Ararat - The Green Hill Lake Development Board has secured funding to construct exercise equipment along the lake's foreshore.
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The board will receive $3000 through the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal to install the equipment near the newly constructed playground area.
Board chairperson Gwenda Allgood said in light of The Biggest Loser focusing on Ararat, the board applied for the funding under the 'Help Ararat Beat the Fat' tag and was successful.
"The funding will be used for exercise equipment, we already have the playground, but so many walk and cycle and camp here we thought it would be good to have some exercise equipment as well," Mrs Allgood said.
"We've got the perfect area here for it."
The equipment will be suitable for all ages and abilities, with Mrs Allgood saying that people from Pinnacle Inc and the Ararat Hospital often visit the lake, so the equipment needed to be compatible for everyone.
Mrs Allgood said the board was successful in receiving funding from Ararat Community Enterprise, Ararat Rotary and Ararat Rural City Council for funding for the playground, so the board decided to keep building the project, making it bigger and bigger.
"One of the worries for me is that there aren't a lot of stopping places for people on the highway. They're talking about making Dadswell's Bridge one, but it is a long way from Melbourne to there. We need more stops for people and Green Hill lake is ideal," she said.
The lake continued to attract visitors over the school holiday period, despite it being unsuitable for boating, and had direct economic benefits to the Ararat community.
"We had two cars sold and one caravan ordered this year by holiday makers," Mrs Allgood said.
"This means about $150,000 was spent in Ararat and we're pretty pleased about that.
"Last year we had a house and car sold - our local traders must be doing the right thing!"