Phone 5862 1034 – Fax 5862 2668 – Email - Editorial: [email protected] - Advertising: [email protected] – Registered by Australia Post – Publication No. VA 1548 established 1895 LEADER NumurkahWEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 $1.30 INSIDE Bridges re-built See story page 4 Ground breaking Committed Chris Smith, AgBioEn Chairman Charles Hunting, Mayor Libro Mustica, AgBioEn for 60 Program Director Lubey Lozevski, AgBioEn Managing Director Energy Peter Holmgren, Pete Vandengoor and Kris Lee are ready to break ground on the years Katunga biofuel project. See story page 3. See story page 10 Moira misses out in sportsIT has been confirmed that one of the funding ap- Australia’srorts recommendations to award the grantsscandal to any ministerial rules, by awarding a grant of $36,000 plications overlooked in the Federal Government clubs in marginal seats - many of whom attracted to a shooting club of which she was a member she sports funding scandal was made by Moira Shire for scores in the 50s - prior to last year’s federal election. was guilty of a conflict of interest. the benefit of the Tungamah Football Netball Club. Seventy three percent of projects given funding Moira Shire CEO Mark Henderson told the Lead- A list obtained by the ABC showed that the Tunga- were not recommended by Sport Australia. er that ,although the shire was disappointed to have mah project, which was an application of $500,000 Talking to the Leader last week, Federal Mem- missed out on the funding for Tungamah, the pro- Firies for the replacement of change rooms damaged in ber for Nicholls Damian Drum said that deciding ject was still on their agenda. the 2012 floods, received a score of 86 out of 100. where funds should be allocated was one of the “The project has merit, and though we would like By measure of household income, Tungamah has privileges of being in government. to snag a grant to help pay for it if possible, we are share the lowest socioeconomic profile in Moira Shire. “It’s part and parcel of the political process, and looking at other ways to fund it. It is certainly some- Sport Australia ranked applications on a points one of the great things about being in government,’ thing we are still committed to,” he said. system out of 100, setting a threshold of 74 or high- he said. “It is not unusual to miss out on funding in the skills er for grant approval. Senator McKenzie resigned on Sunday after an first round of applications, however the Yarrawon- The candals erupted last month when it was re- ga Tennis Club did receive $77,000 in that funding See story page 5 investigation by the Department of Prime Minister vealed that former Sports Minister and deputy and Cabinet found that, though she had not broken round, so I think Moira shire has done pretty well.” Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie ignored Sports Continued on page 2. www.numurkahleader.net.au 2 — NumurkahLEADER, Wednesday, February 5, 2020 PETER COX & SONS FUNERALDIRECTORS Moira misses out in sports rorts scandal Professional service tailored to your needs Continued from front page. new ones. It’s very disappointing to have missed modate so many players, and we want to provide Former Tungamah Football Netball Club pres- out.” the best facilities we can.” Locally owned & operated 24 hours - 7 days a week ident Troy Costigan, who held the role for 10 Mr Costigan said that, between its football and Mr Costigan said that new facilities at the club years before recently stepping down, told the netball teams, it needs rooms to accommodate were important not just for club members, but Funeral calls and information Leader that the change rooms were almost con- around 150 players, and the current rooms just for the entire town. demned following the 2012 floods. aren’t up to scratch. “We don’t have a community hall here any “We had people from the shire come out and more so the club gets used as a venue for all sorts Cnr5862 Meiklejohn &3047 Quinn Streets “Especially playing in the Murray League; you look at them and they were in such a bad state go to places like Numurkah where their facilities of events by the town and it needs to be up to ACCREDITED MEMBER OF THE AUSTRALIAN FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION that they were originally going to condemn are fantastic and then they come here and our fa- scratch. them, but they did a bit of a patch up job to make cilities really aren’t good. “We’re going to keep trying, because it needs Meals on Wheels Roster them usable instead,” he said. “We do a great job for a little town, to accom- to happen and we’re still hopeful that we can get Rnd 1 Rnd 2 Rnd 3 “They’re still very old and we