Daneka Hill and Max Stainkamph bring you all the news from across the Goulburn Valley.
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TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Max Stainkamph
And I’m Daneka Hill. Here’s what’s making news today, May 7. Greater Shepparton City Council has made a public appeal for information about people vandalising playground KidsTown.
Council said there have been multiple attempts to break into buildings on the site over recent months, and thieves have targeted donation tins by smashing open their doors and using power tools.
The playground is supported by gold coin donations.
Due to similar incidents last year, the doors to the four donation tins located around the facility had to be replaced with keyed containers fitted with a deadlock.
Council's manager of active living David Booth said the continued targeting of KidsTown property was extremely disappointing due to the cost it takes to repair the damage.
Rochester's Commonwealth Branch bank will close at the end of July.
The branch is one of dozens closing across the country, and will close its doors for good following its last day on July 30, with customers encouraged to use branches in Echuca or Kyabram for in-person banking.
It follows the closure of Tatura, Leitchville and Finley branches in the wider Goulburn Valley region in 2021.
Commonwealth Brank regional general manager David Castle said the Rochester branch had a 50 per cent drop in transactions over the past five years.
No jobs will be lost due to the closure, with employees re-deployed to Kyabram or Echuca.
The squeeze on the price and availability of rental properties across the Goulburn Valley is showing no signs of easing, with just 55 properties available in Shepparton and only dozens in other centres around the region.
Housing affordability is also still dire, with even fewer properties on the private rental market affordable to someone on minimum wage or government support.
The lack of rentals is hurting people on lower incomes, but also affecting businesses in need of employees.
In Shepparton, up to 40 people are applying for each private rental, while there are just 67 properties across regional Victoria which are affordable for a single person on the aged pension.
Go karts, laser tag and arcade games will be returning to Shepparton as Fun Planet puts the pedal to the metal and re-opens next week after being closed for more than 12 months.
The centre has been revived since shutting its doors at the start of 2020, and will re-open to the public on Friday, May 14.
The state-of-the-art Sodi go karts, a "huge" laser tag arena and arcade games all return as the centre gears up for a grand reopening ahead of the July school holidays, which he said was the busiest time of year for indoor entertainment centres.
The 12-metre high rock climbing wall and mini golf won't reopen on Friday, with the wall needing safety accreditation before it can be put back into use, and the mini golf space will be renovated.
About 25 people will be employed at the centre in a mix of full-time and casual workers.
Start your engines, it's fundraising time. On Monday night, Anytime Fitness Echuca will hold the twin towns’ first ever Treadmill Matchbox Car Race.
It's a thrilling, high-octane car race — just miniature sized and set on the streets of a treadmill.
The event is a lead-in to this year's Tread as One, which brings all Anytime Fitness gyms from around Australia together to raise funds for suicide prevention through the charity R U OK?
Anytime Fitness Echuca's Treadmill Matchbox Car Race will be held on Monday, May 10, from 5.30pm. Entry is a gold coin donation.
The sporting cliché of a six-pointer best describes Goulburn Valley Suns clash with Langwarrin tomorrow.
It's a simple equation - the Orangemen sit third after six rounds, and have Langwarrin breathing down their necks in fourth.
A win would create a slight buffer, with Langwarrin only falling behind the Suns on goal difference.
Prevailing in a National Premier League Two white-knuckler last Saturday, the Suns won’t be pulling any punches when facing an opposition which pushed aside Bulleen three nil on Monday.
Well aware of the power of momentum, coach Craig Carley is prepping his men for a steely encounter at Lawton Park. That’s the news, you’re up to date.