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Council Assists Rowing Club With

Distance markers along the Mitchell River will be installed shortly thanks to the generosity of a number of local organisations.

By East Gippsland Shire Council - 16th March 2004 - Back to News

At the request of the Bairnsdale Rowing Club, East Gippsland Shire Council has provided a number of distance markers for installation along the riverbank, from the vicinity of the Rowing Club launching place / Old Butter Factory Jetty downstream to a 10 kilometre point.

Bairnsdale Rowing Club Vice President, Dick Bales, said the markers will serve a number of purposes.

"Most importantly they will enable timings to be established over accurately measured distances," Dick said.

"The markers will also be an asset for kayaking and swimming events and hopefully will bring more life back to this attractive venue with which we have been blessed."

East Gippsland, and particularly Bairnsdale, has been fortunate in recent years to receive regular visits from various rowing clubs, mainly from schools in the Melbourne and Geelong areas.

The groups often train in Bairnsdale for one week to take advantage of the suitable stretches and calmness of the Mitchell River.

Often the camps are the rowers’ last serious training before major state and national events, including the prestigious ‘Head of the River’ event.

"The rowers have been using the very limited facilities of the Bairnsdale Rowing Club adjacent to the Howitt Park Oval," Dick said.

"They stay mostly for a week at a time, with an average of around 60-70 rowers, plus attendant coaches and in many cases a number of parents and other supporters.

"The rowers stay at a local caravan park whilst the parents and others are accommodated in motels and hotels, thus bringing a great deal of revenue into the town.

"They are also increasing awareness of the attractiveness of this area for both holiday and residential consideration, as the majority of the visitors have never been to East Gippsland," Dick said.

East Gippsland Shire Mayor, Harvey Bates, echoed these thoughts.

"Large groups of rowers and some of their families spending a week in Bairnsdale is a significant economic boost for not only this town, but East Gippsland as a region," Cr Bates said.

"I’m sure that over recent years many of these rowers and families have returned to the area to explore other parts of East Gippsland.

"Rowing may not have a high participation rate around this area at the moment, but it appeals as an ideal pursuit for young people with the rivers on our doorstep.

"The Bairnsdale Rowing Club committee must be congratulated for its enthusiastic efforts in not only developing the distance markers idea, but trying to lift the profile of local rowing interest in general," Cr Bates said.

The markers will be installed by a joint working party of the Bairnsdale Rowing Club and Bairnsdale Apex Club on surveyed riverbank sites, with generous financial assistance from the Mitchell Gardens Holiday Park and authorisation from the Department of Sustainability and Environment.


Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com



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