desperately need there.” J. & M. Luci M. Caccianiga Lions Club 10/2 Numurkah J. Nolan Numurkah Sec V. Bunny 11/2 College R. Kennett C. North R. & C. 12/2 C. Boldt Hardham POLICE BEAT A week of drugs and thefts W. Knight St Joseph’s Diverse 13/2 Primary School Builders A WAAIA man was remanded in police cus- G. Watson Rotary Club C. & K. Cole tody to appear before Wangaratta Magistrates Stolen ... This caravan, rego 14/2 R. Wright Numurkah court yesterday after a ‘significant’ quantity of Coordinator – MHA Care Phone 5742 1111 X78 549 was stolen from methylamphetamine was found in his vehicle during a search by Cobram police in the early a Gray Street address on hours of February 1. Saturday night. Seventeen medium to large cannabis plants were seized during the execution of a search warrant at a residence on Lawford St, Barmah on January 25. The male resident was charged with cultivation of narcotic plants and will appear at the Sheppar- ton Magistrates court in May. Two more sunshine gates were stolen on the weekend, this time being removed from a prop- erty on Katunga Picola Road on Sunday. A caravan was taken from an address on Gray Street Numurkah overnight on Saturday. The registration of the caravan is X78 549, and anybody who has seen the van is encouraged to contact their local police. The vehicle that collided with a power pole on the GV Highway overnight on January 26 has been confirmed as stolen. The dark blue 2018 Holden Captiva was stolen from a Walters Street Wunghnu address shortly before the collision at around 4am. Moira gets drought funding - for real COME AND SEE US FOR ALL YOUR THE are we or aren’t we Resources David Littleproud assured that Moira had been Stolen game of whether Moira Shire had used his ministerial dis- awarded it. will receive $1 million worth cretion to award the funding to “I had been told in the last of federal funding to complete Moira after all. weeks of parliament that Moira local infrastructure and other However, Mr Drum spoke had been given the okay, and goods PRINTING drought-relief projects has fi- too soon, and within days he that was the basis on which I CALENDARS nally been concluded - and the was forced to eat his words and made the announcement,” he answer is yes, we are. tell bitterly disappointed locals said. and plates POSTERS UP TO A1 Moira Shire residents first that Moira Shire would not be “Unfortunately, there was learned that the shire had been receiving the funding after all. a review of the grants that PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS deemed ineligible for the fund- Last week though, it was I wasn’t aware of, and that located ing in late October 2019, with announced that Moira Shire prevented the funding being STOLEN goods were found in a vehicle in the car park of the Numurkah Golf and FLYERS Moira having been calculated was among a number of shires awarded at the time. Bowls Club on Sunday, after an incident in- as having 16.9% of its popula- which had been allocated the “I’m delighted to be able tion employed in the agricul- to confirm now though that volving a number of individuals who were BUSINESS CARDS funding in a new round. ture industry - 0.1% short of Moira will definitely be receiv- not members of the club. For real this time. MENUS the 17% eligibility threshold. ing the funding.” Police were called by the manager on Mr Drum told those gath- The decision was met with The $1 million drought relief duty, after a Numurkah woman, known to ered for the official reopen- VOUCHERS disbelief at the time, but the funding is intended to provide golf club staff, entered the premises with ing of a number of bridges in disappointment lasted barely short-term support, including two men, at around 10.30am and refused lower Moira last week that, BOOKS AND MAGAZINES a week, with Federal Mem- by boosting local employment when he ‘shot his mouth off’ to leave after failing to produce identifica- ber for Nicholls Damian Drum and procurement, and ad- by announcing the funding in tion when requested. Small numbers of anything announcing at the start of No- dressing social and community early November, he had been It is believed that one of the men was Ph. 5862 1034 vember that Minister for Water needs. NumurkahLEADER involved in an altercation with one of two 88 Melville St, Numurkah men, who arrived at the venue at around the same time. Letter to the Editor After arriving at the club, Numurkah po- Numurkah Leader is lice members ran a check of the number bound by the Standards plates of the Holden Commodore station of Practice of the Australian Press Drummy’s defence Drummy’s near-Orwellian terminology for wagon the woman and men were believed Council.