some of them already have Commanders.

“Another benefit of GeoSelect on the

Alexander McRae with his Hardi Commander sprayer.

Image: Hardi

Commander is the fact it can still take a 54m boom, but the Commander also has a 10,000L tank, which is the biggest one that we do, whereas our biggest self-propelled is 9,000L.”

Wimmera Mallee Ag’s Hardi specialist Glen Hobbs, who sold the GeoSelect to McRae, says Commander sprayers are the most popular within his dealership’s western Victoria catchment area – making the expansion into these units an important drawcard for his customers.

“A lot of it is cost saving and chemical saving, but as far as I’m concerned, the soil health has got major benefits too,” he says.

“The less chemicals you’re sticking into the soil has got to be a good thing when you get 10 years down the track.

“With the drone side of things, some people initially look at it and think it’s another expense you have compared to a camera on the machine, but the drone really has got a lot of advantages when you start to look at the benefits of what you can do with it.

“The fact that you can have a map that shows up year after year has got a lot of benefits, and you’re not throwing chemicals on just for the sake of doing it.”

Expanding into the trailed sprayer market

is far from Hardi’s only plan for its showpiece technology.

Armstrong says Hardi is looking to crack the overseas market with its locally-designed GeoSelect, while research and development continues to occur with the aim of expanding its ability.

“We took GeoSelect over to Agritechnica for the first time and the response we got was just amazing,” he says.

“We’re looking to push GeoSelect into the US and into Europe. It’s purely an Australian invention from the Hardi Australia factory in Adelaide, which makes you proud when you’re out there giving presentations.

“The parent company Exel really love the tech, and Hardi International really love the tech, so they’re really pushing for us to carry it forward.

“We recently completed trials again for green on green, as we did last year.

“We’re speaking to a company in Adelaide that managed to fly some of the paddocks using a hyperspectral camera, which is something totally different for us.

“We’re just waiting to see the results but we’re quite excited about that, and that will give us a slightly different dimension going into our greenon-green season.”

Hardi Australia innovation manager Heath Thompson says other areas of research and development which Hardi is exploring for GeoSelect includes more variable rate selected spraying to better handle different sized weeds.

“That will give farmers a bit more of an option in regard to how much they dose the weeds up with and is something we’re looking at in the next year and into 2025,” he says.

“We’ve also got a lot of feedback that people want dual tanks as well.

“The system is capable of it from a data point of view, we’ve just got to look at how we would do it from a plumbing point of view, and that’s something we will do with our ongoing research and development.”

GeoSelect, along with Hardi’s full sprayer range, can be viewed at www.hardi.com/en-au

GrainGrowers details wishlist

GrainGrowers has called on the Federal Government to commit to investments in its next budget to reduce supply chain costs and increase labour supply, providing an opportunity for the industry to push for an increased global market share for grains, pulses and oilseeds.

With a budget focus on cost-ofliving issues, GrainGrowers said the approach would provide a win-win for growers and the government by easing inflationary pressures on Australian consumers.

GrainGrowers used its pre-budget submission to detail funding requests across six key areas: carbon and climate; people and workforce; biosecurity; grain freight and supply chains; trade and market access; and farm inputs.

The requests align with issues identified through the GrainGrowers Annual Policy Survey.

GrainGrowers chairman Rhys Turton said the range of industry-specific investments aimed to increase the resilience and sustainability of Australian grain growers.

“The grains industry is a significant economic and social force in regional Australia, comprising 22,500 farm businesses covering about 31-million hectares of land and directly employing 34,000 workers each season, with thousands more employed across the supply chain,” he said.

“In the 2022-23 growing season, Australian grain growers contributed

“The investments outlined can potentially deliver substantial value to the industry and the wider community”

– Rhys Turton, right

$33-billion gross value of production to the Australian economy.

“As an industry, we significantly contribute to regional Australia and the broader economy. The investments outlined can potentially deliver substantial value to the industry and the wider community.”

Mr Turton said government support and investment in the specified areas were fundamental to the longer-term development of the grain industry.

“If we are going to meet future challenges and opportunities, we need focused, strategic investment across a range of key areas,” he said.

