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Australia Day Awards nominations for 2024 and other updates from South Gippsland Shire Council

South Gippsland Shire Australia Day Awards and other updates on council projects.

By news@gippsland - 2nd November 2023 - Back to News

Time is running out to make your 2024 Australia Day Award nominations. The awards are the perfect opportunity to highlight the achievements of local South Gippsland residents and events. The award categories are:

• Citizen of the Year
• Young Citizen of the Year
• Community Event of the Year

If you know someone or an event that deserves recognition for the amazing work they do, please nominate them for an award at Australia Day Awards page. Nominations close Wednesday 8 November 2023.

Hurry, submit your nominations for the 2024 Australia Day Awards to celebrate South Gippsland residents and events. Time is running out!

Children's Week 2023

Last week council celebrated Children's Week with Myli - My Community Library at Coal Creek. The theme for Children's Week 2023 is "Children have the right to relax, play and take part in activities they enjoy".

The special event was a joyful celebration of childhood and showcased the greatness of our youngest little locals. Considering the recent weather, we were wrapped with the turn out (around 130 attendees). The outdoor event really emphasised the important role nature plays in a child's development.

There were plenty of fun and engaging activities for the children as they lined up to get their faces painted, pet a variety of animals at the petting zoo, made nature bracelets and joined in song and dance with the magnificent Rachel and Heather from Myli. It was a wonderful day full of smiles and happiness from our youngest members of the community.

Council marked Children's Week 2023 at Coal Creek with Myli - My Community Library, embracing the theme: 'Children's right to relax, play, and enjoy activities'

All Hallows Eve at Coal Creek

The spooky side of Coal Creek was on show this week at their Hallows Eve celebration. Coal Creek was packed with children and families enjoying the scary-side of life. A big thank you to everyone who came along made Halloween a 'scary' yet joyous event for everyone who attended.

Coal Creek's Hallows Eve showcased its spooky side, with families enjoying the Halloween festivities, creating a memorable and joyous event

Green Waste Amnesty Period

Council's annual Green Waste Amnesty period is starting soon. The amnesty will run from 4 November until 31 December 2023 Residents can dispose of their green waste for free at any of council's transfer stations until the end of the amnesty period.

The amnesty aims to encourage residents to prepare their properties for the fire season by removing potential fire hazards. To view the list of excluded plant species and find your closest transfer station, please go to Green Waste Amnesty Period page.

Green Waste Amnesty by the council starts November 4 - December 31, 2023. Dispose of green waste free at transfer stations to enhance fire safety

Container deposit scheme

Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) has officially kicked off. The scheme rewards Victorians with a 10-cent refund for every eligible can, carton and bottle they return to a participating drop off station.

It is part of important work that is transforming Victoria's waste and recycling system. A number of drop off stations are located around the Shire. To view your closest station, please visit Container Deposit Scheme page.

Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme is live, offering a 10-cent refund for each eligible can, carton, or bottle returned at participating stations

Great Victorian Bike Ride

The Bicycle Network's Great Victorian Bike Ride is coming to South Gippsland this December. This year, riders will be setting up camp in Fish Creek on Saturday 2 December. With approximately 2,000 riders participating in the event and support from 500 staff and volunteers, the Great Vic is a great opportunity to showcase our region's warm hospitality through organised events and activities.

To find out more about this exciting event coming to our region, please visit GVBR page.

On December 2, Fish Creek hosts the Great Vic cycling event, uniting 2,000 riders and 500 staff/volunteers to highlight warm regional hospitality

Leongatha Railway Precinct mural

The Leongatha Railway Precinct Mural Project has now commenced. The mural is being painted by muralist, Ash Taylor, who was selected following a public voting process. Ash's concept design combines ecologically significant flora and fauna with a contemporary design and engaging colours receiving 56 per cent of the votes. The mural is being painted on the back of the Bair Street shops and will soon bring the black canvas to life.

