Mayor's Message 26 May, 2023
Today is National Sorry Day, a day of remembrance and acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly separated from their families and communities.
It’s a day to reflect on the survivors of the Stolen Generations and their incredible strength and resilience, and to recognise the role we all play in the healing process for our people and our country.
I’m extremely proud that as a Council, we have taken significant steps towards reconciliation. In the past year, we have achieved 43% of the actions outlined in our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan, with another 42% currently in progress. This shows our dedication to this important work, and we should be proud of what we have accomplished together with our community.
I encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on the profound impact of the Stolen Generations and to consider your own role in the reconciliation journey. Let’s continue to engage in meaningful conversations and build relationships based on mutual respect and understanding.
Earlier this week, Council heard from Parks Victoria, which provided an update on a number of trail, bridge and site closures that we know are impacting our community. One of these is the closure of Spring Creek Bridge within the Beechworth Historic Park.
The bridge sustained significant structural damage during last year’s floods and is closed until further notice. Parks Victoria is waiting on an engineer’s report to determine the required work to repair the damage. We will know more when that’s received and we have asked that Council receive regular briefings so that we can share updates with our community.
Council also received an update from our Tourism Team on the impact the Indigo Epic Mountain Bike Trail is having on the local economy since its opening in March.
Spendmapp data shows there’s been a 7% increase in visitor expenditure, equating to $1.2M in March and April alone. These are very encouraging figures, especially given the current financial pressures many are facing.
We are confident that this trend will continue and with construction of the Rutherglen Wine Walk Cycle Trail due to commence soon, we expect that similar figures will be experienced, which all points to a positive outlook for our Shire.
Enjoy your weekend.
Sophie Price