“The investments detailed in our pre-budget submission are realistic and carefully targeted. We believe they can deliver real value to growers, the wider industry, and the Australian community, and we urge the government to give them strong consideration in their budget discussions.”

Summary

Carbon and climate

• $50-million of existing funding allocated to Regional Investment Corporation for a pilot loan to assist growers in investing in adoption of low-emission practices, initiatives, and technologies, that are not contingent on current disaster, hardship or drought funding triggers.

• $2-million to develop an agriculturespecific low-emission vehicle roadmap and strategy.

• $10-million for five years to fund development of a common framework, methodologies and measurement tools for greenhouse gas accounting in agriculture.

People and workforce

• $200,000 from the Community Childcare Fund to fund a pilot program aimed at facilitating building renovations to bring selected prospective family day care venues up to code in regional and remote grain-growing areas.

• $50-million for three years to enable a national roll-out of the Ag Skilled initiative. The Ag Skilled program has been a successful program by the NSW Government to upskill primary production industries.

• $1-million an annum for ABARES,

specifically for the employment of additional staff and resources to collect more granular grain-grower-focused workforce data, informing a better understanding of specific grains industry workforce needs.

• $500-million to local councils for infrastructure projects to expedite the release of land and support an increase in key worker housing in regional Australia.

• $17-million for five years for a bold, national, agricultural industry-based intervention to grow farmers’ wellbeing and prevent suicides across the sector.

Biosecurity

• Maintain the commitment made in the 2023-24 budget of an additional $1.03-billion for four years – and $268.3-million a year ongoing from 2027-28 – for biosecurity funding, while ensuring greater and more gran-

ular public accountability and reporting for biosecurity expenditure and activities, enabling improved biosecurity system performance.

Grain freight and supply chains

• $2-million for the treasury to develop a mandatory code on port terminal access charges.

• Increase funding for the Roads to Recovery Program to $1-billion a year to support ongoing maintenance of the nation’s local road infrastructure and address the current shortfall in funding for local councils.

• $900-million a year in targeted funding for key regional freight corridors to improve the long-term resilience of freight networks.

• $100-million in targeted funding each year as part of the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program to rebuild critical ageing bridge infrastructure.

Trade and market access

• Invest $100-million into initiatives that ensure the sustainable growth and market expansion of Australian export-orientated agricultural businesses, including additional agricultural counsellors and funding for the program.

Farm inputs

• Allocate $100-million of the National Reconstruction Fund to economically viable, fertiliser-specific domestic manufacturing projects that structurally lower the cost of fertilisers, reduce emissions, and shorten Australia’s fertiliser supply chains.

• Maintain the fuel tax excise rebate for off-road fuel use.

Global standards in quality and excellence

All our products adhere to ISO 9001-2015 guidelines and are blended using OEM-approved formulations.

OEM Approvals

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High throughput APS SYNFLOW WALKER threshing unit

High performance separation TERRA TRAC and tyre technology for optimal ground protection

Powerful Tier 3 engines with up to 461 hp VARIO and CONVIO cutterbars in widths up to 13.8 m optimise crop intake

High throughput APS SYNFLOW HYBRID threshing unit

High performance separation

Cutterbars up to 15.3 m allow you to work even more productively 40 km/h gets you there quickly

Powerful Tier 3 MAN engines with up to 700 hp

DYNAMIC POWER for fuel savings of up to 10% 18,000 L unloaded in 100 s

In-cab assistance systems manage reel torque control, AUTOMATIC BELT SPEED and AUTO CONTOUR FLEX adjustment of the cutterbar CONVIO and CONVIO FLEX range in size from 7.7 m to

Fully integrated LED lighting packages available

Representatives from The Hamilton and Alexandra College will be among those on hand to showcase their school’s benefits to parents looking to find the correct ‘fit’ for their family.

The Hamilton and Alexandra College is co-educational and offers day and boarding school options.

This year’s school captains, Nicholas Hoskyns and Sarah Richardson, encourage people to consider the opportunities on offer at their school.

Nicholas said both Sarah and himself had made the most of ‘expansive’ opportunities at the college throughout their schooling journeys.

Nicholas joined The Hamilton and Alexandra College in prep and starting playing the violin soon after.