Ash has a background in visual communications and worked in graphic design before moving her career to muralism. She has completed large-scale murals in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia and recently facilitated a workshop in Brisbane to teach artists techniques to scale artworks to mural sized proportions.

The mural is estimated to take three weeks to complete. People are welcome to come to the precinct site to observe the mural take shape. To view Ash's final mural concept, please visit Ash Taylor website.

Leongatha Railway Precinct Mural Project is underway, led by muralist Ash Taylor, chosen by public vote for their ecological and vibrant concept design

Princes Street Korumburra

Help us make the Princes Street, Korumburra school precinct safer. Pedestrian safety, increasing volumes of turning traffic, speeding traffic and the lack of safe drop off and pick up parking zones along Princes Street, Korumburra school precinct has been brought to council's attention by a number of community members.

As a result of this, South Gippsland Shire Council is investigating pedestrian and traffic management options to improve this area. The project will focus on the area in the image below, which stretches from South Gippsland Highway to the roundabout with Guys Road, Bridge Street and Shellcot Road.

Council is wanting to hear from school communities, local residents and businesses, bus operators, emergency services and the wider community to gain insights into local and school traffic. Please provide your feedback at Princes Street, Korumburra page. Feedback closes Friday 8 December 2023.

Draft general local law

At the October council meeting, council endorsed a draft General Local Law for consideration by the South Gippsland Community. The draft document was developed following an initial round of community consultation earlier this year.

Initially, this second round of consultation was to close on Thursday 2 November, but has now been extended to allow more time for the community to review and provide their feedback. To provide your feedback. please visit Draft General Local Law page.

In the October Council Meeting, a draft General Local Law was approved for South Gippsland Community's consideration, following prior community feedback

Good sport awards

Enter the 2023 Good Sports Awards and win cash for your club! The Good Sports Awards are the ultimate trophy, paying tribute to the volunteers at the heart and soul of community sport and celebrating the best clubs across Australia. The seven award categories are:

• Club of the Year
• Volunteer of the Year
• Mental Health Excellence Award
• Safe Transport Award
• Community Club Award
• Junior Club of the Year
• New Club of the Year

Nominations for the 2023 Good Sports Awards close on Sunday 12 November. For more information and to make a submission, please visit Good Sport Awards website.

VicEmergency Gippsland

Stay alert and aware of emergency-related information by following the VicEmergency Gippsland Facebook page. The VicEmergency Gippsland Facebook page aims to deliver targeted and localised information to the community, to help residents to prepare before, during, and after an emergency. You can follow the Facebook page at VicEmergency Gippsland.

Community events

Fishy Stories Festival

The two-day festival in Fish Creek is where families both local and visiting will converge in Fish Creek for a weekend of free workshops by authors and illustrators, ticketed children's performances and events including all day storytelling and story making. Fishy Stories is on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November. For more information, please visit Fishy Stories page.

Charley Crockett at Coal Creek

Charley Crockett will be coming to Coal Creek in February 2024! From Texas to Tamworth, the award-winning country and western superstar returns to Australia with his band, The Blue Drifters. Joining Charley and The Blue Drifters on the road will be highly celebrated Indigenous soul queen, Emma Donovan. Performing new music from her first solo album which captures the heart of nostalgic Australian country gospel. For tickets and tour info, head toCharley Crockett's website.

Funding opportunitites

Get Active Kids Voucher Program

Round seven of the Get Active Kids Voucher Program is now open! Eligible families can apply for a $200 voucher and use them at their registered Get Active Kids Voucher Activity Provider without having to worry about upfront costs. These vouchers can help pay for sporting equipment, uniforms and even memberships for a range of activities like cricket and dance.

The program is open to children aged between 0 and 18 years. Get in quick as applications close when the voucher allocation has been exhausted. For more information and to apply, please visit Get Active Kid Voucher Program page.

