The Action Plan

The Action Plan 26-06-2013

Harcourt Workshop

Chutney and Marmalade Workshop

What Is An RV Dump?

We've had a great discussion on our facebook page recently about the proposal for an RV dump in Harcourt. This topic brought up a lot of concerns and questions, the first being 'what is an RV dump?' I'm going to collate some of the many posts from the facebook discussion here, to make it easier to read and understand.

So firstly, what is an RV dump. Well RV in this instance is referring to a recreational vehicle. The dump part is meaning a place where owners of an RV vehicle can safely and cleanly empty out the contents of their on board liquid waste. Yes that includes toilet matter. What I've taken from the various discussions is that the waste goes directly into the sewerage system, just as a public toilet does. The RV dump is just set up differently in order to be practical for the RV users.

It's not a caravan park or an overnight rest spot, it's a transient service, again just like a public toilet.

Says one community member:

It is not a sleeping spot as I understand, just a place to unload waste and reload fresh water. They may hopefully go to the local shop, service station or pub at the same time. Or visit local wineries or other attractions. In summer they could use the pool.

This leads into why Harcourt would want such a thing in our town ship. As the above says, there may well be a benefit to the local shops and services. The RV circuit is a very popular one throughout Australia and Harcourt is well placed to take advantage of this. As another member comments:

It makes Harcourt an RV (mobile home eg Winnebago) friendly town, which attracts more tourists to spend money locally. Part of the logic for the (proposed) position is that it can handle the larger RVs. Bendigo can only cater for them at the showgrounds. So we will have them coming to Harcourt. Also, there a couple of spots identified for overnight parking. The dump unit ( not installation) is donated by KIA. So the dump is free by we can Meter water and overnight stays.

 

Whether the final outcome will involve a fee or not has yet to be confirmed, and there is logic for both sides of the argument. Free service might be a bigger incentive for vehicles to choose Harcourt over Bendigo, however another contributor points out that the implementation of a fee:

... was part of the initial work to try and get a revenue stream to save the pool.

Many thanks to everyone who joined in the discussion and helped to answer many questions and clear up a lot of confusion. Finally you can find out about the locations of RV dumps plus other useful information courtesy of yet another contributor here.

 

Harcourt Before Electricity

such a bizarre sight i couldn't resist a photo!

On Sunday JP and I spent a lovely afternoon at the ANA Hall for a communal talk about what life was like in Harcourt before electricity arrived. Did you know that Harcourt didn't receive electricity until 1933? That seems very late to me. I've watched Downton Abbey and I know they had the power put on around the turn of the century! To make matters even more trying, some households didn't get electricity until some 17 years after everyone else, even though they might have been just a kilometer up the road! But I digress.

George doing what George does so well, entertaining the crowds!

Hosted by George Milford the talk looked at how families lived pre 1933. How they worked and how they relaxed. George invited the group to share their experiences and to reminisce about stories handed down from parents and grandparents.

There was a pleasant fire crackling in the hearth and all the while that the talk was running, Dianna (sorry but I didn't catch your surname), was making us griddle scones which she cooked over the fire as a demonstration of domestic life in those early times. That's all well and good in winter but during a hot Harcourt summer? Sheesh!

Diana toiling over a hot 'stove'

George also showed us some interesting items that have been donated to the Heritage Society. One was the original ledger from Blooms Coronation Bakery which moved from Barkers Creek  to 'Calrossie House' which is on the corner of the Old Calder and the Midland Highways. The original ovens are still in place in the brick outhouses, plus the Bloom family's delivery cart is still in existence. The old ledger lists all the names and addresses of their classes as well as what was purchased. What a beautiful artifact.

After the talk we had a shared afternoon tea as the invitation requested 'bring a plate'. It was lovely to catch up and have a chat with the community, which as we all have busy lives, we often don't have time for more than a quick hello at the post office.

Thank you to George and all the group for a great afternoon. The Heritage Society holds a talk on the third Sunday of the month, and you will find their calender of topics at the Post Office.

In Harcourt I Want ....

There's been a spontaneous chat on our facebook page about what developments, simple or otherwise we would like to see in Harcourt. This conversation is EXACTLY what we want to foster and what we spent most of last night's meeting chatting about.


The outcome of that meeting will be available in the minutes, and you'll be able to read them. But I thought I'd jot down a list of what thoughts you all have.

You see, we're creating a Community Action Plan, and  that's going to be submitted to council at the end of next month. It can be added to after that time, but it will become important in terms of what we will actually be able to achieve for Harcourt.

When we apply for funding in the future, the Action Plan will be used as support material. If the request is not on that plan and part of an overall vision, then our application will be unlikely to succeed.

Bianca Oliver has made suggestions about some minor improvements to the BMX track. Nothing about the track came up at the meeting last night. I guess no one at the meeting has a connection to it, but Bianca's suggestions are great and seem very achievable.

That highlights for me the importance of broad community input for the meetings. Otherwise you're going to end up living with what the same 12 people think is right for Harcourt.

So get your ideas down and then even if you don't wish to attend meetings, at least we know we are making a fair representation.

Okay, so the ideas so far ...

• pretty townhouses at the disused lumber yard site
• a drinking fountain at the BMX track
• bolted down exercise equipment at the BMX track
• walking paths
• a fenced off adventure playground area
• a playground in Stanley or James's Park. 
• a walking track from swimming pool, past creek right through ANA Hall
• a drive-in cinema/ moonlight cinema at the old quarry

I will continue to update the lists as the ideas come through, so keep them coming!