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Page Last Updated:
Tuesday, 13 October 2009 |
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Home>Bridgewater Top Small Town
| The biggest-hearted little town on the Loddon is rejoicing after making a splash at Victoria’s most prestigious regional community awards.
Bridgewater beat off stiff competition to win the title for top small town at the 2009 Regional Achievement and Community Awards.
Loddon Shire’s popular riverfront gateway town edged out Talbot to be named Kleenheat Gas Community of the Year for populations under 5000.
Bridgewater Progress Association president Heather Chamberlain and Loddon Shire’s Councillor Geoffrey Curnow were among those attending the awards ceremony in Ballarat on Saturday.
“It was clearly one of the most popular and deserving wins of the night,” Cr Curnow said.
“It was just awesome,” Mrs Chamberlain said. “I was crying and laughing.”
What makes the victory even sweeter is that the town was not even originally nominated for best small community award which carries a prize of $2000.
Originally Bridgewater nominated for a youth achievement award to recognise the role of the town’s young people in the redevelopment of the swimming hole.
“We were finalists in that category last year and we decided to nominate again, but the organisers thought the application was so good that it was worthy of whole town consideration,” Heather revealed.
The judges determined that the efforts of Bridgewater residents young and old deserved recognition.
“In most towns kids are inside watching television and playing on the computer, but here they are out shovelling around mulch and mowing grass and getting their hands dirty with the rest of us to create something for the town,” Mrs Chamberlain said.
“It makes me feel proud, proud of the town and proud of the kids. It just proves our town is pretty good.
“This is big. It is regional and we were competing against towns all over Victoria.”
“I’m tempted to paint a big sign on the road to say; ‘We Are Winners’.”
For more information contact Bridgewater Progress Association President Heather Chamberlain on 0437 242 848 or 5437 3227.
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