About Berriwillock

Preliminary Report – Berriwillock Community Opportunity Workshop Berriwillock Public Hall Monday March 3rd, 2008 Facilitator: Gaynor Doreian Community Attendees: Mrs Jeni McLean Allison Watson Janet Summerhayes Ms Julie Wight Linton Ryan John Watson Jamie Simpson Garry Bibby Mrs Helen Summerhayes Ron Corbett Stuart Sutton Mrs Noelene Austerberry Mr Chris Weir Marea Robertson Mr Michael Clarke Mr Alan Mills Allan Robertson Mr Tom Renny Mr Neil Simpson John Renny Mr Graeme McNally Mrs Yvonne Ryan Bruce Godwin Mrs Maxine Harrison Ms Caroline Welsh Mr Garry Summerhayes Mr Lachie Considine Mr Ian Austerberry Ash Summerhayes Mr Nick Watson Mrs Nancy Summerhayes Mrs Danni Ryan Mrs Rosalie Jones Council Attendees: Gaynor Doreian Mark Remnant Warwick Heine Kerry Mather 1 Index to the Report Introduction .................................................................................................... 3 Summary ........................................................................................................ 4 About Berriwillock ......................................................................................... 6 Community Assets ........................................................................................ 7 What ‘Helps’ and ‘Hinders’ Berriwillock Achieving it’s Goals ................... 9 Changes Happening in the World that Impact on Berriwillock ................ 10 What is Important About Living in Berriwillock Today ............................. 12 What will be Important to Living in Berriwillock in the Future ................. 14 Bridging the Gap between Today and Tomorrow ..................................... 16 Participant Support for the Ideas/Proposals Developed .......................... 18 Development of Action Plans ..................................................................... 19 Building the Berriwillock Community Centre ....................................... 20 Connecting Berriwillock .......................................................................... 21 Beautiful Berriwillock ............................................................................... 22 2 Introduction This report details the outcomes of the Berriwillock Community Opportunity Workshop held on Monday March 3rd 2008 at the Berriwillock Public Hall. The report has been developed from notes taken by the facilitators and as recorded by participants during the workshop. The report has been prepared as an initial feedback document to the Berriwillock Community Development Group and the wider Berriwillock community The objective of the report is for it to act as a „launching pad‟ for further discussion. The format of the report has been developed by the Shire of Buloke. The format is designed to allow integration with the results of the other Buloke Community Opportunity Workshops. The format also allows for integration with other planning tools being developed by Council. Feedback on the format is invited and welcomed. The report is to be distributed to all participants who attended the Berriwillock Community Opportunity Workshop, to the Berriwillock Community Development Group, and all other community groups operating in the Berriwillock community. 3 Summary The Berriwillock Community Opportunity Workshop was very well supported by the Berriwillock community with 33 community members attending. The ideas and suggestions produced by the workshop reflect the friendly and communal spirit of the people who live in Berriwillock and their concern for the well being of everyone who lives in and around the Berriwillock District. The workshop was conducted in an air of cooperation, goodwill and humour despite the very hot conditions that prevailed. The passion with which some at the workshop spoke about their ideas, as well as the good humour in which the night proceeded was an important element of the Berriwillock workshop. The good humour exhibited at this Workshop was one of the highlights of the event. The Workshop evidenced the very high level of connectedness between the Berriwillock Community and between the different generations represented. Age and familial affiliation was no barrier to the good humour and raucous comments made during the night as ideas were flung around the room. Workshop participants were very definite in their belief that the characteristics of Berriwillock today are crucial to its future. Common themes to emerge in this context were: The high quality of life enjoyed in Berriwillock How safe Berriwillock is as a place to live in The confidence the Berriwillock community maintain in the town The exceptionally strong community spirit that exists in the town The support given to existing businesses in Berriwillock The importance of people working together As the workshop progressed these themes became more apparent. Family values, community involvement, volunteerism and the importance of community recreation opportunities all emerged as important determinants of the future of Berriwillock. Economic stability through profitable farming, safe country lifestyle and quality of local facilities were identified strongly as the things most important to people living in Berriwillock today. These same factors were seen to be important to the future of Berriwillock. Participants demonstrated a broad and informed knowledge of global, national regional and local issues affecting the Berriwillock community but these were always founded in a belief about the future of Berriwillock. Berriwillock is a town the current community knows will survive, irrespective of what the wider world throws at it. 4 This should not be interpreted as a „head in the sand‟ approach to the future. To the contrary, the Berriwillock community demonstrated an understanding of the likely impact of global trends such as increasing fuel prices, increasing food prices, the impact of climate change and social trends such as changes to value systems, beliefs and behaviours. The focus of the Berriwillock community is 100% on the services and facilities needed to ensure Berriwillock continues to be a great place to live and to support a small but active and diverse population. The importance of recreation facilities and community meeting facilities were prominent in the proposals put forward by participants for these reasons. The importance of community spirit, particularly in terms of active participation in community life, emerged as a very strong future determinant in the Berriwillock community‟s vision for a thriving and liveable future town. When the inputs discussed above were translated into some ideas/projects for priority action some clear themes emerged. These were, in order of importance: The need to maintain community spirit The need to improve community facilities Actions to build a sustainable future for agriculture and land use The need to address needs of the young people The need for improved communication structures Actions to capitalise on natural features such as Green lake These ideas and projects were common across all aspects of the Workshop. The next stage of the community planning process in Berriwillock involves the community in turning some of the ideas/projects suggested at the Workshop into tangible action. To assist this several possible draft action plans have been developed and included in this report for discussion and possible further development. It is stressed that the Action Plans included in this report are draft, and can be deleted, altered, restructured or further developed as the Berriwillock community sees fit. The next steps in this process are with the Berriwillock community. Congratulations on a great start to the community planning process in Berriwillock. 5 About Berriwillock Berriwillock has a population of around 100 people and is located 334 km north-west of Melbourne on the Calder Highway, on the “143rd meridian where it crosses the highway”. Berriwillock district was settled as far back as the early 1890‟s. According to “While the Mallee Roots Blaze” by Winifred Nixon, “by 1891 settlement was beginning not only on the farm selections but there was also the nucleus of a small township. The earliest building in the township was a wine shanty made of bags. Several large tanks or dams had been sunk around this area either by the government or the station owners. Water for domestic purposes and for stock was originally carted from Birchip and also from Green Lake where some of the settlers had dug wells”. Berriwillock was part of Springfield Station associated with E H Lascelles and selected by D. McSwain and R. Sandford. Unlike some surrounding areas, the country was thickly covered in Mallee scrub. Clearing, fencing and vermin eradication were the first order of the day. As Winifred Nixon recounts “following the line of least resistance the settlers cleared first the patches where the scrub was least vigorous and proceeded to sow small areas as soon as possible. Thus the plots were often of very queer shapes. Hired Mallee cutters worked from daylight till dark clearing the land for 6 shillings an acre. Most of the 6 shillings disappeared in the effort to quench the insatiable thirst created”. The railway line, completed in 1894, was important to the early life of the town and remains a vital part of the town today even though not heavily used. The town grew up around the nucleus of the rail line and the rail station. When the “dog netting fence” went through in the 1930‟s Berriwillock was on the outside. However the introduction of the channel system for stock and domestic water

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