Pub closes: Stewart and Alicia Northausen closed the doors of the Tongala pub on December 23 after 15 years at the historic hotel. The send-off saw donations given to Tongala Shine Bright Kindergarten and enough funds for the Tongala under-12 football team to cover the purchase of new helmets.
Birrell pre-selected
Sam Birrell has been preselected as the Nationals candidate for Nicholls at the next Federal Election.
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Mr Birrell, who has been formally endorsed by the party, said he was looking forward to the election campaign and welcomed input from across the electorate.
“I am proud of our region, and I love living and working here,” Mr Birrell said.
For the past six years Mr Birrell has been the Committee for Greater Shepparton chief executive.
Tania’s Kyabram Tomorrow
Thirty years after first arriving in the town as a kindergarten teacher, Tania Chiswell was named the Kyabram development group chair (Kyabram Tomorrow) and given responsibility for heading up the group that seems likely to lay the foundations for the next 30 years.
“Our group had the aim of providing one voice for the town,” Ms Chiswell said.
“There are so many different groups in Kyabram, more than 100 when you take in everything from the arts to education to health, sports and service groups.
“The council is just bombarded.
“We think it would be great to have one central point, both for Kyabram people to approach and for the purpose of dealing with Campaspe Shire Council.”
Future of pools
Up for the fight: Riley and Tyler Nicholson travelled to Echuca, from Girgarre – ironically one of the Campaspe Shire towns without a pool facility – to echo their opposition to the proposed closures. They are within close proximity to the Kyabram and Stanhope pools, which were earmarked for decommissioning.
Campaspe Shire Council’s recommendation to close and decommission seven swimming pools across the district landed on the front page.
The suggestion was rejected by councillors and the community alike, eventually taking a full about face and resulting in a free swimming season for 2022-23.
The recommendation suggested closing pools in Colbinabbin, Lockington, Rushworth, Stanhope and Tongala following the end of the 2021-22 outdoor pool season, with Kyabram and Rochester pools to follow suit at the end of the 2024-25 pool season.
The Echuca War Memorial Aquatic Centre would remain open.
The recommendation was laid out in the agenda for the Campaspe Shire Council meeting on Wednesday, January 19.
Kyabram pool’s potential closure had a $2 million windfall attached to it for the development of a community facility.
A recommendation to close the Kyabram pool at the end of the 2024-25 swim season — along with the Rochester pool — was put to Campaspe Shire councillors at a council meeting, which would result in the community receiving a $2.087 million injection of funds through the Township Facility Plan program.
The agenda report, put to the council at the meeting, suggested that the total savings from closing five pools, along with the eventual closure of Kyabram and Rochester, would represent a five-year saving of $10.8 million.
Cade Mueller century
An aggressive Cade Mueller notched his maiden Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield century to catapult Kyabram back into the six on Saturday.
Mueller clubbed 109 off 84 balls to help steer Kyabram to a formidable and winning score of 6-285 against Karramomus at the Kyabram Recreation Reserve.
Coming to the wicket when Kyabram was 3-55, Mueller and Charlie McLay proceeded to set up Kyabram’s imposing score with a 173-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Batting first drop, McLay got into the 70s for the second time this season with 79 off 96 balls, which included nine boundaries.
Mueller’s stellar knock contained 11 fours and two sixes.
Kyle Fitzgerald gave the Kyabram total a late boost with a quick-fire 37 off 24 deliveries with five fours.
In reply Kyabram restricted Karramomus to 98 off 29.2 overs with left arm off-spinner Alec Young enjoying his most fruitful spell of the year, taking 5-30 off 7.2 overs.
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