Once again we are saddened by tragic deaths in our Shire, this time in Clunes.
We passed a condolence motion at our Council meeting this week noting our collective grief at the tragic loss of Hannah Maguire from Clunes and reinforced our commitment as elected representatives of the Hepburn Shire to work diligently against all forms of violence. The scourge of domestic violence continues at alarming and unacceptable rates and presents a significant challenge for all levels of government and society generally.
And the Shire has been left reeling by the tragic death of a woman at a well being centre in Clunes. Council is mindful of the cumulative effect of these sorts of events. People will be doing it tough.
We encourage residents to reach out to professional counselling services provided by Central Highlands Rural Health and Hepburn Shire Council in the wake of these tragic and traumatic events.
The current mood in Clunes is in sharp contrast to the buoyant celebration of Booktown in Clunes just a few weeks ago. We have also had Cresfest in Creswick which also attracted strong attendances, provided great entertainment and generated wide interest. The community support for these events is a testament to the hardworking volunteers and Council’s own dedicated staff who helped stage the events so professionally. Attention now turns to Spudfest in Trentham on the first weekend in May. The Shire is indeed fortunate to host such a number of varied cultural events.
We celebrated our history this past month. Last week we officially opened the faithfully restored Bullarto rail station. Not only will this fabulous building and museum attract visitors – it preserves an important element of the Shire’s history. And later this week the Daylesford Bowls Club will celebrate an impressive milestone – its 125th year anniversary.
On a more sobering note, last week’s meeting of the Mayors and CEOs of the Loddon Campaspe group of councils discussed the pressing financial challenges facing almost all councils across Victoria. As we continue our difficult work to prepare the 2024/25 budget and a sustainable long term financial plan (LTFP) we do welcome investigations into the local government sector’s financial sustainability being conducted by the State and Federal governments.
Finally, a new and important initiative will be launched this coming Friday when we proudly kick off the Young Mayors program. This will provide the young people of the Shire a unique opportunity to help shape its future and to get involved in grassroots democracy.
Cr Brian Hood is the elected Councillor for Coliban Ward and is currently the Mayor of Hepburn Shire.
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If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline (131 114) or Beyond Blue (1300 224 636).
