Front page news: May 23-29, 2007-2015
A snapshot of news from across the years
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May 25, 2007: A forward-thinking Ararat woman is about to see her business expand ten-fold with the launch of her clothing retail outlet’s website.
Emma Hitchcock and business partner Helen Horvath have operated Pegis for the past 15 months, but Pegis has been a name synonymous with style for the past 30 years.
Not ones to rest on their laurels, Ms Hitchcock and Ms Horvath are about to embrace the future and go online with their new website www.pegis.com.au.
It is believed Pegis is one of the first retail outlets in the city to embrace this form of retailing, utilising full e-commerce facilities to sell products online.
One of the most well respected businesses in the region, not only does Pegis attract a huge following from Ararat, but has more than 500 regular clients on a mailing list from outside the area, including Melbourne, Ballarat and the Wimmera.
May 23, 2008: Farmers across the region are hopeful that this cropping season will yield good returns.
The rains finally came over the weekend, soaking the earth and kick starting the cropping season.
Willaura farmer Heather Fleming said that all you could ever be was hopeful when planting crops.
‘‘We try to do everything right, we prepare the soil, you do everything humanely possible,’’ Mrs Fleming said.
‘‘Then you trust that it will rain when you want it to.’’
In the past this region’s rainfall has been reliable and consistent, but the ongoing drought has resulted in rainfalls well below average, making it difficult to predict rainfalls.
Joel South farmer Phil Hall, speaking from the seat of his tractor, said he had to have hope.
‘‘We’ve got two weeks of May left and May is the ideal month for planting in this district,’’ Mr Hall said.
‘‘The hope that it will build to a great harvest is still with us, we must be positive.’’
May 29, 2009: The Country Fire Authority is warning people to make sure they follow the correct procedures for burning off after a number of fires in the Ararat and Stawell regions over the past two weeks.
Eight of the nine fires reported across the region have been caused by carelessness or burnoffs going wrong, causing concern for brigades within the Country Fire Authority’s Region 16.
With below average rainfall recorded in past months, CFA Region 16 operations manager John Athorn said people needed to use common sense and abide by local government bylaws when it came to burning off outside the prescribed fire danger periods that are in place during the summer.
Mr Athorn said that even though there has been soaking rain this week, the moisture deficiency in the soil and fuel on the ground is still high.
‘‘We will need more rain to get the moisture deficiency back up,’’ he said.
High temperatures, low relative humidity and high winds are usually a factor for fire danger, however, Mr Athorn said not all are crucial in order for fire to break out or for burnoffs to become out of control.
May 25, 2010: The Aegis Correctional Partnership has assured Ararat businesses that where possible it will source goods and services locally during the Ararat Prison redevelopment.
At an Ararat Rural City Council Movers and Shakers (MASH) meeting last week more than 120 people attended to hear about how they can become involved in the prison development.
The meeting was attended by Industry Capability Network representative Andrew Bradley, who urged all businesses to register with the network, as having business details available online will mean work in the long term.
ICN is a non-profit organisation funded by the Victorian State Government and ensures that local businesses are presented with the opportunity to participate in major projects by working in partnership with government, associations, industry and project proponents.
ICN is the key organisation to link Aegis Correctional Partnership and its sub-contractors with local firms.
May 24, 2011: The region’s grape growers have been put through the wringer this vintage, but those who managed to overcome one of the most difficult seasons on record are now reaping their reward - outstanding wine.
Grampians and Pyrenees vineyards have faced a plethora of challenges over the past year, from heavy rain and floods to locusts and smoke taint. The biggest hurdle, however, has been the plagues of fungal diseases such as botrytis, downy mildew and rot brought about by a record rainfall and the resulting humidity.
Most vineyards have now completed harvest, about six\ weeks later than planned due to the cold, wet conditions. It is a complete turnaround from the drought-stricken vintages of the past decade, which pushed the harvest period forward.
