50 years ago April 1975
The Northern Province representatives, Mr Michael Clarke and Mr Stuart McDonald, have been left without an electorate following drastic changes made to the state’s electoral boundaries.
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The Northern Province has disappeared in name and substantial portions of the province are included in the North-West and North-East Province.
A new Bendigo province has been made and it includes Rochester, Kyabram, Rushworth, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Maryborough and Dunolly.
An examination of the election status in the new Bendigo province indicates that the Country Party has an excellent chance of winning the seat.
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A four-day work week may be introduced at SKF (Manufacturing) Pty Ltd, Echuca.
A mass meeting of workers will be held to consider whether the management plan should be adopted.
The proposal is that workers go on to a four-day work week from the week ending May 31. It would last for five weeks.
The company’s managing director, Mr K.F. Hartnell, blamed a drop in national demand for the situation.
He said employees had to voluntarily agree for one day’s leave a week without pay.
This was the alternative to retrenchments.
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A total of 40 players took part in the Moama Tennis Club’s tournament at the Moama courts.
The winner of the A-grade was Mrs J. Brereton and the runner-up was Mrs J. Ersvaer.
Winner in B-grade was Mrs Ursula Ash, with Mrs Judy Teasdale as runner-up.
Winner in the C-grade was Mrs E. Miller. Mrs L. Smythe was runner-up.
Competition winner was Mrs J. Thompson. Hostesses were U. Ash, R. Hutchinson, M. Skelley and M. Phyland who provided the trophies.
25 years ago April 2000
Demolition work is well under way to make room for Echuca East Primary School’s new building.
The new building, which has been pursued for many years, is expected to be ready for the 2001 school year. The old building, built in 1958, is riddled with white ants.
School principal Judy Park said it was more cost-effective to construct an entirely new building than to expand existing classrooms.
Demolition is expected to take two weeks and has been timed to coincide with the school holidays.
Ms Park said the old building was built to accommodate 200 children, but the school’s current enrolment was 385.
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Moama ratepayers may have to pay a special rate each year for the next 20 years.
Ratepayers in the urban part of Moama received a notice in the mail last week advising them of a possible levying of a special rate on their properties, to help pay for council’s contribution to the Moama levee bank.
Murray Shire director of corporate services Barry Barlow said if implemented, the special rate would be worked out based on land values.
At this stage the minimum amount per year would be $40 per property, he said.
This estimate was based on the fact that the levee bank would cost $2 million.
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The flat surrounds of Echuca-Moama are a far cry from the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland.
It took 18-year-old Swiss exchange student Celine Gerber a little time to adjust to the landscape.
And coming from the middle of Switzerland’s winter to the northern Victoria summer was also a shock to the system.
Celine arrived in Echuca two months ago and has settled in nicely as a Year 11 student at Echuca Secondary College.
She is staying with Dennis and Riki Scrivener, whose daughter, Kelly, 16, is in Year 12 at the college.
She has come to Echuca under the AFS Exchange Program.
10 years ago April 2015
Echuca’s only fixed red light and speed camera raked in a whopping $110,347 last financial year. Catching at least one motorist every day the new figure is a huge leap on the previous year when it only collected $66,817. In one three-month period the camera bagged $33,192.
Echuca’s only red light and speeding camera nabs more than one motorist every day.
In the past financial year, it pulled in a whopping $110,347 from almost 400 offences.
This is a jump of 65 per cent from the previous year, which only issued fines of $66,817.
Of the 397 fines issued in the 2013-14 financial year, 231 were for speeding, 157 were for running a red light and nine for unregistered vehicles.
In the three months to December 2014, the fixed camera, located at the traffic lights on the intersection of High St and Ogilvie Ave, caught 116 offences which resulted in $33,192.
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Echuca-Moama raised $96,585 for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.
Appeal area manager Ken Walter said although this year’s result fell short of last year’s record-breaking $116,781, it was still a ‘‘tremendous’’ effort.
Several organisations and community groups made hefty donations, including $41,173 collected by Echuca Fire Brigade.
The brigade’s efforts included $26,500 from the Echuca brigade, $4200 from Moama’s Rural Fire Service, $2650 from Echuca Village and a $7823 donation from RSL bingo players.
‘‘Everyone did an excellent job and I am impressed with the result,’’ Mr Walter said.
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When times get tough on the farm, local sporting clubs often pull people through, according to Lockington dairy farmers Jade and Belinda Clymo.
The couple devote much of their free time to their small community’s vital sports culture.
‘‘When farms hit hard times, your local sports become really, really important because you’ve got a support network where you can get together with other farmers and realise you’re not alone,’’ Belinda said.
The couple’s Calivil property, 40km west of Lockington, has seen its share of challenges, including the decade-long drought, floods and devastating winds.
‘‘Our area has no town or shops, but there’s football, tennis, netball, bowls and golf all in the one spot,’’ Belinda said.
‘‘Sport is our biggest crowd-puller and the strongest string that keeps everyone together.’’
Sport also provides a well-earned break from the farm.
‘‘For Jade and many farmers, they can go weeks without leaving the property so it’s important for them to have a reason to get off the farm,’’ Belinda said.
RIV Herald