Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes joined Moira Shire Council's administrators and Waaia community members to make the announcement.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
Waaia is set to receive a boost thanks to generous funding from the Victorian Government.
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Community members joined local and state government dignitaries on Waaia-Bearii Rd on Friday, May 9 to hear Regional Development Minister Jaclyn Symes announce funding for a mural on the town’s grain silo.
Waaia Community Planning Group president Susan Cleeland was over the moon about the announcement.
“It’s more than exciting,” she said.
“It’s just brilliant. It will really help us immensely to get it going.”
A total of $32,000 will go towards the installation of the mural, which will be painted by renowned artist Tim Bowtell.
Mr Bowtell has already brought his magical touch throughout the region, having completed similar murals in Katamatite, Rochester and Colbinabbin.
Members of the Waaia Community Planning Group, with president Susan Cleeland (third from left).
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
Ms Symes said the collective funding under the government’s Tiny Towns Fund would support many such projects across Victoria.
“This is funding that’s going to a range of projects, based on what communities have asked for, what they think is important to their small towns, what’s going to attract visitors, fix dilapidated buildings and really make them more vibrant,” Ms Symes said.
“These are assets that the community can be proud about, which is why I chose the Waaia community.”
While Mrs Cleeland couldn’t share specifics on the mural’s content, she said it would incorporate elements of the cropping and irrigation histories that continued to support Waaia today.
“It will be something that will say, ‘This is Waaia’,” Mrs Cleeland said.
She confirmed the namesake of the town — which is home to just over 400 people — would make a special cameo.
“The word ‘Waaia’ actually means ‘crow’ and so we can’t not put a crow on it,” Mrs Cleeland said.
“It has to be there ... It will probably be on the top somewhere.”
The Waaia Community Planning Group formed about five years ago.
Mrs Cleeland said a mural on the town’s silo was a main goal of the group’s from the word go.
After a little more planning and fundraising, the group hopes the project will get under way in spring.
The funding for the mural project is part of a package of over $5.1 million going towards 159 projects in the second round of the Victorian Government’s Tiny Towns Fund.
The program contributes critical funding to projects, such as silo murals, in rural and regional communities across the state.
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