Yarriambiack Shire Buloke Shire Hindmarsh Shire West Wimmera Shire The Wimmera Mallee Town & Tourism strategy acknowledges the Koori Aboriginal language groups as the Traditional Custodians for Yarriambiack, Hindmarsh, Buloke and West Wimmera and surrounding Land and Waters. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and emerging, recognising their continued spiritual relationship and responsibilities for Country. The Wimmera Mallee Town & Tourism strategy. This Strategy also acknowledges and pays respect to Australian Indigenous Peoples who were separated from Clan and Country and also reside in Yarriambiack, Hindmarsh, Buloke and West Wimmera and surrounding communities. May these journeys of healing be acknowledged, respected, supported and become mutual objectives for all Australians. 1. Introduction 3 Integrating Level 1: Regional Strategy 4 Hindmarsh Shire 5 Dimboola - Town & Tourism Strategy 6,7,8 Riverside Caravan Park Strategy 9,10 Nhill - Town & Tourism Strategy 11,12,13 Nhill Caravan Park Strategy 14,15 Nhill Aviation Heritage Strategy 16,17 Jeparit - Town & Tourism Strategy 18,19,20 Jeparit Caravan Park Strategy 21,22 Four Mile Beach Caravan Park Strategy 23,24 Rainbow - Town & Tourism Strategy 25,26,27 Rainbow Caravan Park Strategy 28,29 2. Regional Strategy Town & Tourism Strategy Local strategies proposed for locations across the region Town & Tourism Strategy Level 2 of this strategy responds to town and tourism park level opportunities, directions and learnings gathered through site visits and workshops. The Town & Tourism Strategy recommends projects to guide the revitalisation and tourism preparedness of 16 Towns and 24 Caravan Parks across four shires. These projects should be explored, prioritised, implemented and championed by the community, shires and Wimmera Mallee Tourism. Projects at each location are generally ordered according to their priority of implementation, or their necessary chronological order. While some are ‘quick wins’, it is generally encouraged that rigorous concept planning, professional advice and community consultation is seeked out and undertaken prior to undertaking projects. This report suggests indicative budgets (where possible) for each project at the town and tourism level. These are high level opinions of probable cost based on industry prices, and do not allow for community in kind input. As projects are developed, these budgets will be able to be further clarified. Note that Regional Strategy icons are placed onto Town and Caravan Park maps to indicate where regionwide projects might be implemented on the ground. They are also associated with written project recommendations to indicate where they might align with - and inform - projects recommended locally. 3. Regional Strategy Town & Tourism Strategy Regional Strategy Programs, Networks and Projects The programs, networks and projects listed here form a set of recommended approaches across the region. These are relevant at a region wide level as they contribute to reinforcing the regional character of the visitor experience. Whilst being considered and discussed at a regional level, these icons will be used Self Contained Regional throughout Level 2 of the document to indicate where they could be implemented Accommodation Touring Routes Town Centre & Identity Liveability locally. Located on town and tourist park maps, as well as associated with specific recommendations, these icons suggest how regional level strategy can be woven through the Wimmera Mallee. Town Centre Accommodation Where icons are found throughout Level 2, it may be useful to refer back to the Relationship with Town Cente Accommodation Network the project’s regional description to understand how the project might be applied Aboriginal community Meeting Places (Tour Groups) in specfic cases. Materials Vacant Shopfront Electric Car Town Centre Palette Installations Charging Network Traffic Calming Town Housing Open House/ Town Entry Committees Stock Garden Program Signage Camping Tertiary design Universal Access Street Trees Opportunities school collaboration Reliability and Barista availability Training of services Dry Lake Attraction Google Maps Entries Amenities Upgrade Competition Requisite initial projects: These projects should be completed at the outset as they provide information and guidance that will influence the contribution of many other projects to the regionla character of the visitor experience. Quick wins: Projects that are deemed relatively simple to implement - with low design, planning and consultation required in their implementation. 