The silver lining of the 2011 harvest is that those who managed to ward off the disease pressure are now celebrating some exceptional results.
Leigh Clarnette from Ararat’s Montara Winery said the outcome was surprising.
May 27, 2011: The Alexandra Oval precinct will become the region’s premier community hub if a $4.5-million Federal Government funding application is successful in the coming months.
The application, which was submitted last week by specialist consultant Clark Phillips on behalf of Ararat Rural City Council, will be examined by Regional Development Australia before results are released on July 1, 2011.
If successful, the application funds will be used to construct a $5.7 million state-of-the-art community facility on the north-east side of the pre-existing Olver Stand.
Ararat Rural City Council will contribute a further $1 million to the project in the 2011/12 budget conditional upon receiving federal government funding, while Ararat Community Enterprise and community groups will raise further funds in order to complete the facility.
The planned facility will comprise of a multipurpose room accommodating more than 200 seated patrons, a commercial kitchen, bar and canteen facilities, meeting rooms, female change rooms, home and away club rooms with trainers’ facilities, male and female umpire change rooms, public toilets with disabled access, a first aid room and two netball courts with ample lighting for night matches.
Ararat Rural City Council Mayor Cr Andrea Marian said the Alexandra Oval precinct was ranked the number one priority in the Central Highlands Regional Strategic Plan for Small Town Enhancement Program in August 2010.
May 28, 2013: Two bypass routes have been identified by the Ararat Rural City Council as the preferred options for the duplication of the Western Highway.
Four options were presented to council by VicRoads, one to south of the Ararat township and three to the north.
Councillors have nominated alignments one and three which form a common corridor to the north of the Ararat urban area and both options travel through what is predominately farm land to the north-east of the city.
Alignment two was discounted due to its close proximity to the eastern Ararat urban area, which would potentially affect proposed and future residential development opportunities, while alignment four was ruled out due to the excessive length of the loop and the topography of the area, both of which would add significant cost to the bypass project.
May 27, 2014: Northern Grampians Shire Mayor Kevin Erwin has vowed to continue lobbying for funding from both the Federal and State Governments to ensure the completion of the Western Highway duplication project to Stawell.
Cr Erwin, who is also chairman of the Western Highway Action Committee, said he was disappointed with the outcome of the federal budget earlier this month, with no new funding committed towards the highway duplication.
He feared the project was not high on the priority list, but assured he would fight harder than ever before to secure the necessary funding to see the duplication to fruition.
“I actually spoke to the Deputy Prime Minister and said while we welcomed the $263.4 million Western Highway duplication funding announcement, that it was part of the original funding,” Cr Erwin said.
“There was no new money committed to the duplication at all.”
When the duplication of the Western Highway commenced, the federal government announced a commitment of $404 million towards the project.
The Victorian Coalition pledged $101 million towards the total project cost of $505 million.
Cr Erwin said the federal budget announcement that $263.4 million would be allocated to the project, was merely a case of releasing the funding that had previously been committed.
“It was very disappointing from our point of view that there was no new money committed to the project,” he said.
May 29, 2015: A group of people keen to see the redevelopment of the Ararat Skate Park has pledged to raise $100,000 for improvements to the facility, but needs the community to get behind them.
Ararat Skate Park committee member Sergeant Shane Allgood from Ararat Police said there were many ways that the community could help to get this off the ground, including donations of money or materials, in-kind labour, use of equipment, searching for and applying for grants, running fundraising activities and becoming an active participant in the improvement committee.
Sponsors will be recognised with a merit board being erected at the park.
Next Thursday from 7pm-8pm, a meeting will be held at the Ararat SES Building in High Street, Ararat, to gauge community support.
“It is absolutely imperative that any person, children and parents included, who wish to see the park improved attend this meeting,” Sgt Allgood said.
“We hope to have potential sponsors at this meeting who wish to gauge the level of interest in the project. These sponsors are not going to commit to the project if there is a lack of interest.”