Masterplans approved

Three final masterplans premiered at a December meeting of Yarriambiack Shire Council.

Masterplans were revealed for Hopetoun Recreation Reserve, Warracknabeal Recreation Precinct and Hopetoun Caravan Park, previewing the next 10 years of improvements at each site.

The motions carried for each of the masterplans at the meeting also authorised chief executive Tammy Smith to seek funding opportunities for the implementation of the plans.

Hopetoun Recreation Reserve masterplan included short-term priorities of constructing a new recreation node, involving removal of the skatepark to make way for a new pump track; and an upgrade to the oval irrigation system.

In the medium term, it sought to refurbish the Hopetoun community grandstand; upgrade the playground; landscape the playground and netball courts; extend the pavilion roof; treat the gravel track; and remove various infrastructure including sheds and sheep yards.

Long-term aims were to develop a small spectator hill; formalise and upgrade existing sealed parking; and develop a new parking area off Mitchell Place.

A masterplan for Warracknabeal Recreation Precinct, which includes the Warracknabeal Leisure Centre, skatepark, senior citizens building, library, council offices and surrounding grassed areas, was also revealed.

It included short term aims of a new street-style skate plaza in an agreed location; a new community hub; and a new outdoor break-out area for council staff and visitors.

The medium-term priorities for the precinct masterplan included significant landscaping of the site; creating a connection between the senior citizens centre and library; and formalising vehicle access and parking off Jamouneau Street.

In the long term, the masterplan prioritised a possible re-purposing of one or both squash courts to better accommodate table tennis; investigating the relocation of toilets and change area used by table tennis; and formalising vehicle access and on-site parking to the north of the leisure centre.

A masterplan was also adopted for Hopetoun Caravan Park.

It highlighted 14 key directions including an upgrade to the electrical conduit in the southern half of the park; establishing permanent site numbering; providing disability access to the existing amenities block; diverting the poorly drained area in front of cabins seven and eight; additional signs and a map of the park at entrances; and the addition of three large, powered van sites at the site of the old bowling green.

Heartfelt thanks

I am writing to express my thanks to the Christian Emergency Food Centre and Reverse Advent Calendar program.

This year has been tough for me and my son.

For the first time, I applied to the food centre for help and received a Reverse Advent Calendar box. It was incredible to open. There were so many staples packed tightly in – pasta and sauce, rice, margarine, cereal, many packet soups and jellies which we used during our recovery from COVID.

The best item was the Robert Timms coffee bags – it is our favourite brand but we don’t buy it often because of cost.

I didn’t know how we would make it through Christmas, but thanks to the kindness of strangers, we were fine.

Thanks to the Christian, good hearted and generous people who stretched their budgets to give to someone else.

Thanks to the local churches and community groups who gave out, stacked and delivered boxes to the food centre on their return.

Thanks to the Christian Emergency Food Centre, Horsham for developing this ‘in partnership’ approach to poverty and need.

Take action

In the family and domestic violence service sector we talk about a person who experiences family violence as a ‘victim-survivor’.

It’s an awkward phrase and it’s not perfect, but it does capture how two things can be true at the same time.

Family violence is a crime. Those who experience it are victims.

But each of these people is so much more than a victim. They have a life, a personality, a presence outside and beyond what has happened to them.

In the moment, being a victim of family violence can seem all encompassing and inescapable – but that does not need to be the case. So, we also talk about survivors.

We centre our focus on the fact these things happened to a person, but those acts do not define them. It is something they are going through, but it is only one part of their story.

Family violence is traumatic, it takes a long time to recover. It is a thing to be survived – it can be survived.

Last year the Salvos alone helped more than 10,000 people escaping violence.

When we look at the drivers of family violence it can feel overwhelming to try to dismantle embedded social, economic and legal systems that perpetuate family violence. We do need to dismantle those systems, but for a moment, let’s focus on the people.

Right now, you can call out behaviour that minimises or excuses violence within our families, schools and workplaces. Ask people to explain why that joke is funny. Make it clear you are not interested in victimshaming.

Right now, you can make sure you are a safe space for victim-survivors to reach out. It’s okay if you don’t know exactly what to say or do – demonstrate you believe them and are on their side. Then, if they are ready, there’s a range of people who do know what to do – help them reach out.

Right now, if you see something, you can say something.

Sometimes intervening can make a situation more dangerous for the victim-survivor so it’s natural to feel scared to act, but there are people who can help and advise you. And if someone is in immediate danger, call the police. Don’t worry if it turns out to be a false alarm.

If you are worried it will make relations awkward, the police won’t tell them who made the call and you might just save someone’s life.

There are a lot of structural things we need to do to address family violence.

We need to fix gender equality and attitudes toward women. We need to reform our welfare system so victimsurvivors are not choosing between abuse and poverty, and adequately fund our family violence sector so we can help every single person who reaches out and focus on early intervention. We need to do all these things.

But while we are doing them, we also need to personally take action.