Thank you to all who attended the fifth gathering in our Let’s Talk About BIG Weather program series in Bridgewater, on “Revitalising Our Towns”. What a night! A room packed full of good vibes, inspiring speakers & loads of energy & great ideas!
Event Overview
Let’s Talk About BIG Weather project aims to raise awareness about the impacts of extreme weather on the Loddon Mallee region & to support the development of local solutions. This event explored how we can revitalise our towns in the face of changing weather patterns & economic challenges created by whether events. Featuring inspiring examples & upcoming ideas ready to breathe new life into our communities.
Key Takeaways from the Speakers
Tim Ferguson & Mick Balazs, CFA Captain & Local Policeman:
- Spoke about the significant impacts of extreme weather in Bridgewater & the importance of being prepared to reduce these impacts & recover quickly
- Highlighted the crucial role of volunteers in supporting the town during & after disasters
- Shared practical tips for emergency preparedness, such as securing items before storms, preparing for power outages, cleaning spouts before fires, having a water cart ready & most importantly leaving early on high fire danger days
- Emphasised the importance of community support during recovery phases, including checking on vulnerable members & considering volunteer opportunities
Jude Hannah, Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program:
- Challenged the group to think about placemaking & the integration of people & place
- Encouraged identifying community strengths & determining who else is needed to achieve agreed goals
- Discussed the four types of people crucial for community projects & revitalising towns: visionaries, developers, evaluators & doers
- Urged the community to face challenges head-on & to take action without solely relying on government funding
Wendy Murphy, Resident & Councillor:
- Shared the success story of the Inglewood Street Cooling project, which started as an idea & recently secured $1 million in funding
- Highlighted the importance of persistence & commitment in turning ideas into reality
- Encouraged participants to keep pursuing their ideas, no matter how impossible they may seem initially
Participant Input
Attendees were asked to share their business, community, or project ideas to help revitalise their towns. Here are some of their responses:
- Develop a register of equipment & skills residents can offer during disasters
- Sound & light shows on the river, incorporating religious & historical themes
- Monthly markets along the riverbank & a Platypus festival
- Implement streetscape improvements in Bridgewater
- Develop recreational areas, including a basketball court, park, & bike/skate park, netball ring & flying fox
- Laneway activation in Inglewood
- Music or movie events on the water
- Encourage wellbeing services such as massage, yoga, tutoring
- Showcase local music & art including murals under the Calder Bridge & sculpture along the river
- Create affordable small business rental spaces & bike/walking tracks with lighting
- Expand water events on the Loddon River, including opera & jazz performances
- Revitalise Boort with housing for workers in local industries, increase size of caravan park for tourism development
- Build a suspended walking bridge & renovate railway bridges for safety
- Children’s playground along the river with more undercover seating
- Address corella population issues & promote green & river beautification projects
- Enhance connectivity between towns through walking/bike tracks & light rail. Including a walking track from Bridgwater through to Inglewood along the railway line at Calder highway
- Promote local music festivals & progressive dinners on boats
- Light rail from eaglehawk to Inglewood to bring in visitors but also workers who don’t have somewhere local to live
- Improve signage for visitors & tourists
Outcomes & Next Steps
The event inspired many creative & actionable ideas for revitalising our towns. Key outcomes include:
- A renewed commitment to community-led initiatives & volunteerism
- A variety of project ideas aimed at enhancing local infrastructure, promoting tourism, & supporting local businesses
- Increased awareness of the importance of emergency preparedness & community support during disasters
- An invitation to get involved in the Bridgewater Railway Hub with the Kooyoora Women’s Network & other groups including community garden, garden club, food share [contact Colleen 54273274 or Jenny 54373189
Moving forward, we encourage all participants to develop their ideas & projects further. To support this, we invite you to attend our FREE Expand Your Impact workshops in September & October. These workshops will provide valuable resources & guidance to help you turn your ideas into positive, impactful community projects. For more information & to register, visit our Series 1 starting Tuesday, September 3rd, & Series 2 starting Thursday, October 24th.
This gathering is part of Let’s Talk About BIG Weather – raising awareness for & supporting the development of local solutions to the impacts of extreme weather. This project is supported by FRRR, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. To find out more visit www.makeachange.org.au/big-weather
