Mayor's Message - YOUR INDIGO

Published on 21 February 2025

Portrait of woman with dark curly hair smiling directly at camera

Hello everyone,

On Wednesday, I had the great privilege of officiating at the opening of the new Rutherglen Loops.

I was joined by Deputy Mayor Jane Dowsley and Councillor Roberta Horne as well as Victorian Senator Lisa Darmanin, business and tourism leaders, Indigo Shire staff and community members.

This $5.13M project, fully funded by the Australian Government delivers 48 kilometers of connected trails linking Rutherglen, Wahgunyah, and Lake Moodemere.

The project was truly a collaborative effort. Thank you to Destination Rutherglen and the Winemakers of Rutherglen for your early vision, and to our project partners including TRC Tourism, PartNear, and the dedicated team at Indigo Shire.

This project required careful consideration of the environment and our heritage, involved extensive stakeholder and community engagement and the team had to work with a number of approval authorities.

It's wonderful to already see the positive impact the loops are having on our community. Local businesses are reporting increased cycle tourism, while residents are embracing the safe, accessible paths for daily exercise and recreation. The Rutherglen Loops network offers everyone, locals and visitors alike, a unique way to experience the natural beauty of our renowned wine region.

This project represents our commitment to sustainable tourism, community wellbeing, and regional growth. I encourage everyone to get out and explore these beautiful new trails that showcase the very best of what our region has to offer.

I also want to provide a quick update on our hospital advocacy efforts, including the planned rally in Melbourne on Wednesday 5 March. While some of the logistics are still being finalised, we can confirm a number of Mayors and Deputy Mayors will attend along with local medical professionals and members of advocacy group Better Border Health.

We are encouraging as many community members as possible to attend the rally to illustrate to the parliament just how much the health and wellbeing of our community matters. Our message to all levels of government is that this is not an Albury-Wodonga hospital issue, rather a regional health issue impacting more than 300,000 people.

If you want to join us, visit the Better Border Health Facebook page to register your interest.

Take care.

Cr Sophie Price.