4. Regional Strategy Town & Tourism Strategy Hindmarsh Shire has an area of 7,527km2 and includes much Natural Landscape of the Little Desert and Wyperfeld national parks. With these Patchewollock substantial areas of national park and other large reserves Hindmarsh Shire is located in the Wimmera region in western such as the Wimmera River and Lakes Hindmarsh and Victoria and covers an area of 7,527km2. The Shire is bound by Albacutya there are significant areas of indigenous vegetation two National Parks, the Little Desert in the South and Wyperfeld Serviced Caravan Park and opportunities for nature based experiences. in the North. Other distinct natural features include the Big Desert Bush / Free Camp Wilderness Area to the West, as well as the Wimmera River and the Sea Lake The Shire is centrally located in the region, with two towns large freshwater lakes of Lake Hindmarsh and Albacutya that are Sunraysia Hwy Cabins located near the halfway point of the Melbourne to Adelaide filled during wet periods. The country is generally more arid to the route. north with more permanent wetlands and rivers to the south. Most of Proposed Cabins the soils are very infertile and many are sandy; however in a narrow Proposed Route Almost two-thirds of all businesses in the area are related to belt between Nhill and Warracknabeal there are soils otherwise Yarriambiack agriculture, primarily grain and sheep production, and more free of major nutrient deficiencies and are able to hold water very Green Lake Caravan Park Existing Silo Art Trail recently oilseeds and legumes. These farming and associated well. These grey soils are the principal wheat soils of Victoria. The Shire Henty Hwy Proposed Silo Art Trail enterprises are fully complemented by a flourishing suite of central part of the Shire is utilised primarily for broad-acre cropping employment opportunities in trades, retail, health, education and grazing. This region has been extensively cleared for the Hopetoun and professional services. cultivation of cereal crops, particularly wheat, barley and oats. Most Woomelang Cronomby Tanks farms also carry some livestock, predominantly sheep. Vegetation The Wimmera River Discovery Trail is a new initiative that will communities mostly consist of savannah woodland with Eucalyptus Lake Albacutya link Dimboola with Jeparit with a cycle and walking trail along microcarpa, E. largiflorens, E. leucoxylon, E. camaldulensis and Calder Hwy the river. Strategies for these towns reinforce the links to this Allocasuarina luehmannii. Buloke asset. Shire It is suggested that in natural areas, vehicular and pedestrian Rainbow access is rationalised so as to preserve the location’s natural Beulah Community character and environment. Recommendations made for Four Mile Beach and the Wimmera River at Jeparit indicate strategies for The population of 5,588 are focused in the four main towns of preserving and valuing local flora and fauna communites that can Nhill (2,100), Dimboola (1,424) , Rainbow (491) and Jeparit be used at sites across the region. The Wimmera River Discovery (342) with a few smaller settlements between. There have been Trail, once completed, will further develop this appreciation. significant efforts in the Shire to establish strongT own Committees Generally, revegation of local species is recommended in areas to represent the interests of each town with Council. There have where bushland has become degraded - this will maintain local Whycheproof also been strong initiatives in Nhill to integrate the Karen refugee character as well as providing ecological benefits for the region. Hindmarsh community. These investments have strengthened local resilience Shire Hwy Henty and should be protected and extended to encourage further efforts Jeparit by local communities in addressing some of the challenges facing individual towns. Silo Art Trail Sunraysia Hwy West Wimmera Warracknabeal There is potential for community investment supported by Council in The suggestions for Hindmarsh take into account the planned Charlton essential services and visitor facilities in the smaller towns including extension of the Silo Art trail through the shire and subsequent Shire Calder Hwy the provision of self-contained accommodation and caravan park BORDER - VICTORIA AUSTRALIA SOUTH incrased visitation. This is already in progress with the Albacutya Nhill improvements. Supporting and expanding existing event based Silo Art already funded and in development. activities will also benefit these communities. Serviceton Kaniva Western Hwy Western Hwy Donald Hindmarsh is attracting new and returning residents and this trend should be encouraged by better understanding their motivation for settling in the shire and responding to that information with strategic Alt. Route to Horsham via.Goroke programs to support the new business initiatives they are bringing Dimboola to the area. Henty Hwy Housing KEY Serviced Caravan Park Rupanyup There