He said he enjoyed the strings program in year two, continued playing violin and in his final year, is completing the Associate in Music, Australia, AmusA, Diploma.

“At college, I have been supported to follow my passions in both music and basketball,” he said.

“The music department has national and international connections and I have had incredible experiences on

stage and in the classroom working with world-acclaimed musicians and teachers.

“A fairly typical day for me has involved chemistry and biology experiments, an individual lesson with a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and then racing off to coach my under-10s basketball team before hitting the court for the college in the evening.”

Nicholas said in his final year, he was considering several career pathways, in medicine, finance and music.

“I am working closely with my VCE teachers and careers advisor to determine my university applications and to ensure I find a balance to maintain

my love of learning, music and sport,” he said.

Sarah joined the college in year seven and lives in Casterton.

Along with school captain, she is also netball captain and is focused on her plans to study paramedicine at university after she completes her final year.

“I have loved every minute at college,” Sarah said.

“There is always something new or different to ‘give a go’.

“I have been involved in the concert band playing the flute, represented the school in netball and supporting junior netballers as a coach, a member of the Student Representative Council and

worked at community events as a part of the hospitality program.”

Sarah said she did not take for granted her experiences at the college.

“The Central Australia camp was amazing and the hands-on support from teachers has helped my confidence to achieve my dream career,” she said.

The Hamilton and Alexandra College scholarships are open for 2025 enrolments.

The college will host a senior school, boarding house and equestrian centre open day on Sunday, March 24.

People can visit website hamilton college.vic.edu.au for more information and to register their interest.

Changes to regulations

Victorians are invited to have their say on proposed changes to the state’s planning regulations for animal production.

The changes will exist as a new clause in the Victoria Planning Provisions and apply to all planning schemes in Victoria.

The clause provides guidelines for the location, design and management of new and expanded animal production facilities such as pig and poultry farms, intensive dairy farms and feedlots, but does not apply to grazing animal production.

Agriculture Victoria executive director Sarah-Jane McCormack said the proposal aimed to provide primary producers with clearer and more consistent planning requirements.

“The proposed changes have been designed to provide a transparent and enforceable clause that sets best-practice benchmarks for developments and provides certainty for investment in the animal production industry,” she said.

The clause aims to reduce the regulatory burden for animal production while continuing to protect the health of communities and the environment.

It consolidates planning requirements for all animal production into a single location within the Victoria Planning Provisions.

The Engage Victoria public consultation will allow community and industry members to review and provide feedback. Submissions can be made at engage.vic.gov.au until April 22.

Hamilton and Alexandra College

Exhibitor profile

LEADERS: The Hamilton and Alexandra College 2024 captains Nicholas Hoskyns and Sarah Richardson.

producers continue to play a role in Australia’s meat export market, contributing to a total volume of 1.84-million shipped weight tonnes of red meat delivered to more than 100 countries last year.

The result is a record A$17.08billion total for the 12 months ending November 2023.

Meat and Livestock Australia, MLA, has released annual global market snapshots for 2024, providing insights into where the volume and value were distributed to, and drivers of demand in each market.

The snapshot reports are collated by MLA to illustrate the competitive advantages and growth opportunities for Australian red meat across the world.

Covering 14 markets for beef and sheep meat, the snapshots provide industry stakeholders access to topline insights on consumer demographics, perceptions, habits and trends, as well as key export statistics, analysis and updates on trade access and the competitive landscape.

Key insights:

• Mainland China remains the number one destination for Australian red meat exports by volume, importing 206,193 tonnes of beef and 165,245 tonnes of lamb and mutton. Long-term import demand drivers are strong, with China’s affluent consumer

base forecast to continue expansion, along with growing appreciation for high quality red meat products.

• The United States continues to be a major market for Australian grass-fed beef and lamb. Opportunities for Australia in the US centre around increasing value through premium products such as chilled grass-fed beef and lamb, rather than just growing consumption volume.

• Japan is the third-largest beef importer globally and the second largest export customer of Australian beef. The market is especially unique for having a highly sophisticated but also very fragmented retail food market, where Australian beef and lamb are commonly sold in retail, as both fresh meat and ready-to-eat options.

