Vol. No. Vol. 2518No. 1327
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Wednesday, January 28, 13, 2022 2016 Wednesday, September
CHANCE OF A LIVETIME: NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year Archie Stockdale has returned home to the Wimmera with a special souvenir after a big AFL grand final week trip. After presenting Geelong captain Joel Selwood with a premiership medal on Saturday, Archie was gifted Selwood’s game boots. Archie attended the Brownlow medal count, AFL grand final parade and AFL grand final in Melbourne. “It was a tiring week. My favourite parts were getting Joel Selwood’s boots and knowing I was Auskicker of the year,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the season next year with Natimuk United. I’ll be in Auskick and I’ll probably go from Auskick to under-14s to under-17s to reserves to seniors to VFL to AFL.” Essendon’s Dyson Heppell interviewed Archie at the Brownlow. He rode with Collingwood’s Nick Daicos and journalist Kelli Underwood in the parade. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Growth aspirations T
BY JESSICA GRIMBLE
he Wimmera and southern Mallee will see the building of 3000 additional homes, welcome 7000 new residents and employ 2500 more people within a decade.
That’s the aspiration of Wimmera Development Association, whose pledges to a national regional development conference will also contribute to an ongoing campaign to attract and retain people in rural and regional areas long-term. Chief executive Chris Sounness said the housing, population and jobs pledges aligned to the association’s Housing Blueprint, released this year, and required building activity to almost double to achieve the goal.
It comes as latest Census data has shown the population of the Wimmera and southern Mallee increased 0.5 percent per year between 2016 and 2021 — the first population increase in at least 40 years. During 2020 and 2021, the region’s population grew by 1.2 percent, compared to Victoria shrinking by 0.7 percent. Mr Sounness said emerging jobs in mining, food manufacturing and tourism would help to fulfill the goal. Tourism is also among the pledges, with the association seeking to double visitation rates. Lastly, the association pledged to ensure children aged up to five years had early development outcomes equal to the rest of the Victorian population by 2032, delivering this goal through its ByFive program.
“It’s not going to be easy; it’s not business as usual,” Mr Sounness said. “We have to work together. It’s the compound interest effect — what we do over the next two to three years will greatly impact whether we can achieve these goals. While there will be small increases early on, they will have a big impact down the track.” He said the association was working with its board, governments at local, state and federal levels, investors and developers to develop a shared vision. The goals input into the association’s strategic plan development, following restructure to a skills-based board. “This is about us, as a region, having ambition and showing that COVID population growth wasn’t a blip,” Mr Sounness said.
“The easiest thing for demographers and policymakers to say is the move to the regions, and our region particularly, is just a blip and not sustainable. “We can make it a blip if we treat it as business as usual. But if we do show ambition, we can imagine what our community would look like with an extra 7000 people and all that comes with a growing population.” The RAI has set a target of 11-million people living outside capital cities by 2032. Achieving this target would mean an extra 500,000 people living in regional areas, above the estimated prediction of $10.5-million. The ‘Regionalisation Ambition 2023 — a framework to rebalance the nation’ is a national first. RAI chief executive Liz Ritchie said
20 targets would close the divide between city and country — including population, regional housing, education, health, jobs and skills, digital inclusion, transport, childcare, community participation, migration, climate, innovation and resilience. Ms Ritchie said 11 years of research showed that jobs and skills, liveability, population, productivity and innovation, and sustainability and resilience were holding regions back. RAI-commissioned economic modelling shows when regional Australia reaches a population of 11-million people, national output will reach $2.3-trillion by 2032. “This is $13.8-billion more than under a ‘business as usual’ scenario,” Ms Ritchie said.
IN THIS ISSUE • Rail freight cost challenges • Goroke pub reopens • Monthly AgLife liftout Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
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Wednesday
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