Articles by Craig Wilson

  • Feedback sought on council budget

    ARARAT Rural City Council will kick off a series of face-to-face and online consultations next week as it seeks community feedback on its draft budget for 2022-23. Mayor Jo Armstrong said the draft Budget is about organisational efficiency and getting back to basics. “Over the past two years, we have tackled big-ticket projects,” Cr Armstrong […]

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  • Ararat community embraces Ukrainian refugees

    LOCAL man David Ferguson reported to The Ararat Advocate on Wednesday that his sister-in-law, Sasha, and her children Maxim (5) and Dima (3) have come to live in Ararat on a humanitarian visa.
    Sasha’s husband Alexander has remained behind in Nikolaev, a city in Southern Ukraine.
    “He cannot leave, he must stay. There is currently bombing and fighting in Nikolaev,” David reported.
    Little Maxim was embraced by the Ararat Primary School community, Principal Ryan Oliver said on Thursday morning – Maxim’s first day of school.

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  • New laws for firearm owners

    LOCAL firearm owners will have to update their storage facilities by the end of August, following the implementation of new legislation.
    New regulations indicate license holders must store firearms in commercial made steel storage receptables, which meet Australian standards; prohibiting the use of hard-wood storage units.
    The steel used must be at least 1.6 millimetres thick and weigh more than 150 kilograms when empty, to avoid having it bolted to the structure of the premise.

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  • Impressive artwork in memory of ANZACS

    AN impressive piece of art produced by two Marian College students has filled a prominent spot at Ararat RSL in memory of ANZACS.
    Marian College VCAL students have been studying the ANZACS and the important of their legacy.
    Their studies include re-enacting the movie Gallipoli, producing a slideshow on WW1 and WW2 and crafting poppies in various mediums including metal, tissue paper, plastic bottles, 3D printing, polymer clay, wood and paint.
    Students Jacob Van Straaten and Thomas Bartlett are both of the view that the ANZAC story should be more prominent across society, including the classroom, and they wanted to produce something special.

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  • NO RATE RISE

    ARARAT Rural City Council is planning to freeze council rates next financial year in a move expected to be applauded by ratepayers.
    Council will adopt its draft budget for the 2022-23 financial year at a meeting next week which will show a zero increase in municipal rates.
    The rate freeze follows on from two years where council managed to cut rates.
    Council CEO Tim Harrison said freezing rates in the new financial year effectively means a net zero increase in rates over five years.

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  • The Legacy of Tom Banfield (14th Jan 1929 – 3rd May 2022)

    By Tom’s son, Aidan Banfield. From local newspaper family, to becoming an Anglican Minister, to mountaineer, to building a camping ground in a “created forest” and then surrounded by wetlands built for frogs. All this has been done with love and passion. A life well lived, even in how he died. Tom was born into […]

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  • Cygnet saved

    A local woman has been hailed a “hero” for bravely venturing into Alexandra Lake on Wednesday night to save a trapped cygnet.
    A call was put out on the Ararat Residents Page at 4.45pm on Wednesday that a cygnet was trapped in fishing line near the island.
    Several residents made frantic calls to council, Wildlife Victoria and animal rescue organisations for help, but none was available.
    That prompted local Sarah Day and a friend to turn up at the lake with a kayak and venture into the lake in the dark to save the bird.

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  • Governor presents OAM to Rosie

    MOYSTON’s Rosie Nater was announced a recipient of an Order of Australia award back on Australia Day, and last week she was presented with the medal to prove it.
    Rosemary Nater OAM was one of 1040 people recognised for outstanding service as part of the annual Australia Day Awards.
    She and her partner Jan lbs von Seht and children Juliana and Oliver ventured down to Government House last week to officially receive the Order of Australia award and certificate from Victorian Governor The Honourable Linda Dessau AC.
    Rosie was presented with her award for “service to Landcare management and the community of Moyston”.

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