• Korea is among Australia’s fastest-growing lamb markets in recent years with sheep meat worth $279-million exported there in 2023. Korea’s e-commerce channel is among the world’s largest and is an easy and convenient way for shoppers to purchase Australian red meat.

• Australia’s red meat exports to the United Kingdom have notably increased in just the few months since the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement – A-UK FTA – entered into force from the end of May 2023. Comparing the half-year period export

volume from June to December in 2022 and 2023, beef volume was up nearly five-fold, lamb and mutton both doubled.

MLA global market insights and adoption manager Miho Kondo said young, expanding and increasingly affluent consumers in emerging regions such as the Middle East and SouthEast Asia provided another significant opportunity for Australian red meat exporters.

“The dial has been shifting regarding the awareness of premium red meat, as demand for non-local cuisine food-service experiences and acceptance of packaged meat products purchased from modern retail are playing a more significant role in emerging markets,” she said.

“The Australian red meat industry has the potential to extend its excellent reputation overseas by expanding into more markets, accessing new consumers in already-established markets and ensuring the industry’s reputation for producing the best beef and lamb in the world.”

Ms Kondo said MLA’s market snapshots provided latest data and insights for Australia’s red meat industry.

“It is absolutely vital for our industry to have access to upto-date market and consumer insights on our key global markets in order to consolidate our competitive advantages and leverage growth opportunities,” she said.

TEMPTING: Heavenly Beef Jerky’s Levent Can will return to the Wimmera Machinery Field Days this year with 12 ready-to-eat flavours.

Twelve flavours on offer

Among the highlights for visitors to Wimmera Machinery Field Days each year is the opportunity to purchase wares from a variety of boutique sellers.

Heavenly Beef Jerky is back this year, offering 12 ready-to-eat flavours.

Business representative Levent Can said the jerky could be stored for months without refrigeration.

“It’s a healthy snack that’s high in protein and low in fat and can be eaten almost anywhere,” he said.

“Enjoy it while fishing, camping, boating, hiking, on long drives and in school lunches, to name a few.”

Mr Can said the business used 100 percent premium Australian beef and was South Australian-owned and operated.

Exhibitor profile

Heavenly Beef Jerky

“Heavenly Beef Jerky is all freshly made by our qualified staff within a HACCP-accredited, Hazard Analysis Critical Control point, facility from lean cuts of topside Australian beef stripped of all fat,” he said.

“We prepare our jerky using the finest ingredients and only using fresh meat. We freshly make all our own marinade for each batch of jerky from our own secret recipes.

“Every piece of jerky is individually marinated to give maximum taste and lasting flavour, before it is dried.

“It is then immediately packed for distribution. This process ensures the best possible flavour from us to you.”

First steps to Net Zero 2050

The first step of Australia’s Agriculture and Land Sectoral Plan is now complete after a process of consultations and surveys closed earlier this month. It was a chance for the agriculture industry to have its first say on issues to be considered in the Federal Government’s plan to reduce emissions and improve sustainability.

The Agriculture and Land Sectoral Plan is one of six sectoral decarbonisation plans under the government’s Net Zero 2050 Plan.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Murray Watt said the public consultation process was the first step in developing the sector plan, which would map out the role of the agricultural sector in Australia’s transition to net zero emissions.

“A wide range of stakeholders have participated in the consultation process, including farmers, peak industry bodies, private organisations, environment groups, the finance sector, universities and researchers,” he said.

“We received more than 230 submissions and this strong level of interest showed just how important issues of sustainability, productivity and profitability are for the agriculture industry.

“Climate change is clearly having an impact on the profitability of producers across the country, with ABARES data showing that changes in seasonal conditions had already reduced farm profits by $29,000 over the past 20 years.

“And as a proud exporting nation, it’s also becoming more and more important from a

trade perspective that our industry becomes more sustainable.

“Stakeholders have raised several options for the government to consider, around issues such as investment in research and development, incentives to adopt new technologies and land management practices, building landholder capacity, and establishing standardised approaches to calculating and reporting emissions.”

Mr Watt said Australian agriculture had made great strides to improve sustainability.

“Now after a decade of delay, the government is stepping up to work with industry and match its ambition,” he said.

