Mayor column: with Cr John Harvie

Published on 28 March 2025

Last week your elected councillors took to the road, in a bus, to tour the length and breadth of the Murray River Council local government area. It was the first opportunity that councillors have had, since being elected, to visit our communities and familiarise themselves with council assets, community issues and to meet community members for morning tea or lunch.

The tour kicked off in Moama before heading to Barham where councillors caught up with staff, had a tour of the Barham micro-abattoir, checked out the Barham Lakes re-development, the recreation reserve, artwork at the Barham water tower followed by the Barham Levee, the water treatment plant and the unsealed section of Murrabit Road.

We then travelled to Murray Downs via Tullakool, Noorong and Mellool and met Murray Downs community members over lunch at the Federal Hotel.

We then visited the new Boatramp in Yellymong Park, The Swan Hill bridge which is set to be replaced, new subdivisions near the golf club and had a tour of Australian Farming Services almond processing plant. This state of the art facility cost around $150 million to build and commenced operating last year.

Murray Downs, like most of our communities along the Murray have regular power interruptions and electricity capacity issues that we will take up with Essential Energy.

We then travelled to Koraleigh to meet with members of the recreation reserve committee to discuss the need for a new combined community space and Rural Fire Service facility.

We stopped overnight in Tooleybuc and had dinner at the recently renovated Tooleybuc Hotel. We inspected the Bridge Keepers Cottage, Mensforth Park, Tooleybuc Bridge before departing for Moulamein via the Goodnight Hall and Kyalite.

In Moulamein we visited sites including the oldest Courthouse in the Riverina, had an overview of the Main St, major council assets and discussed the levee/flood study.

We also had a tour and lunch at the magnificent Moulamein Heritage Village and met the committee before departing for Wakool via the Mooloomoon woolshed which is also a must-see on any visit to Moulamein.

Heading to Mathoura, we travelled via the Caldwell Line Road and drove by sites in Mathoura including the former Liston Caravan Park, artwork on the water tower (another ‘must see’ piece of art), the Main St, depot/office and the proposed residential subdivision at the Cod sculpture.

There is so much to see and do across Murray River. Go for a drive and experience it for yourself.