UPDATE

Tuesday 25 September 2018

Million-dollar revamp for Morwell's CBD

Works have commenced on Morwell’s CBD streetscape upgrade this week, after the project was given a $1 million grant from the Latrobe Valley Authority’s Community Facility Fund.

The Future Morwell Streetscape Upgrade Project is a $3.5 million upgrade along Commercial Road that will transform Morwell CBD into a vibrant and attractive commercial hub. The project is being led by Latrobe City Council and a steering group of community members.

Over the next three years the upgrade will boost the town’s unique identity by repurposing existing open spaces to create a connected commercial hub of cafes, restaurants and businesses.

The project will improve landscaping, upgrade lighting and deliver new trees, garden beds and open spaces – making the business centre greener and more pedestrian-friendly.

This is part of Latrobe City Council's Future Morwell Urban Design Revitalisation Plan.

Excitement is building with more than 200 people expected to descend on Lardner Park for the Future World of Work Forum next Friday 5 October to start the conversation about preparing our current and future workforce for changes taking place in our region.

The event aims to develop a shared understanding of what the future world of work looks like for Gippsland, showcase examples of existing organisations focussed on this future, inspire new thinking and ideas, and encourage commitment to action to prepare our community for this future.

The full-day event includes a showcase of local innovation, presentations from high profile speakers as well as time for small group discussion and workshops.

Download the event program or register your attendance.

Major upgrades for Sale Memorial Hall

Works on the Sale Memorial Hall are underway after Wellington Shire Council was awarded $486,538 to modernise and refurbish it, helping to attract major events to the town.

First opened in 1957, the Hall has potential to be a busy community space, but is currently under utilised, with the upgrades to include refurbishment of amenities and stage change rooms, heating and cooling, internal repainting, internal asbestos removal and installation of audio-visual equipment.

The grant is one of the largest single grant from the Latrobe Valley Authority's Community Facility Fund to date, following a $500,000 grant announced last year for amenity upgrades at Sale Showgrounds.

The Latrobe Valley Authority’s Community Facility Fund supports community-led initiatives and projects that help make the region a great place to live and work. For more information on the Community Facility Fund click here.

Getting behind the wheel of a new career

Twenty-six local women will take part in a 6-day industry taster course to find out about work in the transport industry, after a series of information sessions were held at Morwell and Sale last week.

Latrobe Valley Authority are partnering with local transport companies Dyers and Latrobe Valley Bus Lines to offer the free taster courses, aiming to encourage more women to apply for bus and truck driving roles in our region.

Doors open at Trafalgar Primary Care

Trafalgar Medical Centre officially opened their new facility at 5 Contingent Street last week.

The expansion, which will result in the creation of 10 new jobs, was assisted by funding from Regional Development Victoria's Economic Facilitation Fund and a $28,152 reimbursement on stamp duty and state fees from the Latrobe Valley Authority’s Economic Growth Zone.

The newly opened Trafalgar Primary Care offers radiology, podiatry, exercise physiology, psychology and osteopathy services to the local community.

For more information on support available to help businesses grow and employ more people visit lva.vic.gov.au

Community projects get the go-ahead

Congratulations to these local community organisations who recently received funding for facility upgrades worth more than $2.7 million from Latrobe Valley Authority’s Community Facility Fund:

Traralgon Public Cemetery Trust to construct a Memorial Precinct
Morwell Historical Society for roof replacement and water damage repairs
Traralgon Redsox Baseball Club to construct an indoor practice centre
Traralgon Golf Club to improve and repair the clubhouse and install solar power
Twin City Archers Gippsland to fit fire doors, purchase a fire fighting trailer, and design a fire mitigation system
Moe Cricket Club to replace the cricket pitch at South Street Primary School oval
Old Gippstown for an all-weather function area
Yallourn North Bowling Club to redevelop their clubrooms
Scouts Victoria for improvements to Glengarry, Trafalgar, Stratford, Maffra, Newborough and Traralgon scout halls
Willow Grove Recreation Reserve to construct a multi-purpose match day pavilion and install an oval irrigation system
Warragul Cricket Club for cricket infrastructure
Trafalgar Victory Football Club to install air conditioning to the clubrooms
Community College Gippsland to install solar power at the facility in Warragul
Tarra Trail towards construction of a shared pathway between Alberton and Port Albert
Rotary Club of Sale Central for a ‘Seed’ Lakeside Community Garden alongside Lake Guthridge
Sale Botanic Gardens for completion of the final stage of the Gardens’ master plan
Stratford Bowls Club for a new synthetic green surface
Heyfield RV Park to demolish and replace an amenities block
Victoria Park Water Tower for restoration works
Sale Golf Club for solar power installation and kitchen upgrades
Maffra Golf Club for solar power and lighting conversion
Maffra Dramatic Society to purchase a shipping container for costume storage
Licola Wilderness Village to replace the roof with corrugated iron
Gumnuts Early Learning Centre to install solar power
Veronica Maybury Memorial Recreation Reserve to install solar power and air conditioning

Strategic planning grants open

Strengthening our local sports and active recreation organisations by assisting them to plan for their future is the key aim of the Latrobe Valley Authority’s Sport and Active Recreation Strategic Planning Grants Program.

The fund currently offer grants of up to $6,000 to assist local sports and active recreation organisations across the Latrobe City, Baw Baw and Wellington Shires to develop or update their strategic plan.

The grants program forms part of the Latrobe Valley Sports and Community Initiative, an $85 million investment by the State Government in sports and community infrastructure, events and associated support programs being delivered by the Latrobe Valley Authority.

Applications close Friday 19 October 2018.

For more details and to apply click here.

More major events coming to Gippsland

The Latrobe Valley has enjoyed some sensational sporting spectacles in recent weeks, with plenty more on the horizon.

A-League soccer came to Morwell on 1 September, as Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar slugged out a draw in front of 1700 people at Latrobe City Sports and Entertainment Stadium.

The WNBL Triple Crown brought top tier basketball to Traralgon, Maffra and Warragul this month, as the Deakin Melbourne Boomers trumped the Bendigo Spirit 2-1 in the three game series.

An array of community activations came hand in hand with these fixtures and the Latrobe Valley Sports and Community Initiative will continue to foster local involvement at its upcoming events:

PGA Gippsland Super Six
The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia will bunker down in Gippsland with a brand new tournament teeing off at Yallourn Golf Club (YGC) next year.

The inaugural ‘Gippsland Super Six’ will bring a fast-paced four day major competition to the region and a plethora of community activities in partnership with the Latrobe Valley Authority. Read more here.

Tour of Gippsland
Cycling Australia’s Tour of Gippsland will return to the region from 6-9 October, featuring some of the nation’s most prominent pedallers in the peloton.

Stages will be held in Phillip Island, Traralgon and Sale ahead of a climactic conclusion at Mt Baw Baw, where an individual time trial will put even the best to the test. Read more here.

Big Bash League
Cricket’s Melbourne Stars will play two games in as many months at Moe’s Ted Summerton Reserve, including a Big Bash League fixture for points on 23 January, 2019.

The Stars will play a practice match against the Melbourne Renegades on 13 December, with the crowd comprised completely of school children, prior to the big game against the Adelaide Strikers in the new year. Read more here.