“Since coming to office in May 2022, we have made progress on several important activities, such as the National Statement on Climate Change, the Natural Heritage Trust rollout including Climate-Smart Agriculture programs, and our ongoing work on the Future Drought Fund.

“This consultation process was just one part of a significant and ongoing conversation with the sector building on already established climate and sustainability goals and activities.

“We will meet this challenge head-on, which will help secure the future of Australian agriculture, which is good for farmers, good for Australia and good for our economy.”

More information on the plan is available at haveyoursay.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-and-land-sectoral-plan

MARKET: From left, Brock Quick, Chris Barberm, Lachie Wilkinson and Andrew McIllree, of DMD, selling sheep at Horsham Livestock Exchange last week. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Sheep, lamb volumes fluctuate

The number of lambs and sheep yarded at Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange for Wednesday sales has fluctuated significantly since the start of the year.

The most yarded was on January 17 with 15,100 lambs and 3550 sheep. The least amount yarded for the year so far was on February 14, with 3000 lambs and 1450 sheep.

Graham Pymer’s market report on Wednesday last week showed lamb supply increased to 5100

and there was a moderate increase to 1700 sheep.

He reported quality ranged from average to very good, but there were limited numbers of heavy-weight lambs.

Medium and heavy trade weight lambs sold from $135 to $165 a head, with the heavy weights selling to $223 a head.

Light trade weight lambs sold from $126 to $140 a head.

Merino lambs mostly ranged from $90 to $130 a head.

Restockers were active, paying from $20 to $70 a head for light lambs, from $129 to $158 a head for better-bred shorn lambs and from $77 to $110 a head for unshorn lambs

Merino ewes sold for up to $94, Merino wethers sold for up to $98 with crossbred ewes selling for up to $80 a head.

Light sheep sold from $26 to $55 a head and medium weight sheep sold from $42 to $84 a head.

Fordham Ag X7-8

Forty Winks F1

Frahn Engineering K7-8

Gallagher Australia Pty Ltd U4-5

Gason N11-15

GE Silos M14-15

Geronimo Farm Equipment U27-32

Global Roto Moulding V6-7

GNS Engineering V4-6

Goldacres Y1-7

GoldLine A48-53

Grainline J1

Greenfleece L4

Greg Allan Farm Machinery B20-25

Grizzly V17-19

Gunyado Dohne Stud T7

Haeusler’s Group D21-22

Haisley Design F4

Handymax Trading Pty Ltd D6-8

Harberger U20-26

Haymate Australia S9-10

Heavenly Jerky G3

Hernon Fabrication D28-29

Homestar Promotions R12

Horsham Bearings

Horsham

Horsham

Horsham

Agriculture A30-33

Biostart C17-18

Bison Engineering U3

BlueScope

Bonney

Brett’s

Bromar

Bruce

BTE

Buildpro

Burando

Bushman’s

Bute

Can-Am

Carine’s

M9-11

Central Steel Build R4

Cheeky Rascal F2

Claas Harvest Centre Lake Bolac A54-61

Clear Ridge Fabrication N8-10

Clipex Fencing & Stockyards X12-17

CloudBreak Grain Marketing BC2

CMV Truck and Bus V12-16

Commander Ag-Quip C36-39

Crop Opti D21-22

Crop Smart C20-21

Croplands Equipment B9-15

Demot Pty Ltd L3

DLF Seeds T9-10

DLL Finance D9-12

Dunmunkle Sumpoilers H2-11

Dunstan Farmers Engineering W12-19

Duraquip M12-13

Elders Insurance K1-2

Emmetts E1

Endeavour Energy Fuels S4-5

Equipco D36-37

Eureka Garages and Sheds X9-10

Excel Gyral X4-5

Finch Engineering Pty Ltd V29-32

Liberty

Liquip

Local

Polymaster

Powercor

Precise

Preston

Primary Sales Australia N16-18

Purplegrain BC1 QuikFence D46-48

Rabobank

Western

Karcher

Whitefield

Whites

Wilson

Wimmera Small Engines D32-33

WinterGardenz Greenhouses

Australia R2

Woods Equipment Australia M24-25

Ballarat Grammar

Before You Dig Australia (BYDA)

