Vol. Vol. 18 18 No. No. 27 38
FREE FREE PUBLICATION PUBLICATION
Wednesday, January Wednesday, March 13, 30, 2016 2016
GOOD CAUSE: More than a quarter of a million dollars flowed from across the Wimmera for the annual Good Friday Appeal. Brothers Daniel and Mason Luo joined hundreds of children at Horsham City Oval for the Bendigo Bank Easter egg hunt on Friday, which alone raised more than $2300 for the cause. Story, page 5. Picture: GEORGIA BAILEY
Endless adventure H Special agricultural feature inside • Rewarding season • Life after farming • College expanding
PAGES 23-32
IN THIS ISSUE
BY DEAN LAWSON
orsham’s evolution as one of Australia’s leading motocross destinations has prompted Mayor Heather Phillips to declare the Wimmera as Victoria’s ‘adventure playground’.
Cr Phillips, speaking about the benefits of National MX titles at Dooen on Sunday, said the region was primed to capitalise on a growing reputation as the place to be for outdoor activities. She said Horsham district, for at least the next two years, would be a major economic winner as the host of elite motorcycling events, in what equated to significant pieces of a regional promotion jig-saw puzzle. “The council, in recognising the
significance of tourism and benefits to the regional community, has been highly supportive of the motocross build-up,” Cr Phillips said. “These motocross events, culminating in the world junior titles in Horsham in 2018, are part of a broader regional picture that promotes the idea of adventure, being outdoors and being part of something special. “We are becoming leaders in several different areas. “We have long established our international credentials as a world-class rock-climbing magnet, based on Mt Arapiles and the Grampians, we have Horsham Week soaring titles and now we are becoming world-class in presenting another thrill-seeking sport in dirt-bike motorcycling.
“It shows the potential of the wideopen spaces, buffer zones and natural resources in our own backyards. “Combined with the constant development of high levels of expertise, professionalism and modern technology, we are seeing what the region, including Horsham, can achieve.” Horsham Motorcycle Club will host the opening round of the 10-race national motocross championship series at its Dooen Recreation Reserve circuit on Sunday. Organisers are predicting the series opener to attract a crowd of up to 3000 fans and continue setting the foundations for a long association with elite motorcycle racing. Cr Phillips said the region had a history of enthusiastically embracing ad-
venture, sport and outdoor activities. “We have rock-climbing enthusiasts from around the world constantly based at Mt Arapiles, we’ve just had the Stawell Gift carnival – an iconic regional event – and let’s not forget the number of people who would have taken advantage of our wilderness areas during the Easter break,” she said. “Many people who live in or visit the Wimmera have adventure in their veins. “We have the Grampians Peaks Trail under development, desert, wilderness and river country to explore and the great thing is you can be as strenuous and thrill-seeking as you like or simply sit back as a spectator.” Continued page 3
• Stawell Gift celebrations • Football-netball countdown • National MX preview
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HORSHAM PLAZA SCHOOL HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT Week one - Tues, March 29 to Fri, April 1
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