Mayor's Message 7 June, 2024

Hi everyone,

As we head into the King’s Birthday long-weekend, I’m looking forward to seeing our towns buzzing. This weekend traditionally sees a huge surge in visitation to the region and it’s one of the busiest times of the year for our retailers, tourism, hospitality and accommodation providers. With so many events and attractions on offer, and weather that generally isn’t too chilly, it’s easy to see why.

The hugely popular Roam Rutherglen is back for its 51st year, and one of the largest regional markets in Victoria, the annual Rotary Country Fair, will see Rutherglen’s Main Street closed on Sunday to make way for the market-goers. It’s always a fantastic atmosphere, especially with the traditional grape-stomping, live music and the many stalls of local produce, arts and crafts, delicious food, homewares, and clothing – just to name a few. I wish all of the event organisers and local businesses a successful and prosperous weekend.

You’ll see further on in this edition that we are holding four Visioning Workshops / Community Forums across the Shire beginning in July. The purpose of these workshops / forums is two-fold; we’re keen to hear your feedback on the Community Vision Review that is currently underway, and we also want to hear what you think Indigo Shire’s opportunities and challenges are as we look toward the future. The sessions are not location-specific, nor are they for us to focus on single issues or opportunities. Rather, they are for us to get together as residents of Indigo Shire to discuss and brainstorm how we can work together to make Indigo the best it can be for our future generations.

The first session is at the Barnawartha Memorial Hall on Tuesday 9 July from 6pm, followed by sessions in Beechworth, Rutherglen and Yackandandah. You don’t need to live in these towns to attend, simply choose the date/s and location/s that suit you best. We look forward to seeing you there.

Have a great long weekend,

Sophie.

Cr Sophie Price.