The past weekend Hindmarsh Shire Council hosted an Open Weekend for Karen migrants living in Werribee, to visit our shire and see first-hand the advantages and opportunities that rural life can offer.
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It seemed that everyone who attended appreciated the peace and tranquillity of the beautiful Wimmera River at Dimboola, where they were accommodated at the redeveloped Riverside Holiday Park for the weekend.
While one of the visiting families had been in Australia for 10 years, there was also newer arrivals, with youth who were only months out of the refugee camps in Thailand.
Many of the migrants expressed interest in securing employment and moving to our shire for a quieter pace of life more like their homeland. I find Karen migrants to be very humble people and thankful to be able to live in Australia without persecution and enjoy the freedoms that the majority of Australians take for granted.
However, the LGBTI community is a minority group who does not enjoy the same freedoms as the majority of Australians and discrimination still exists.
The Same Sex Marriage question is a hot topic at the moment with a variety of different views on the issue. To have your view recognised, make sure you vote and send it off to be counted.
The council received a significant number of submissions to the Council Plan which was adopted last month along with the Budget 2017/18. The Council Plan is worded very broadly and references back to the Precinct Plans to provide more detailed direction for each town.
As a result of 16 submissions received, the Dimboola Precinct Plan has been amended. The original plan had identified a community aspiration of a new library to be built on the former Dimboola Hotel site.
However, the current owner of the site has exciting plans to establish a community enterprise which will attract tourism, create employment and raise awareness of the local history including the indigenous culture. The amended Dimboola Precinct Plan is currently out for public consultation until October 2 2017.
Thank you to everyone who is interested in helping shape the future direction of our town and who took the time to put pen to paper to express your ideas and opinions.
Cr. Debra Nelson, Hindmarsh Shire Council Mayor