Better Living Australia Therapeutic

Adjustable Massage Beds

Brendan’s Australian Tours

CFA

Colour Sorters Australia

Community Insurance Solutions

Disaster Legal Help Victoria

Donald Mineral Sands

Energy Safe Victoria

Emmetts

Eye Muffs

Free Wimmera Hearing

Gendio Weighing

Grampians Health/Grampians Public

Health Unit

Harwood Andrews

ADM

Advantage Grain

Ag Leader

AgCloud

Agpoint McCoy

Agriculture Victoria

Agro Foods Pty Ltd

AGT Foods

AusFarm Nutrition Products

Australian Grain Export

Autonomous Ag

Blue Lake Milling

CHS Broadbent

Drought Info Kondinin Group

drumMUSTER/ChemClear

Dual Chelate Fertilizer

Farmscan Pty Ltd

Geo Commodities

GrainCorp

GWM Water

Inari Australia

Invest Inya Farmer

Leersen Electronics

Liquid Systems

Mandala Trading

PB Seeds

Pioneer Seeds

Precise Farm Solutions

PSSAG

Ridley Agriproducts

SCT Port Logistics

Victoria Police

Victorian Farmers Federation

Western Ag Supplies

Westpac Agribusiness

WFI

Wimpak

Midstate

Morrow

MyEnergy

Nelson

Achmea Farm Insurance

Agri Om Australia

Ambulance Victoria

ANZ Bank

Ausnet Services

Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal

Service

Ballarat Clarendon College

Horsham & District Lapidary Club

Horsham Rural City Council

JK Milling Pty Ltd

Latrobe Health Services

free heart test

Laucke Mills

LiveUp

Longerenong College

Marcus Oldham College

Market Check

McRae Insurance Services

Melba Support Services

National Insurance Brokers

nbn Local

Niagara Medical Therapy

Partners In Ag

Promotional Products and Uniforms

RFCS Victoria West

RSM Australia

Rural Northwest Health

Saines Lucas Solicitors

Southern Skin Cancer Clinic

St Patrick’s College, Ballarat

Stringer Clark Lawyers

Tebo Massage Chairs

Telstra

Hamilton and Alexandra College

The Nationals Victoria Emma Kealy

The Wimmera Mail-Times

Transmission Company Victoria VNI

West Interconnector

TurmeriX Victoria

Ultramatic

Unigrain

Uniting Wimmera Foster Care

VV Electrical and Solar

Wesley College

WIM Resource

Wimmera Aquatrail

Wimmera CMA

Wimmera Emergency Management

Team

Wimmera Lutheran schools

Wimmera Mallee News

Wimmera Prostate Cancer Support

Group/Cancer Council of Victoria

Wimmera West Grampians

Neighbourhood House Network

Vic SES

Abundance Unlimited

Cosgrove & Co Leather Handbags

CWA

Herbal Teas Australia

Higher Vision Spirits Holmes & Hide

Josephene by Jo Lucchesi

Matchy Mumma

Out & About Clothing

Pegs Shed

Rawleighs Healthcare

Salami Shack Simply Bee

Spoil Yourself Tracey Kruger Books

Angel Flight

Fossey’s Distillery

Four Seasons Gutter Protection

Hearing Australia

Network Mobility Horsham Tradie Kidswear

Relens Showbags

Be Real Co for Mother Earth

Adele’s Shoe Gallery

Bettergrip Tools

Callipari Wine & Ned Kelly Red Cohuna Sports Store

Country & Vintage Babes

Kustom Kegs Wine Barrel Furniture

Letz Get Wired

My Slice of Life

OMG Decadent Donuts Horsham

Prickly Moses

Riely’s Little Lolly Shop Safety Jumper Lead & Cable Co

TCR Canine Equine Wear

Tough Soaps

Weyhill Farm Garlic Salts and Granules

Wimmera Aquatrail Nursery and Landscape Supplies

Windmill Country Pty Ltd

Beetanicals

Black and Ginger Wines

Co.So Candles

Eve Barnes

Farmgirl Produce

Grampians Olive Co

Imigo Dawn

Kilmaille Knits

Mrs Baker’s Still House

Patchwork Jungle

The Wimmera Grain Store

Natives by Nat

Tr4ces Treatz