Local history grants program

The Local History Grants Program (LHGP) encourages and fosters community activities that preserve, record and share the local, social and community history of Victoria and Victorians. The Program provides grants of up to $15,000 and supports the efforts of the many community groups and organisations that collect and preserve materials and memories from Victoria's past.

It aims to encourage collaboration and partnerships between volunteer groups to undertake projects, as well as to develop skills and resources to support community collections, while increasing the opportunities for the public to engage with the past.

The Program is administered by Public Record Office Victoria on behalf of the State Government of Victoria. Applications close midnight Monday 11 December 2023. For more information and to apply, please visit Local History Grants Program page.

South Gippsland creative fund

South Gippsland Shire Council is very excited to launch the South Gippsland Creative Fund! This new council initiative is designed to support and encourage creative endeavour across the Shire. The fund will award 10 lots of $1,000 to South Gippsland creative individuals, groups or businesses.

If you are a South Gippsland resident, or if your business or group is based in the South Gippsland Shire, you are eligible to apply. Applications close 5.00pm Thursday 23 November. For more information and to apply, please visit South Gippsland Creative Fund page.

Preparing for the fire season

South Gippsland Shire Council is working alongside the Country Fire Association (CFA) to deliver an online session about preparing your property for the fire season. Learn how to safeguard your property this fire season with expert guidance from the CFA.

The session is completely free and available to both residents across the shire (particularly in high bushfire risk areas) and non-resident homeowners. The online session will be held Tuesday 14 November from 7.00pm to 8.00pm. For more information and to register, please visit Fire Season page.

Community updates

Garage Sale trail

Extending the life of stuff you no longer need by passing it on to someone new, not only saves it from landfill, but also ensures that the raw materials and energy used to make it are used to their greatest possible extent. It's a huge win for the planet.

Garage Sale Trail is a fantastic two weekend event but also a wonderful initiative that offers a wealth of resources for anyone looking to sell second hand items, discover fashion fixes and foster connections with neighbours through hosting a sale.

The following tutorials are great resources to prepare for the event and contain a plethora of recycling tips and tricks to implement in your everyday life.

• Second hand selling and what it takes to make it
• The second hand fashion fix
• Good neighbours change the world

Australia's festival of pre-loved stuff is happening on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 November, and Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November 2023, nation-wide. It's not too late to register your sale! For more information and to register, please check out The Garage Sale Trail page.

Snap Send Solve

Spotted a dangerous pothole? Or maybe some broken playground equipment? Get it fixed quickly and easily using Snap Send Solve. It's free! Download an app to your phone or report it below.

Pictures from South Gippsland Shire Council website and South Gippsland Shire Council Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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• Melina Bath slams Agriculture Minister Ros Spence for ignoring Gippsland farmers' struggles under Labor's tax regime
  Melina Bath criticised Agriculture Minister Ros Spence for refusing to advocate for Gippsland farmers, citing VFF survey results showing overwhelming concern over new taxes and Labor's disregard for regional agriculture.
• Danny O'Brien announces finalised Loch Sport groyne designs, Gippsland Ports to seek tenders before Christmas
  Erosion works on Loch Sport foreshore will begin next year, with designs finalised for new groynes. Danny O'Brien praised the community's persistence and vowed to push for further coastal protection.
• Danny O'Brien warns Labor is risking beachgoers safety by forcing councils, ratepayers to cover LSV funding shortfalls
  Danny O'Brien warns the Allan Labor government is forcing Gippsland councils and ratepayers to cover Life Saving Victoria shortfalls, risking reduced lifeguard patrols despite billions in new emergency services taxes.
• Danny O'Brien slams Labor's repeated 'Better Roads Blitz' claims as Gippsland roads continue crumbling
  Nationals MP Danny O'Brien has slammed Labor's latest "Better Roads Blitz," saying Gippsland roads remain neglected, unsafe, and underfunded, with locals enduring potholes, hazards, and long-term speed reductions instead of real maintenance.