The inland rail project has celebrated the first anniversary of construction, including works near Seymour.
ARTC Inland Rail said to date, it had spent $45.1 million with 196 Victorian businesses and employed 732 people on the Victorian section of the project.
The project started work at four sites in 2023 — Barnawartha North, Glenrowan, Wangaratta and Seymour-Avenel Rd, Seymour.
In partnership with construction contractor McConnell Dowell, Inland Rail is preparing to remove a bridge on the Seymour-Avenel Rd to construct a higher one that will enable double-stacked freight trains to pass under safely.
The Inland Rail project aims to connect Beveridge (just outside Melbourne) with Parkes, NSW, by 2027 before later connecting from Narromine, NSW, to Ebenezer, Queensland.
“We are looking forward to the year ahead with the completion of construction of the new Beaconsfield Parade bridge in Glenrowan, lots of work at the Wangaratta railway precinct and building a new Seymour-Avenel Rd bridge to come,” ARTC Victoria and South Australian general manager projects Ed Walker said.
“The communities across all our sites have been amazing to work with, and we thank them for their understanding while we continue to progress our construction.”
Thoroughbred program for jobs working with horses
From the outside looking in, it might seem a daunting task trying to catch an employment opportunity in the thoroughbred horse breeding industry, but staff shortages have led to creative opportunities.
The Thoroughbred Breeders Australia training program, Fast Track, is now in its seventh year, and applications are open for the 2024 intake.
The 12-month Fast Track course was developed in an attempt to address industry staffing shortages by attracting people from outside breeding and racing to the sector.
The Swettenham Stud near Nagambie has previously participated in the program, hosting one of the trainees.
“Fast Track offers anyone with a passion for horses the opportunity to begin a career with thoroughbreds, regardless of their background or level of hands-on experience,” TBA chief executive Tom Reilly said.
Successful applicants receive a full-time, paid traineeship with a stud farm while studying for a Certificate III in Horse Breeding — a nationally recognised formal qualification.
Fast Track is open to anyone in Australia 18 years old or over.
Applications close on March 11. More information can be found at tbaus.com or by emailing madison@tbaus.com
Billion dollar maybe
The condition of our roads is never far from our minds and a new report has emphasised the need for local government to be provided with $1 billion more funding to maintain and upgrade local roads.
The Grattan Institute’s Potholes and Pitfalls: How to fix local roads report wants the Federal Government to grant councils an extra $1 billion a year.
That aligns with the Australian Local Government Association’s call for Financial Assistance Grants to be restored to at least one per cent of Commonwealth taxation revenue and Roads to Recovery funding increased to $800 million a year.
The report has been welcomed by Strathbogie Shire Council administrator Peter Stephenson.
“Flooding has damaged our roads so badly we must look at repairs that are above and beyond our normal maintenance programs,” he said.
“We estimate the damage bill could be as high as $50 million — something that is well outside our ability to fund.