Communities in Loddon Campaspe will to be more active, more often thanks to the Healthy Heart of Victoria initiative supported by the Victorian Government.
Victorian Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes visited Maryborough to announce 11 infrastructure and activation projects across the region, supported as part of the Victorian Government’s $5 million Healthy Heart initiative.
The funding includes $51,000 to develop a kitchen garden at the Maryborough Community House to encourage healthy eating and gardening. The initiative will also upgrade playground facilities at the Community House to keep the region’s littlest residents active.
A further $112,000 will upgrade paths at the Goldfields Reservoir in Maryborough so a weekly “parkrun” can be held, while a new outdoor basketball court will be built at Gordon Gardens, near Dunolly, in the Central Goldfields Shire.
The initiative will also support lifeguard and swimming teacher training programs at Gurri Wanyarra Wellbeing Centre in Kangaroo Flat, which will encourage members of the local Karen community to become more active.
This is part of a larger initiative that includes the installation of outdoor gym equipment, lighting and seating at Kangaroo Flat Browning Street Oval and the Bendigo Creek Trail.
The Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership made the Healthy Heart project a priority after hearing from the community that the region needed more preventative health initiatives.
As well as providing new infrastructure to help communities be more active, the program funded an active living census to evaluate health levels in the region.
The census received 25,000 responses, with the information now being collated to inform any new health and recreation services that may be required in the region.
The initiative includes the employment of health brokers in each of the Loddon Campaspe local government areas, who will help drive progress and change throughout the region.
Source: Vic Government